Good Things

Here’s a good thing you need to know: International Literacy Day was celebrated last month, and this year’s theme is "Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace." So today, we’re speaking with Dr. Joseph Lo Bianco, an expert in all things language, to discuss how multilingual education can go beyond teaching new languages to promote mutual understanding, social cohesion, and peace.

Image Credit: pathdoc, Shutterstock

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Here’s a good thing you need to know: An organisation in Bangladesh called Travelettes is aiming to empower women through travel. It is the first and largest female online travelling organisation in Bangladesh with over 75,000 female members, and they conduct workshops in schools in each district and talk about menstrual health, self defence, the liberation war & Bangladesh with female students. We speak to Dr Sakia Haque, founder of Travelettes about what inspired her to start this organisation.

Image Credit: Travelettes of Bangladesh, Facebook

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Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna is a passionate advocate for migrants and refugees in Malaysia, and the Founder and Director of Our Journey, an NGO committed to building a supportive migration system aligned with international standards. A practising lawyer since 2008, Sumitha is also the Chairperson of the Migrant Forum in Asia, and the Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council Migrants and Refugees Committee. She has tirelessly championed the rights of non-citizens, and has helped countless migrants and refugees, providing them with essential legal aid and humanitarian support. We explore her inspiring journey, the challenges she has faced, and the incredible impact her work continues to make in shaping a fairer society for all.

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Here’s a good thing you need to know: Two local cooperatives are on a mission to address a wide range of social, economic and environmental challenges. In a conversation that spans community, sustainability and skill development, we delve into the philosophies behind Kongsi Co-op and FRIENDS Craft Cooperative—two distinct cooperatives with unique missions. Kongsi Co-op is a community-owned enterprise dedicated to harmonising the relationships between people, soil, and nature, with a focus on revitalising community spirit and promoting sustainable living. In contrast, FRIENDS Craft Cooperative aims to empower individuals by equipping them with craft skills essential for domestic production—not only to strengthen interpersonal relationships, but to also promote economic equity.

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Professor Jomo Kwame Sundaram is a prominent Malaysian economist, academic, and public intellectual known for his extensive work in development economics and social justice. He has produced important scholarship on Malaysia's political economy, influenced discourse during the Asian financial crisis and even worked with the UN.

This year, he was honoured at the Merdeka Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement.

In this episode we have a conversation with Prof Jomo about his childhood, family, journey in academia and public service, meeting the King of Thailand while catching worms in a drain, and more.

The Merdeka Award was established in 2007 and aims to recognise and reward exceptional citizens and organisations who have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields to the people of Malaysia.

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The Nicol David Organisation, founded by eight-time world squash champion Datuk Nicol David, and Mariana De Reyes, is dedicated to empowering young people through sports. The organisation focuses on nurturing talent and providing opportunities for underprivileged youth to reach their full potential. We speak to the co-founders.

Image Credit: Nicol David Organisation

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The Inclusive Outdoor Classroom (IOC) was established in January 2016 by Anne Sivanathan, in response to parents' pleas for more resources and services for neurodivergent children. The philosophy behind IOC is simple - that all children benefit from outdoor learning, and that by integrating outdoor and indoor programs, an optimal environment for children's learning and development is created. We catch up with Anne, to find out more about her and the IOC's work, through the years.

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Here’s a Good Thing you need to know: On July 28, seven cyclists completed an epic 900-kilometre journey from Miri to Kuching to raise money and awareness for cervical cancer screening. We spoke to one of the cyclists, 67-year-old Lau Huoi Seong, about what drives his passion for cycling and social causes, the philosophy of empathy, and what it means to age gracefully.

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Here’s a Good Thing you need to know: SUKA Society is launching their Bahasa Ibunda Syllabus project, which has been developed by Orang Asal community teachers and will be used to teach children content and knowledge relevant to their unique culture and heritage, as part of the Empowered2Teach programme. We find out more from: Dinah, she’s a teacher and project trainer with Empowered2Teach and Sarah Teo, general manager of SUKA Society. 

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Here’s a Good Thing you need to know: a trio of young Malaysians have developed wireless charging technology for satellites in space, including on the moon. The trio - Muhammad Kamil, Razlan Dhamir Hamdan, and Justin Lee - had represented Malaysia with this technology in the world’s largest start-up competition, the Startup World Cup 2023, and made it all the way to the semi-finals. Razlan Dhamir Hamdan, who is also the co-founder of their company Aphelia, joins us to share more about this.

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