The challenges our planet faces in waste management are complex. Can photos inspire hope and change behaviors? Jade Doskow believes so and has been working with Freshkills Park, creating an archive of photographs that illuminate the paradox of what was once the world’s largest household waste landfill, now transforming into one of New York City’s largest public parks.

Destinee Filmore was an undergraduate at Spelman College when she realized that there were almost no historical markers in Atlanta that explicitly addressed the history of enslavement in the city. She decided to change that by creating a technologically innovative social impact project that addresses forgotten, hidden or ignored African American histories. Filmore takes us through the challenging process that resulted in moving her idea from concept to execution.

As you create New Year’s resolutions for 2024, consider applying some of the current research presented at the inaugural Leadership and Happiness Symposium, hosted by the Leadership and Happiness Laboratory Founded by Professor Arthur Brooks at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, to make yourself, your communities, and the world a happier place.

Elliot Davis, 2022 Harvard ALI Fellow and arts leader, examines the Embrace Memorial recently unveiled in Boston. Davis explores the historical significance, artistic elements, and controversies surrounding the monument.

Nina Khrushcheva, great-granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev, former Premier of the Soviet Union, discusses how Hollywood’s “soft propaganda” about Russia and Russians may hinder diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine – and how reading Russian literature may provide important clues to the Russian mind.

Carla Dirlikov Canales discusses how cultural diplomacy is one of the oldest and most important tools of statecraft. Often referred to as “soft power,” a phrase coined by University Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus Joseph Nye, the power of culture offers the ability to create connections and persuade in a way that may advance national interests more effectively than traditional diplomatic and geopolitical means.

Many social entrepreneurs have a vision, a passion for social impact that often never gets off the ground. An energy manifestation model can help avoid the common pitfalls of losing sight of the original vision and changing course. Donna Wing discusses a practical application of the model to bridge social impact through an applied example from her own social entrepreneurship project.