This is the seventh in a series of good news stories that got missed amidst the chaos of 2017. Just a reminder that no matter how bad things get, there’s always someone doing the good work that needs doing.
We’ll do one more of these to close out the first month of 2018, and then it’s on to making some news for next year’s look back.
- Remember the Zika virus that was going to kill us all? It seems to have just about disappeared in the western hemisphere, according to Science Magazine. The sharp decline in cases is attributed largely to the development of herd immunity, although efforts to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito which transmits the virus may have played some role. Of course, there are still many diseases, especially in poorer countries, which are distressingly widespread. One organization working on disease treatment worldwide is Community Health Charities, who could use a donation or two.
- The Canadian government reached an agreement with the Qikiqtani Inuit people to establish a huge marine conservation area in Lancaster Sound in the far north of the country. The preserve will cover 131,000 square kilometers (about 82,000 square miles) in an area known as the Serengetti of the Arctic due to its biodiversity. It is twice as large as Canada’s largest protected area on land or sea, and will double the area of preserved marine area in the country. The Qikiqtani had been seeking this protection for many years. The agreement marks a new era of cooperation between the Canadian government and the First Peoples, but the Inuit are still in need of assistance with poverty and education issues. You can help with a donation to the Arctic Children and Youth Foundation.
- The International Labor Organization reported that the number of children forced to work had declined by 98 million worldwide over 16 years. This means that tens of millions of children will now have the chance to go to school and just be kids while avoiding the hazards of forced labor and human trafficking. But there are still an estimated 152 child laborers around the globe. You can help by donating to the International Labor Organization's efforts to bring those numbers down farther and to advocate for working people everywhere.
- Even as racism resulted in developments like the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump, the World Values Survey announce that there has been a sharp decline in racist attitudes around the world, particularly among young people. Anyone who has spent much time with kids and young adults knows that our country is going to change for the better as soon as they get old enough to vote and their bigoted elders begin to die off, but now we have the numbers to prove it. And it is a trend that is taking place around the world. There are, of course, many organizations battling racial hatred, so I’ll just leave you with a link to one of the oldest and largest—the NAACP.
That’s today’s look back at some of the ways the world got better last year. I’ll post on Friday or Saturday with the last look back at 2017. You can see the whole series by going here. And you can, of course, add any other positive stories from 2017. I’d love to hear about them.