In politics it is said, that when not fueled by hope there is a vacuum for fear to fill. Since artists turn to the muses, Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope we are exploring what they can offer us for inspiration to have the hope fueling politics.

"Hope is patience with the lamp lit. "                       
–Tertullian

"Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."
–Vaclav Havel

Today's sole offering is Erato's (love) [hat tip Joanne]:

Harrison Ford auctions Han Solo jacket for a very personal reason

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/04/14/1515280/-Harrison-Ford-auctions-Han-Solo-jacket-for-a-very-personal-reason

Thank you dear reader for joining me on this journey of discovery and quest for hope.

In politics it is said, that when not fueled by hope there is a vacuum for fear to fill. Since artists turn to the muses, Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope we are exploring what they can offer us for inspiration to have the hope fueling politics.

“Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.”      
– Napoleon Bonaparte

“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.“
– Martin Luther

Let us first turn to some history courtesy of Clio:
Oil heir bringing Mormon-inspired sustainable city to rural Vermont

http://grist.org/cities/oil-heir-plans-mormon-inspired-eco-city-in-rural-vermont/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=weekly-static

and

Kurdish Women Struggle for a Next System in Rojava
http://thenextsystem.org/kurdish-women-struggle-for-a-next-system-in-rojava-kurdistan-northern-syria/?mc_cid=032cc22112&mc_eid=6e9dcba956

Gave me a kind of hope, how about you?

Now to Terpsichore (education):
Students Create Scholarship to Help Send Undocumented Teens to College (hat tip Joanne)
http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/04/07/college-undocumented-students?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2016-04-07

My hope for the future in hands such as these went up, how about yours?

Erato would claim (love):

Why this 1-year-old's private plane ride from a hospital was a special one.

http://www.upworthy.com/why-this-1-year-olds-private-plane-ride-from-a-hospital-was-a-special-one?c=upw1

Did you grab a hanky like me?

On to Thalia (agriculture):

A Cure for Vile Hospital Food?
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/04/stanford-hospital-cure-bad-food

Sounds good to me, how about you?

Would Ourania claim this one as celestial (is shimmering close enough)?
‘Sesame Street’ Goes Girl Power With First Afghan Puppet (hat tip Joanne-text and video)

http://www.takepart.com/video/2016/04/07/sesame-street-goes-girl-power-first-afghan-puppet?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2016-04-07

My faith in future generations just got even stronger, how about yours?

Now for Terpsichore (brief dance videos):

MDP Keara Solo 'Resurgence'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIYakhGThHw

DANCE CANCER INITIATIVE 2014 RINGWOOD BALLET GROUP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgP72fHJmYM

I feel hope after watching these, how about you?

Thank you dear reader for joining me on this journey of discovery and quest for hope.

In politics it is said, that when not fueled by hope there is a vacuum for fear to fill. Since artists turn to the muses, Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope we are exploring what they can offer us for inspiration to have the hope fueling politics.

“We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction
that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.” 
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

“The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started.”
-Norman Cousins

Let us first turn to Melpomene (tragedy perhaps as the back stories) and Calliope (justice):
PHR Welcomes Guilty Verdict Against Radovan Karadzic, Key Figure in Bosnia’s Genocide
“Landmark ICTY ruling brings justice to victims of Europe’s worst genocide
since World War II.”

http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/press/press-releases/phr-welcomes-guilty-verdict-against-radovan-karadzic-key-figure-in-bosnias-genocide.html

and

The meaning of Tyson Foods
“Last week's Supreme Court decision in Tyson Foods v. Bouaphakeo represents not just a reprieve but an affirmative win both for workers and for class action plaintiffs more generally.”

http://pubcit.typepad.com/clpblog/2016/03/the-meaning-of-tyson-foods.html

Gives me hope for change, how about you?

Now to some history courtesy of Clio:
Introducing hanami: the Japanese tradition that'll make you fall in love with nature.

http://www.upworthy.com/introducing-hanami-the-japanese-tradition-thatll-make-you-fall-in-love-with-nature?c=upw1

Gave me a peaceful, centered hope, how about you?

Erato would claim this one (love):
This first-grader needed a special kind of help. So her teacher gave her the gift of life. (text and video)
http://www.upworthy.com/this-first-grader-needed-a-special-kind-of-help-so-her-teacher-gave-her-the-gift-of-life?c=upw1

Did you grab a hanky like me?

On to Thalia (Colbert video comedy):

Cartoon Donald Trump Tells Stephen Colbert Who Started It
http://kpdailyfunnies.blogspot.com/2016/04/cartoon-donald-trump-tells-stephen.html#.Vv5PCxIrI1g

My needed giggles—does this one do it for you, too?

Now for Terpsichore (text and video):
This 9-Year-Old Boy Is A Dancing Machine

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/he-xiongfei-china-dancing-salsa_us_56fd67c1e4b0a06d580529e3

and maybe this one, too:

School Kids’ Jump Rope Routine Is Spellbindingly Awesome
Text:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/japan-jump-rope-routine-video_us_56f9428ae4b0a372181a5848?utm_hp_ref=good-news
Video:
https://www.facebook.com/fujinawa.8jump/videos/vb.249822461882879/464726003725856/?type=2&theater

I find hope in what these youngsters will become, how about you?

Finally, who would claim this one?

6 creatures from fairy tales that actually roamed the Earth.
http://www.upworthy.com/6-creatures-from-fairy-tales-that-actually-roamed-the-earth?c=upw1

I find hope in the variety of life on earth, how about you?

Thank you dear reader for joining me on this journey of discovery and quest for hope.

In politics it is said, that when not fueled by hope there is a vacuum for fear to fill. Since artists turn to the muses, Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope we are exploring what they can offer us for inspiration to have the hope fueling politics.

”Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality. “ 
-Jonas Salk

”Hope will never be silent. “
-Harvey Milk

Let us first turn to Melpomene (tragedy perhaps as the back story) and Calliope (justice)—[lengthy report that has a good, short summary]:
“Chicago community-based independent political organizations played a critical role in the successful campaign to defeat incumbent Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, a staunch opponent of police and criminal justice reform, in the March 2016 Democratic primary.”

http://action.npacampaign.org/page/-/NPACReport_TranslatingPower.pdf

Gives me hope for change, how about you?

Now to remember some history courtesy of Clio:

‘Give Bigotry No Sanction’

http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-41-spring-2012/feature/give-bigotry-no-sanction

Gave people hope then and we need to give it again now IMO, agree?

Next we go to Thalia (agriculture):
Harvesting Hope for the Future (text and video)
http://wfpusa.org/blog/quick-guide-school-meals?utm_source=March.16_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=SchoolMealsVideo_Feature&utm_campaign=Newsletter

and

Soul Fire Farm: Feeding the Soul, Growing Community (brief video)
“an initiative in New York State, led by women from communities of color, that works to feed underprivileged neighborhoods and build new social networks and connectivity.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StygQm6YlwQ&mc_cid=90d7b56686&mc_eid=6e9dcba956#action=share

So much hope for so many children and families I think, what about you?

Erato would claim (love):
Her Dad Died Just Before Her Wedding But What Her Brother Did Left The Whole Room In Tears (video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAa43njGb3o

Did you grab a hanky like me?

On to Thalia (comedy):

If Superman is a Democrat, Is Batman a Republican?
http://www.motherjones.com/riff/2008/05/if-superman-democrat-batman-republican

My laugh to raise my spirits—does this one do it for you, too?

Finally, who would claim this one?

Counseling — and Zumba classes — help three generations of Syrian women find hope
http://www.rescue.org/blog/zumba-classes-counseling-three-generations-syrian-women-find-hope?ms=em_updt_glbl_mrch_jc_160326&utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=March-2016-Monthly-Update_&spMailingID=14061377&spUserID=MTE0NDI2OTAxMTIS1&spJobID=741925333&spReportId=NzQxOTI1MzMzS0

Thank you dear reader for joining me on this journey of discovery and quest for hope.