With full disclosure, I’m an art director at Leo Burnett Beirut and I want to talk about an initiative we’re doing with Pikasso (the guys with the yellow-bordered billboards around town). It’s not because I work there that I write this post; I’m writing about it because it’s a good way to start the year and people should know about this push toward having a different outlook.

Being that they have quite the reach when it comes to mass communication on the roads, Pikasso is the right medium to spread such a message. The Pikasso Network of Hope initiative, in partnership with M&C Saatchi, is giving agencies in Lebanon 100 billboards to spread a message of hope. Leo Burnett, the agency of HumanKind, is using this initiative as a chance to highlight positive news occurring in Lebanon: Hope for HumanKind. 

The Leo Burnett Network runs according to a philosophy known as “HumanKind.” Besides the fact that it is related to humanity and mankind, HumanKind refers to how creativity can transform human behavior.

Watch the video below for a quick explanation:

Ultimately, the Hope for HumanKind falls in line with what Leo Burnett tries to accomplish every day; it’s about acts, not ads. If spreading a message of hope can affect the Lebanese people’s behavior, we may all benefit in the long run. Even if we don’t get a president, we’d at least be in a better mental state. I’ve noticed that many of us have tried to hang on to the good that is happening rather than the bad because one greatly outweighs the other. If we dwell on all the negatives, we will get nowhere.

The platform will be used to share hopeful stories of Lebanese individuals, institutions, or anything just plain awesome about Lebanon. By liking the Facebook page, you can add a little positivity to your Newsfeed. It’s not a campaign that’s just for the spirit of 2015 – it’s something that will remain as a happiness archive. This trove of hope will be something that will go beyond billboards or Facebook. After all, science has told us that our Newsfeeds affect our mood and how we process our surroundings because it is a source of information we are always accessing. We need a dose or a reminder of what’s good about this crazy place we call home.

Begin your new year with the aim to make it better than the last one, starting with how you look at the world around you.

Happy 2015.