To inspire action for greater justice and sustainability

Global Beacons of Hope® are places associated with extraordinary people, events, and ideas that symbolize the imagination, exploration, and moral behavior needed to move the world toward greater justice and sustainability.  

We believe putting a spotlight on them will help change minds and inspire action. 

This initiative will show how that can be done, starting with representative places in several countries.  Six examples. 

We aim to change attitudes and change behavior, not by propagandizing but by drawing out the best in people. 

Stories about real places and what has happened in them are powerful communication tools. Tangible symbols are needed even more these days in a world of “cyber-existence” and “virtual reality.”

Global Beacons of Hope are meant to be representative, rather than the “best.” Beacons are not an award, and there is no contest. Although designation of places as Beacons may encourage people to visit them, this is not their main purpose, and some of the places are remote or closed to the public.

This is a civil society, not-for-profit initiative led by nongovernmental organizations.