It was the winter of 2011. The stage was set, the audience in place on a cold Delhi evening. The audience gasped audibly when Rewben Mashangva walked into the spotlight with his son Saka. Oblivious to the chill, he was dressed in the sleeveless woven red and black jacket worn by his tribe, the Tangkhul Naga. Father and son sported the traditional hairdo, with long ponytails and clean-shaven sides, called haokuirut.  Between songs evocative of the mountains and valleys of the northeast Indian state of Manipur, Mashangva spoke about the Tanghkhul Naga, who form about seven percent of Manipur’s population. Like many other Indigenous peoples in India and across the world, their culture, estimated to be over 1,000 years old, has been orally transmitted across generations through songs and stories. But the fragile links of transmission were being severed, little by little, every day.   Rewben Mashangva and his son perform wearing the traditional clothing of the Tangkhul Naga. Courtesy of Rewben Mashangva It began in the 1890s, when the colonial British took control of Manipur and its adjoining regions. A young Scottish missionary, William Pettigrew, began converting entire villages and tribes to Christianity. Visible cultural markers of tribal identity like headgear and intricate beadwork, once worn as symbols of status, lineage and achievement, were actively discouraged, even destroyed. Oral tradition — often perpetuated by elders sitting around a fire, singing old songs and telling stories that carried their history — gave way to church-centered practices.  “By the 1980s, very few elders who even remembered the old songs and stories were left, and they lived in remote villages untouched by proper roads and means of communication,” Mashangva says. “I couldn’t let that happen.” Weighed down by negative news? Our smart, bright, weekly newsletter is the uplift you’ve been looking for. [contact-form-7] The largely oral traditions of Indigenous cultures represent intangible cultural heritage, which UNESCO says is fragile and endangered as it is dependent “on an uninterrupted chain passing traditions from one generation of performers to the next.” Linguists warn that nearly half of India’s languages could vanish within the next century. Every two weeks, the world loses a language, and around 40 percent of the estimated 8,324 languages worldwide are at risk of disappearing. Every language that falls silent represents a loss of cultural heritage — an erosion of Indigenous knowledge systems, oral traditions and ways of life.  The UN has declared the decade between 2022 and 2032 the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, but the question that Mashangva grappled with in the ’80s has still not been fully answered: What is the best way to save an unwritten language?  Determined not to let the sounds of his culture fall silent, Mashangva began to travel, often trekking long distances, to over 200 remote Tangkhul Naga villages to record songs in the voices of the tribal elders. “Some of the songs were hard even for me to understand as we have multiple dialects,” he recounts. “I played and replayed the recordings endlessly and whenever I didn’t understand something, I went back and asked.” There were times when he even invited elders to stay with him, so that they would record their songs and also teach him to play traditional instruments like yangkahui (an indigenous flute with only four holes) and tingteila (a single string bowed lute). “I didn’t ever seek funding from the government,” he says. Instead, he used his income from concerts, and his wife, a teacher, supported him as well. Mashangva introduced his son Saka to the stage when he was only three years old. Courtesy of Rewben Mashangva As a musician himself (Bob Dylan is a significant influence and he loves to sing the blues) he found the songs fascinating. They were not performative, and were meant for the ears of people who already knew them. Many followed a call and response format, with lyrics being interspersed with rhythmic cries. Their themes represented every aspect of his ancestors’ everyday lives: there were songs for weddings, funerals, the retelling of epics, preparations for battle, feasting and farming. Some were what he refers to as “work songs,” alluding to long-lost chores like the pounding of paddy by hand. Mashangva himself had not grown up with these traditions, and this made it hard even for him to understand the subtext of the lyrics. He realized that oral traditions like his focused less on melodies and more on the words, and the transmission of their way of life. “Which is why somehow, in these songs,” he says, “I could hear the voices of my ancestors.”   Cut to the present, and Mashangva now has the only extensive archive of the songs and oral tradition of the Tangkhul Naga. In many ways, archiving is the most obvious way to preserve the histories of tribes across the globe that have no written language and records. In Gujarat, Vaacha: Museum of Voice documents oral histories and cultural expressions of Adivasi communities as many historically lack written scripts. Similarly, the Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology is digitizing decades-old audio recordings of musical and oral traditions (ballads, epics, storytelling) from desert communities in Rajasthan.  But something happened that made Mashangva realize that simply archiving his tribe’s songs was not enough. “Initially, when I sang these old songs in concerts, people scoffed and laughed at me,” he recounts. Manipur and much of northeast India has had a long-standing love for western rock and pop and a more recent obsession with K-Pop. Even though Mashangva was an established name on the concert circuit, audiences reacted negatively when he sang the folk songs he had spent so much time collecting. “They said: this is too outdated … this is too backward … why don’t you sing modern songs?” he recollects. Augustine Shimray. Courtesy of Augustine Shimray / Yuimirin’s photography Instead of bemoaning, as the older generation is wont to do, the fickleness of his tribe’s youth, Mashangva, a brilliant, self-taught guitarist, decided to adapt the folk songs and melodies into his more contemporary repertory of the blues. “The essence of our folk songs remains, but in a version more acceptable to the modern world,” he says. “I tell people my songs are not folk songs, but ‘folk blues’ – the addition of old melodies, song structures and traditional instruments is like adding salt to the curry that is modern blues. Salt makes curry more tasty, folk elements make the blues more interesting!”  In the spirit of a living oral tradition that evolves with use, his repertory has become, in the words of his 24-year-old son Saka, a “bridge between the old and the new.”  Mashangva was given the title of Guru (teacher) by the government in 2004 and has received many accolades for his work, including India’s fourth-highest civilian honor, the Padma Shri, in 2021. But his biggest achievement, he says, is the knowledge that his tribe’s songs will continue to be sung long after he has gone. His son, who has a master’s degree in tribal studies, has been working on this. “We’ve managed to digitize over 90 percent of his collection, which was earlier just a huge pile of cassettes in our house. Some were recordings of elders, some were of my dad singing old songs … some of those cassettes, they’re not playing any more,” he says, adding that the digitized archive is in the public domain in Imphal’s Tribal Research Institute.  Perhaps more importantly, younger audiences — and consequently, younger bands in Manipur — have started singing the songs of the Tangkhul Naga. Manipur-based band Featherheads Haokui is one of them. Frontman Augustine Shimray says that he has played and enjoyed many western genres. “But when I heard Guru Mashangva’s concert, I was inspired to sing the old songs too,” he says. “It felt like I was finally getting to know myself.” Shimray, who learned about his tribe through songs and stories his grandmother told him when he was little, now loves to hang out with elders. “Their songs are stories, their stories are our history,” he says. “And when they tell and retell them, our culture will survive.” Wait, you're not a member yet? Join the Reasons to be Cheerful community by supporting our nonprofit publication and giving what you can. Join Cancel anytime Saka Mashangva feels the same way. He was only three when he first performed Tangkhul Naga songs with his father, and says that growing up with this music has shaped his life. “The songs we sing, they feel like conversations — between me and my dad, between me and my ancestors,” he muses. “I’m glad I’m doing my bit to keep them alive.” The post The Musician Racing to Preserve a Disappearing Soundscape appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

In the face of climate change, many people question the importance of individual actions in ensuring a sustainable future. While institutional change is necessary, environmentalist and author Heather White emphasizes the importance of individual choices. White states that “Individual action drives culture change, and without culture change, global policies and market solutions will not work.” Finding purpose in sustainability: pinpointing your climate “why” White encourages people to establish their “climate ‘why’,” which is a personal reason for embracing sustainability. For her, “being a good ancestor” entails emphasizing justice and environmental care for future generations. This introspective practice helps people relate their values to their actions, which fosters a feeling of purpose in sustainability efforts. Envisioning a better future: visualizing your ideal 2030 White’s approach includes visualizing an ideal future. Individuals can set concrete goals and hopes for change by envisioning a society in which sustainability is prioritized. This exercise enables individuals to advocate for systemic changes and contribute to a more equal and resilient society. Nature as a solution: accepting ecological restoration White offers the idea of nature as a climate solution, emphasizing the importance of healthy ecosystems in carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. Individuals can help to improve global climate resilience by preserving and restoring natural areas. Initiatives such as rewilding and native plant gardening provide simple ways to contribute to ecological restoration. Connecting with the natural world: fostering awe and appreciation Amid environmental anxiety, White highlights the necessity of connecting with nature to reduce stress and promote a sense of awe. Spending time outside allows people to enjoy the beauty of nature and be inspired by its resilience. Whether through forest hikes or urban green spaces, interacting with nature may rekindle enthusiasm and purpose in sustainability initiatives.  The post 4 tips for everyday eco-friendly living first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Decades after the conflicts that planted them, landmines remain one of the most persistent threats to civilian life in parts of Southeast Asia. In Cambodia alone, more than one million people continue to live and work on land contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance, according to the United Nations. Removing them is painstaking, dangerous, and slow — unless the right animal is trained for the job. Who Magawa was Magawa was an African giant pouched rat, bred in Tanzania and trained by the Belgian charity Apopo as part of its HeroRATS program. He arrived in Cambodia in 2016 and spent five years in the field, becoming the most successful landmine-sniffing rat Apopo had ever deployed. His record is specific: 100 landmines detected and 1,517,711 square feet (about 35 acres) of land cleared and returned to safe use. He could sweep a field the size of a tennis court in just 20 minutes, a task that would take a person with a metal detector several days. His small size and light weight meant he could cross suspect ground without triggering the devices he was hunting for. In 2020, Magawa became the first rat to receive the UK’s People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals Gold Medal, considered one of the highest honors an animal can receive, awarded for his “life-saving devotion to duty.” He retired and passed away in 2022. The statue and what it represents A bronze statue of Magawa was recently unveiled in Cambodia ahead of the International Day for Mine Awareness, making it the world’s first monument dedicated to a landmine-detecting rat. The timing was not incidental. “A symbol of hope and resilience, the monument makes visible the ongoing impact of landmines and the quiet work of HeroRATs saving lives every day,” Apopo wrote on Instagram. The unveiling was intended both as tribute and as reminder: the landmine crisis in Cambodia is not resolved, and the animals trained to address it are still working. Why rats are so well-suited to the job The HeroRATS program works because African giant pouched rats combine a highly sensitive sense of smell with qualities that most detection methods lack. They are light enough not to detonate pressure-sensitive devices. They can be trained to alert handlers without disturbing what they find. And they cover ground faster than both metal detectors and trained dogs across many field conditions. The program, running in Cambodia and several other mine-affected countries, is one of the more inventive responses to a problem the world inherited from decades of armed conflict. By pairing animal ability with systematic field training, Apopo has restored access to large stretches of land that communities could not safely use before. Magawa is gone, but the rats trained after him continue clearing ground across Cambodia. His statue, in the country where he spent five years working, is a tribute to one animal and a reminder of how much of that work still lies ahead.     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post Cambodia honors the rat who cleared more landmines than anyone first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

The loneliness epidemic has reached a critical mass, with the Surgeon General warning that social isolation can have dire health consequences. Tons of research backs it up: Being lonely can make us sick. For many years, patients have been screened for loneliness and offered only a few limited options: Therapy and medications that treat symptoms of loneliness like insomnia, depression, or heart problems. But recently, doctors have been taking a far more radical approach: What if they actually treated the loneliness itself? “Social prescribing” trend takes off Doctors cant befriend their patients, but more and more they’ve been leaning on a concept called “social prescribing.” It’s a way of treating the whole patient and not just the symptoms. How? By writing prescriptions for things like nature walks, art classes, book clubs, singing lessons, and more. All of these activities are shown to boost mental health, decrease loneliness, and create a domino effect of positive health outcomes. It’s not just loneliness that can be treated by social prescribing. Depression, anxiety, and chronic pain can all benefit from community-based, real-world activities. How social prescribing works A person dealing with loneliness might be asked to take part in a community class, volunteer, or even use a service that helps them make friends. Depression patients might be asked to spend more time in nature through a birdwatching group or nature-walk group They may also be enrolled in art classes. Doctors frequently tell people to exercise more, but social prescribing sees them direct chronic pain patients, for example, to specific group exercise classes. Prescriptions for art classes can really make a difference. Photo Credit: Canva Photos It can be even simpler than that, too. Someone who’s isolated because they’re a caretaker for a family member might be asked to simply go to a coffee shop a few times per week. A person who’s feeling down and disconnected due to remote work might get a social prescription for joining a group or social club. Someone who’s dealing with stress and anxiety related to finances might be assigned to meet with a debt management specialist. How it works from a logistical standpoint depends on the doctor and where you live. In the UK, social prescribing has officially been adopted by the NHS. Patients in need will be referred by their doctor to a “link worker” whose sole job is to connect them to the right community resource. In America, social prescribing is still in more of a fledgling state. Fortunately, though, more and more local pilot programs are popping up around the country to provide the same support. Experts believe that even in the United States’ heavily privatized model, it can still be effective. Social prescribing actually works Going for weekly nature walks to help depression and loneliness is a cute idea, but is it actually effective? A majority of research says Yes. One study found that patients who received a social prescription were less likely to visit their doctor for other consultations or go to the emergency room. Participants showed not only reductions in anxiety and depression, but major boosts to self-confidence, self-esteem, and overall wellbeing. Beyond what’s reflected in the numbers and studies, doctors who practice social prescribing say they’ve seen the impact it can have firsthand. Scientific American writes, “The most memorable gains from social prescribing come through in its before-and-after stories. Whether its patients sharing how social prescriptions have provided a ‘reason to wake up in the morning,’ or doctors sharing how it feels like ‘prescribing beauty in someone’s life,’ social prescribing just feels right.” The practice is not without its critics, though. Some researchers say that the positive gains from social prescribing only last as long as a healthcare worker is facilitating the activities, but fade away quickly when patients are left to their own devices. They argue that the root causes of loneliness, depression, and anxiety run far deeper in our cultures and require more precise intervention. Still, it’s hard to argue with the idea behind social prescribing. Therapy and medications have their place, but human beings have always needed community, connection, and time spent in nature. What’s most surprising about the trend is that it took us this long to give it a try. The post ‘Social prescribing’ has doctors writing scripts for nature walks and art classes. It’s working. appeared first on Upworthy.

Having a healthy communication style isn’t just about how you speak. It’s how you listen and perceive the other person or people to whom you’re talking. Knowing the strengths (and sometimes more importantly, the weaknesses) they might bring to a conversation can often help produce a better outcome. Licensed therapist Jason VanRuler developed an efficient quiz to help people determine their communication style. After answering a short series of questions, an individual can find out if they lean toward the “peacemaker, the advocate, the harbor, the thinker, or the spark.” Of course, most of us don’t fit neatly into one box or another. To account for that, each archetype (to borrow Carl Jung’s term) is given a number, so one can see how they relate to each style. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jason VanRuler, Licensed Therapist (@jason.vanruler) Reading the room In an Instagram Reel posted by VanRuler, he explains how essential mere perception can be. “You may think great communication is about saying the right thing, but it’s actually about knowing how to read the room. When something doesn’t land, we often blame the other person for not understanding, instead of asking how our message may not have connected with them. Different people process information differently, and ignoring that creates disconnect.” How to reframe There are ways in which he says a person can reframe. “What to Do About It: Shift your focus from ‘Why didn’t they get it?’ to ‘How can I say this in a way that connects with them?’ Pay attention to how people respond and adjust your approach accordingly. Great communicators don’t just express well, they adapt well.” In the clip, he describes a time when he was giving a conference to a room full of accountants. “So I got up and I talked a lot about feelings, and I went really deep and got really emotional. And it was really, really quiet. And I left thinking, ‘what was wrong with the audience? Why didn’t they resonate with what I just said?’ But what I didn’t really think about is, what is it about what I just said that didn’t resonate with them?” Learning your “style” can help facilitate better relationships through stronger communication. On VanRuler’s website, he explains who he’s attempting to help, writing, “Whether it’s leadership coaching, relationship building, couples therapy, addiction, trauma, or something different, my goal is the same: to speak truth and grace into every life I work with.” The 5 types In a press piece for his new book Discovering Your Communication Type: The 5 Paths to Deeper Connections and Stronger Relationships, VanRuler gives a quick explanation of the strengths of each type. (He refers to what we might call “weaknesses” as “opportunity.” The idea being to ask one’s self, “what opportunity do I have to strengthen my communication style?’ Peacemaker “Strength: Creates peace and eases tension in difficult or trying moments.Opportunity: Can avoid necessary conflict, which delays resolution and repair.” Advocate “Strength: Focused on justice, fairness, and upholding morals; advocates for their beliefs.Opportunity: Can present as intense or overpowering, or advocate when it’s not needed.” Thinker “Strength: Focused on logic, thoughts, facts, and getting things correct.Opportunity: Can miss cues for feelings and appear distant or emotionally unavailable.” Harbor “Strength: Creates a safe space for others to go deep and talk about feelings and emotions.Opportunity: May struggle to express their own needs, communicate boundaries, or be the focal point of a conversation.” Spark “Strength: Brings lots of energy, creativity, and momentum to conversations.Opportunity: Can struggle with consistency and initiating difficult conversations.” He makes it clear that understanding these “paths” is a great start to elevating a relationship, saying, “Each path speaks a different ‘language,’ and the more fluent you become in other styles, the better you can bridge the gap between you and the people you care about.” The post Expert shares the ‘5 communication types’ and how understanding them can make relationships easier appeared first on Upworthy.