Social Cause

September 18, 2025

Subterranean Library Built in Metro Station Encourages Commuters To Read

Reading a book while riding the subway is nothing new, but Poland’s capital has recently taken that trend to the next level. Nestled in Warsaw’s Targówek district is a new subterranean library, offering locals a radical alternative to smartphone usage during their commutes. Metroteka opened its 150-square-meter (about 1,615-square-foot) space in the Kondratowicza M2 line station earlier this month. Inside, visitors can explore some 16,000 books, all available for loan through an “express” checkout machine.

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May 6, 2025

Intimate Portraits of Tibetan Refugees Offer a Glimpse Into Resilience, Peace, and Compassion [Interview]

By the time he met the young Tibetan woman behind the organization Tibetan Rights Campaign, Phil Borges had grown restless. A few years before then, he’d fully transitioned from a career in orthodontics to one in photography; but, at that point, he was primarily shooting images for romance novels. What were his next steps, he wondered, until the woman told him about the various human rights violations underway in her country.

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November 26, 2024

Male Statues Are Transformed Into Fathers Carrying Their Babies

On International Men’s Day, November 19, male statues across Sweden were adorned with baby slings, carriers, and dolls. From Malmö in the south to Umeå in the north, several Swedish cities bore witness to statues transforming into fathers through the brilliant #Kvantitetstidspappan campaign, conceived by the Swedish think tank Arena Idé. Sweden boasts some of the world’s most robust parental leave policies, offering both parents a combined total of 480 days’ parental benefit per child.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.