Travelers often carry their own brand of optimism. We dream of a more-connected, more compassionate world, freed from the isolation of modern society. Traveling has a way of making those dreams a reality by allowing us to learn about other cultures, making face-to-face connections, and experiencing firsthand the diverse wonders of the Earth.

This sense of global community is exactly what you’ll find on Idealist.org, a website dedicated to bringing together like-minded optimists across the world. The website is a project of Action Without Borders, and it works with people and organizations all over the globe to turn idealistic dreams into reality. Just by visiting, you can imagine a better world, connect with people who want to help build it, reach out to others, post and find nonprofit jobs, volunteer opportunities, events, and more, and donate to support all this.

The members direct their energy towards creating a “better world,” and their credo is perhaps most useful in picking apart their guiding principles:

We want to live in a world where all people can live free and dignified lives, where any person who wants to help another can do so, and where no opportunities for action and collaboration are missed or wasted.
That’s the vision, the ultimate goal. To get closer to it, we believe that:

1. All over the world there are many people who share similar values, dreams, and challenges.
2. With all the tools we have now, we can communicate like never before.
3. If all of us had more opportunities to connect and work together, online and face-to-face, in neighborhoods, villages, schools, and workplaces, the world would be a different place.

How different? We don’t know, but together we can find out.

Don’t waste any time; get involved with a project right away. The week of February 5-11 is the worldwide launch of start-up meetings across the globe. Right now there are over 245 meetings scheduled in 55 countries, and the numbers keep growing! Check for one in your neighborhood or sign up to host your own, and start forming your own community of dreamers.