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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
Patrick OrozcoPatrick Orozco, head of the Pajaro Ohlone Indian Council, has done careful work over the years for Native American “place-presence” and sacred... California United States
Paul RusesabaginaPaul Rusesabagina is the subject of the film Hotel Rwanda. During the Rwandan genocide he risked his life and the lives of his family to turn the... Rwanda
Paw PreePaw PreeVolunteer, Program Associate for A.S.I.A., Inc.While wisdom and compassion can be the fruits of old age, to some they come young. Paw Pree is that... Lakewood, Ohio United States
Peter FreimarkPeter FreimarkSocial Change ActivistPeter Freimark finds ways to connect those who have a need and those who want to give. In September, 2005, recognizing the lack... Moreland Hills, Ohio United States
Phillip and Sandy GordonOptimism is one of Philip and Sandy’s defining qualities. Their contributions to education and the arts are inspirational. After retiring, Philip... Boston, Massachusetts United States
Phitsamay Sychitkokhong UyPhitsamay, a refugee from Laos, has been teaching, researching, and advocating on behalf of the Southeast Asian American community for over 10 years... Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts United States
Quinn ClarkeQuinn ClarkeFounder, Kick ItQuinn Clarke was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer when he was a toddler. It went into remission, only to return when he was... Chagrin Falls, Ohio United States
R.A.D. Students, Lakewood HSRace and Diversity ClubGetting people to talk openly and honestly about race and how it affects our lives isn’t easy– but that is the goal of the R.A... Lakewood, Ohio United States
Raphael LemkinBorn in 1900, Raphael Lemkin, devoted most of his life to a single goal: making the world understand and recognize a crime so horrific that there was... Poland
Rebecca HamiltonRebecca Hamilton is an Australian human rights activist, writer, and lawyer. While a law student at Harvard, Rebecca Hamilton helped mobilize the... Australia