In 1900, three-quarters of Africans identified themselves as members of a traditional African folk religion. Christianity and Islam were marginal faiths. Today, however, about 90 percent of Africans say they are either Christian or Muslim, according to this report published by Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life with support from the John Templeton Foundation.
Funded by the John Templeton Foundation, the report focuses on trafficked victims between the ages of 14 and 22 who were sold into brothels. The research analyzes their psychological and emotional stages in a post-brothel setting, and also looks at the impact of forgiveness and future-mindedness on their lives.
Two hundred years after Charles Darwin’s birth in 1809, at least half of the British population is still skeptical about the theory of evolution. That is the finding of a new study released by Theos, a London think tank that brings theological perspectives to bear on public issues. With the support of a $600,000 grant from the Templeton Foundation, Theos has embarked on a campaign called "Rescuing Darwin," which aims to show that Darwin never espoused many of the views commonly associated with him, especially atheism.
Prize-giving is hardly a new tool for sparking technological innovation and recognizing exemplary achievement. In 1714, the British Parliament established the Longitude Prize, which inspired the clockmaker John Harrison to develop the marine chronometer, thus greatly improving high-seas navigation. The Food Preservation Prize established by Napoleon resulted in the invention of the canning techniques that are still used today. And the Nobel Prizes have long set the standard for scholarly and humanitarian excellence.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the landmark education reform law that took effect in 2002, has been associated with a dramatic improvement in the achievement of the lowest-performing American students. But its apparent effect on the nation's top students has been very different; their scores have stagnated. These are among the key findings of "High-Achieving Students in the Era of NCLB," a multiyear, five-part investigation conducted by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
A Report to the Nation from the Commission on Thrift
04/01/2008
For A New Thrift was jointly authored by a number of distinguished scholars and leaders from across the political spectrum. Targeted at policy-makers, the report examines America's current “debt culture” and explains how a “thrift ethic” can serve the aims of social reform. It points in particular to policies that might curb the most destructive practices of payday lenders, state lotteries, and the credit-card and gaming industries.
Hudson Institute, Center for Global Prosperity (CGP)
01/01/2008
The flow of private money to the developing world, in the form of investment, philanthropy, and remittances, now far exceeds the flow of public money. Today government aid constitutes less than 25 percent of developed countries’ economic dealings with poor countries. These are among the more surprising conclusions of the 2008 Index of Global Philanthropy, published by the Hudson Institute's Center for Global Prosperity (CGP) with significant support from the John Templeton Foundation.
Thomas Lickona, Ph.D. and Matthew Davidson, Ph.D., Center for the 4th and 5th Rs and the Character Education Partnership
11/12/2007
"Smart & Good High Schools" is a national study of American high schools—including site visits to 24 diverse schools, hundreds of interviews, a comprehensive research review, and the input of a National Experts Panel and a National Student Leaders Panel. The report offers a vision of educational excellence and nearly 100 promising practices designed to foster human flourishing over a lifetime.
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, with support of the John Templeton Foundation, published this 10-country survey of pentecostal and charismatic Christians, two large and fast-growing groups whose socially conservative views are impacting religion and politics worldwide.
This unprecedented study of more than 14,000 randomly selected students from across the country reveals that colleges and universities, including some of the most expensive and elite in the United States, are failing to add to their graduates' understanding of America's history and essential institutions.
