Around the globe, various phenomena reminded us of nature's beauty — and capacity for upheaval.

In Corinto, Colombia, townspeople dug through buried streets after a mudslide devastated their community while in Vietnam, Typhoon Damrey flooded cities and villages, killing more than 100 people

Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda visited Puerto Rico, where about 75% of residents still lack electricity, and distributed food to those affected by by Hurricane Maria.

A powerful volcano, active for more than four years, inspired beautiful images in Sumatra while a massive windfarm off the west coast of northern England powered millions of British homes. 

This week, other events showed us the ability of humans to devastate and to exhilirate, often in the same week.

Yet another mass shooter struck a community in the United States, this time killing 26 churchgoers in a tiny Texas town. The next day, several empowering election-day stories helped uplift a nation in mourning. A diverse slate of women, people of color and LGBTQ individuals led a progressive surge in state elections across the country including in Seattle, where voters picked the city's first woman mayor in 90 years, and in Virginia, where a transgender woman earned a spot in the state legislature for the first time in history. 


Kenneth and Irene Hernandez pay their respects as they visit a makeshift memorial with crosses placed near the scene of a shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. A man opened fire inside the church in the small South Texas community on Sunday, killing and wounding many.
Image: Eric Gay/AP

1) Texas Church Shooting: Kenneth and Irene Hernandez pay their respects as they visit a makeshift memorial with crosses placed near the scene of a shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Monday, November 6, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. A man opened fire inside the church in the small South Texas community on Sunday, killing and wounding many. 

Embed from Getty Images

2) DACA Immigration Protest: Antonia Catalon, originally from Mexico and now living in the U.S. for 30 years, holds an American flag as she joins with others in front of the offices of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Mario Daz-Balart (R-FL) to ask for a clean Dream Act before they departed on buses to Washington, D.C. on November 7 in Doral, Florida. The protesters are asking politicians to pass a clean Dream Act before the end of the year which they say would mean a pathway to citizenship with permanent protection and no dangerous enforcement add-ons for Dreamers.

A boy rides his bike in a camp for displaced Iraqi Christians in Irbil, Iraq, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017. Until a couple of months ago over a thousand Christian families displaced by Islamic State militants were living in this camp. Now only over a hundred remain as they await their return to areas recently retaken by Iraqi security forces.
Image: Felipe Dana/AP

3) Iraq: A boy rides his bike in a camp for displaced Iraqi Christians in Irbil, Iraq, Sunday, November 5. Until a couple of months ago, over a thousand Christian families displaced by Islamic State militants were living in this camp. Now just over a hundred remain as they await their return to areas recently retaken by Iraqi security forces.

Embed from Getty Images

4) Rohingya Refugees: Rohingya Muslim refugees who entered Bangladesh by boat walk towards refugee camps after landing at the Saplapur beach in the Teknaf district of Bangladesh on November 9. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August, carrying accounts of murder, rape and arson at the hands of Myanmar's powerful army during a military crackdown dubbed as 'ethnic cleansing' by the UN.

Embed from Getty Images

5) Offshore Wind Farm: Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm on the Burbo Flats in Liverpool Bay, operated by DONG Energy, is pictured from the the window of an aircraft flying over the Irish Sea, off the west coast of northern England, on November 8. British energy supplier SSE and German-owned Npower said Wednesday they have agreed to merge their businesses that heat and light up millions of UK households.

Embed from Getty Images

6) Sumatra Volcano: This slow-shutter speed photograph shows the eruption of Mount Sinabung volcano as seen from Simpang Ampat village, in Karo, North Sumatra, on November 10. Sinabung roared back to life in 2010 for the first time in 400 years, after another period of inactivity it erupted once more in 2013, and has remained highly active since. 

Embed from Getty Images

7) Colombia Mudslides: A man stands amid a muddy street after a mudslide due to heavy rains affected Corinto in Cauca department, southwest Colombia on November 8. The mudslide hit Corinto on Tuesday night leaving three people dead, 32 injured and 18 missing in addition to hundreds of homes affected, according to the latest balance provided by authorities.

Actor and composer of Puerto Rican descent Lin Manuel Miranda distributes food to victims of Hurricane Maria in 'La Placita de Güisin', in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017.
Image: Carlos Giusti/AP

8) Lin-Manuel Miranda in Puerto Rico: Actor and composer of Puerto Rican descent Lin-Manuel Miranda distributes food to victims of Hurricane Maria in 'La Placita de Güisin', in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, November 7.

Embed from Getty Images

9) Rohingya Refugees: A young Rohingya Muslim refugeeslooks on through a temporary bamboo barricade at the Thankhali refugee camp in Bangladesh's Ukhia district on November 10. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August carrying accounts of murder, rape and arson at the hands of Myanmar's powerful army during a military crackdown dubbed as 'ethnic cleansing' by the UN. 

Embed from Getty Images

10) Pineapple farming in Gaza: A Gazaian farmer picks the pineapples at a greenhouse in Gaza City, Gaza on November 9. Gazaian farmers started to produce pineapples, which require little water, for the purpose of saving water ecause of a shortage on blockaded Gaza. The program is aimed at promoting sustainable development.

In this aerial photo taken on Nov. 7, 2017, villages are submerged in floodwaters near Hoi An, Vietnam. Typhoon Damrey caused extensive damage ahead of this week's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that will be attended by leaders from around the world, although those meetings that start Wednesday in the central city of Danang will not be affected.
Image: Hau Dinh/AP

11) Typhoon Damrey, Vietnam: In this aerial photo taken on November 7, villages are submerged in floodwaters near Hoi An, Vietnam. Typhoon Damrey caused extensive damage ahead of this week's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that will be attended by leaders from around the world, although those meetings that start Wednesday in the central city of Danang will not be affected.

Embed from Getty Images

12) India Daily Life: A Kashmiri vendor selling walnuts waits for customers on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar on November 8. 

Embed from Getty Images

13) Syrian Conflict: Syrian children tour their damaged school on November 9 in the besieged rebel-held Eastern Ghouta town of Saqba, on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus, following air raids by government forces on the area the previous day. A 'de-escalation zone' deal agreed by regime allies Iran and Russia and rebel-backer Turkey has been in place in Eastern Ghouta since July, but it has been repeatedly violated. In addition to an uptick in regime shelling on Eastern Ghouta, humanitarian workers have warned the conditions inside the enclave were increasingly dire.

Embed from Getty Images

14) Catalonian Independence: A woman waves a Spanish flag while singing on the sidelines of a protest as part of a strike called by a pro-independence union in Catalonia on November 8. Protesters blocked roads and train lines across Catalonia, provoking commuter anger in a strike called by a pro-independence union after separatist leaders were detained in Madrid over their divisive secession drive.

Shalane Flanagan crosses the finish line first in the women's division of the New York City Marathon in New York, Nov. 5, 2017.
Image: Seth Wenig/AP

15) New York Marathon Women's Winner: Shalane Flanagan crosses the finish line first in the women's division of the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, November 5. Flanagan's win made her the first American woman to win the New York Marathon in 40 years.

People ride a boat in flooded street in Hoi An, Vietnam, Nov. 6, 2017. A powerful typhoon that rocked Vietnam has killed dozens of people and caused extensive damage to the country's south-central region ahead of the APEC summit that will draw leaders from around the world, the government said Monday.
Image: Hau Dinh/AP

16) Vietnam Flooding: People ride a boat in flooded street in Hoi An, Vietnam, November 6. A powerful typhoon that rocked Vietnam has killed dozens of people and caused extensive damage to the country's south-central region ahead of the APEC summit that will draw leaders from around the world, the government said Monday.

Indian presidential staff members walk surrounded by smog at the presidential palace in New Delhi, India, Nov. 7, 2017. Air pollution in India's capital has hit hazardous levels prompting local officials to ask that school shut down and a half marathon scheduled later in November be called off.
Image: Manish Swarup/AP

17) India Air Pollution: Indian presidential staff members walk surrounded by smog at the presidential palace in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, November 7. Air pollution in India's capital has hit hazardous levels, prompting local officials to ask that schools shut down and a half-marathon scheduled later in November be called off.

Seattle mayoral candidate Jenny Durkan waves to supporters as she concludes her remarks at an election night party Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017, in Seattle. Voters were picking a female mayor of the Northwest's largest city for the first time in 90 years, choosing between former U.S. attorney Durkan and community activist Cary Moon.
Image: Elaine Thompson/AP

18) United States Election: Seattle mayoral candidate Jenny Durkan waves to supporters as she concludes her remarks at an election night party Tuesday, November 7 in Seattle. Voters were picking a female mayor of the Northwest's largest city for the first time in 90 years, choosing between former U.S. attorney Durkan and community activist Cary Moon. On Tuesday, one year after a presidential election that saw the first-ever female presidential candidate defeated by a man, more than 60 women were on the ballot in races across America.

News

Demand Equity

18 Pictures of Upheaval and Inspiration From Around the World This Week

By David Brand  and  Olivia Kestin