Articles published today include one writer’s reflections on the transformative experience of meeting Malala Yousafzai; another contributor, himself a Global Teen Leader, shares stories from the Three Dot Dash “Just Peace” Summit, a conference for youth leaders convened by the We Are Family Foundation. In our media department, an teen from India reviews Anita Desai’s classic work The Village By the Sea; and in our Interfaith Connection department, another writer from India shares her view of progress in her culture.

The centerpiece of each KidSpirit issue is a Big Question that the all-youth Editoral Board sees as central to the theme. This fall, a writer addresses from Maine addresses the complexities of ethics in relation to discovery and progress. Articles to be published weekly throughout the quarter, include a first-person investigation of teenage “makers”, a look at the roots of American democracy, and a review of a chilling documentary, Surviving Progress, which assesses humanity’s relentless pursuit of progress. As always, the issue features original poetry and artwork related to the theme.

In October, Marcelo Gleiser, world-renowned theoretical physicist and award-winning author, currently the Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and a professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College, will contribute a PerSpectives article - the issue’s only essay written by an adult - about the origins of life on Earth and in the universe.

KidSpirit is a unique forum for young people. Once again, in this issue, kids around the world shed light on a fascinating range of topics. To read more about KidSpirit and find out how to get your youth involved, go to: http://www.kidspiritonline.com