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The year 2013 was a great one – for individuals, communities and the planet alike. It was a year of collaborative consumption and crowdfunding, of free online education and skilled volunteering. The New Year promises to head in the same positive direction, with fresh trends in doing good taking a front seat. Read on and get yourself ahead of the game with the up-and-coming trends for the coming year.
1. VEGGIE CONSCIOUSNESS
THE TREND: While staying away from meat and other animal products has been endorsed in different forms since time immemorial, the vegan trend has been making its way to the mainstream in recent years. From dedicated restaurants to educational programs, understanding the effects on health, the environment and of course animal welfare looks to be all the rage in 2014.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: Meatless Monday – a global movement which is steadily becoming a fixture the world over.
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2. BUSINESS WITH SOUL
THE TREND: No longer out for profits alone, prominent business leaders across the world are now starting to look out for society and the environment at large. In 2014, check out brands that encourage customers and users to get into good doing, and big personalities teaming up to make business a driving force for social, environmental, and economic benefit.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: The B Team, a global non-profit founded by Sir Richard Branson, Jochen Zeitz and Shari Arison, which aims to create a visionary way of doing business that prioritizes people and planet alongside profit.
3. DIGITAL DETOX
THE TREND: Disconnect to connect. Unplug. Digital detox – call it what you will. These terms will make their way into mainstream vocabulary in 2014, embodying the increasingly popular act of stepping away from our adored electronics and reconnecting to the world around us.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: Plenty of unlikely players like communications companies, bars and app developers are getting on board. Try it out for yourself by following these seven simple steps.
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4. EDUCATING GIRLS
THE TREND: Happily, empowering girls and women across the world became increasingly widespread in 2013 – specifically from a pedagogic perspective. Two particular trends which will be rising in 2014 are keeping young girls in school – especially in rural Asian and African communities – and teaching business and technical skills to women.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: The inspirational toy company Goldiebox, which aims to "get girls building” and is now selling products at Toys R Us.
5. MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION
THE TREND: In the 1970s and 1980s meditation masters like Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg and Jon Kabat-Zinn spent years intensively studying eastern spirituality and bringing the benefits back to the United States. Thanks to this legacy, mindfulness-based practices are now available to the masses –tree-hugging hippies and conservative businesspeople alike. The coming year promises to see thousands more folks reaping the benefits – including stress relief, better sleep, and an overall healthier outlook.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: In 2014, look out for mindfulness elements in the workplace, from meditation courses to less spiritual applications such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction techniques.
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6. MOTIVATING MILLENNIALS
THE TREND: Generation Y or Millennials – people born between 1984 and 2002 – have gotten mixed reviews in the past year. They've been labeled as anything from entitled and accustomed to instant gratification to being highly educated and revved up about social causes. A wave of snarky satire and inspiring anecdotes in recent months has set the stage for this new trend in 2014 – motivating Gen Y-ers to get out there and do some good.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: Growing Leaders – a nonprofit which works exclusively with young people to create the future leaders of tomorrow.
