Home › Explore and Learn ›

Upstanders

Choosing to Participate asks us, “How can I make a positive difference in the world?”

We invite you to explore these inspirational stories of friends, neighbors, civic leaders, and others who have taken up the challenge to speak out, do the right thing, and make decisions that help create positive change in our world. The people featured here serve as a small sample of the extraordinary Upstanders who are making a difference everyday around the globe. Some acts were big and some were little, but none were too small to notice.

Upstander: An individual, group, or institution that chooses to take a positive stand and act on behalf of themselves and others.


Name City, State Country
aaron kohnAaron KohnStudent, OrganizerWhen an 8th grade assignment about Kalahari bushmen captured Aaron Kohn’s interest, the Hawken School student decided to hold a... Shaker Heights, Ohio United States
Aimee LiuAs a member of Pen USA West, Aimee led the campaign to free Nigerian writer, Akin Akinwumi Adsoken. An article that she wrote appeared in a Nigerian... Beverly Hills, California United States
Aimee ThompsonAimee is the founder and executive director of Close to Home, an organization that fosters an alternative response to domestic violence. Aimee... Watertown, Massachusetts United States
Albie SachsAlbie Sachs, an activist who opposed apartheid and was exiled from South Africa for 23 years, now serves as a judge on South Africa's Constitutional... South Africa
Andy LipkisAndy Lipkis founded Tree People, an organization that plants trees in the city to help the urban environment, while he was still in college. His... Los Angeles, California United States
Anne Marie CarterKnown as “The Seed Lady” in her community, Anne Marie Carter builds community gardens in South Central Los Angeles, including gardens for people... Watts, California United States
Anne TomlinsonAs Artistic Director of the LA Children’s Chorus, Anne Tomlinson shows how one person can make difference in the lives of children, the community,... Pasadena, California United States
ArpilleristasArpilleristas are the sisters, wives, and mothers who made up the women’s protest movement in Chile during Pinochet’s dictatorship (1973–1990). These... Chile
Bea GotthelfBea Gotthelf, who was active in the civil rights movement in Mississippi, recalls an incident that illustrates how scary the times were. United States
Betty FactorThirty years ago, Betty Factor founded Mar Vista Family Center, a preschool for low-income families. Today, Mar Vista Family Center continues to... Mar Vista, California United States