FAQ

We look at the positive side of things and have a purpose in doing so. We understand there are other points of view.  

Places that stand for positive values can have downsides. Readers who want to know more about the places, people, ideas, and events we describe can start with the books and websites listed in the profiles. Otherwise, we will let these quotations speak for us:

“We are on dangerous ground if we believe that any individual, any nation, any ideology, has a monopoly on rightness, liberty, and human dignity.” -- Dag Hammarskjöld, Second Secretary General of the United Nations

The political philosopher Hannah Arendt wrote: “We can no longer afford to take that which was good in the past and simply call it our heritage, to discard the bad and simply think of it as a dead load which by itself time will bury in oblivion.” (From The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951)

On the other hand, this can go too far. Former U.S. President Barack Obama said in a 2019 speech, "I do get a sense sometimes now among certain young people, and this is accelerated by social media, that the way of me making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people and that's enough. That is not activism, that is not bringing about change," he said. "The world is messy. There are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws." 

We're keeping track.

One important initiative is the Solutions Journalism Network, which focuses on "what the news misses most often: how people are  trying to solve problems and what we can learn from their successes or  failures." Its slogan is "Transforming news is critical to building a more equitable and sustainable world."

Using a definite number, rather than varying the number for different regions, is a kind of branding; it helps with recognition. In terms of the booklet, we think the target audience (visitors to protected areas, museums, and similar places) is likely to be interested in something substantial but easy to digest, for example, in their hotel room or after unpacking at home. Once the Ten Points of Inspiration are chosen for a region, we are unlikely to make substitutions, at least for a while. Serious comments will be taken seriously, but having a standard number will draw a line; we won't be looking at proposals for an eleventh or twelfth Point of Inspiration. 

This is an initiative of InterEnvironment Institute. Criteria for designating Ten Points of Inspiration are described under "The Places" on this page. The Institute selects the Ten Points of Inspiration based on research and consultation with people knowledgeable about the region.