The world seems like such a depressing place sometimes. Just turn on the news or read the newspaper. Or read my previous articles!
The Rohingya genocide in Myanmar, the failed attempt for independence for the Kurds in Iraq or the victims of the Venezuelan government are a few of the countless stories of disaster or corruption.
There seems to be a lot of bad news; there should be some good news out there as well!
Thankfully there's an abundance of good news, even though it may not get as much coverage as the bad news. You just have to know where to look.
According to new data from the International Labor Organization, child slavery around the world has dropped 40% since 2000!
While there are still children working dangerous jobs in agriculture, mining and other industries, children are being freed from these conditions every day and given a chance to have a normal childhood.
Saudi Arabia has been moving to catch up with the rest of the modern world. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced recently that he would be taking a strong stance against the kingdom’s puritanical religious clerics and would push for a more “moderate Islam”.
The crown prince is next in line for the throne and wants to push for more progressive reforms to take place in Saudi Arabia.
He, along with much of the younger population, wants to ensure that the extremism which has been present in the country for so long is stopped.
He’s already passed legislation that allows women to drive without permission and supervision from their male guardians. Progress is happening in Saudi Arabia!
The Near East Foundation’s project Olive Oil Without Borders works with farmers from Palestine and Israel to improve farming techniques and oil production. The goal is to have farmers from both sides come together and cooperate for mutual benefit because they both contribute to one market for olives and olive oil.
The project is funded by USAID and has even established a cross-border trade agreement that still stands, despite conflict between the groups.
This is fantastic for both the Palestinians and Israelis and it shows how peaceful interactions can happen even between two unfriendly groups.
All in all, the world does have rays of light shining through the darkness. It's so easy to get discouraged by the sad stories we hear.
However, good is still strong in the world. There are many people working tirelessly to help create positive moments.
So keep your chin up because even though it sometimes seems that the world is hopelessly going downhill, there’s always a bright side.

Pre Print Version:
The world seems like such a depressing place sometimes. Just turn on the news or read the newspaper. Or read my previous articles! The Rohingya genocide in Myanmar, the failed attempt for independence for the Kurds in Iraq or the victims of the Venezuelan government are just a few of the countless stories of disaster or corruption.

There seems to be a lot of bad news; there should be some good news out there as well! Thankfully there is an abundance of good news, even though it may not get as much coverage as the bad news. You just have to know where to look.

According to new data from the International Labor Organization, child slavery around the world has dropped 40% since 2000! While there are still children working dangerous jobs in agriculture, mining and other industries, children are being freed from these conditions every day and given a chance to have a normal childhood.

Saudi Arabia has been moving to catch up with the rest of the modern world. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced recently that he would be taking a strong stance against the kingdom’s puritanical religious clerics and would push for a more “moderate Islam”. The crown prince is next in line for the throne and wants to push for more progressive reforms to take place in Saudi Arabia. He, along with much of the younger population, wants to ensure that the extremism which has been present in the country for so long is stopped. He’s already passed legislation that allows women to drive without permission and supervision from their male guardians. Progress is happening in Saudi Arabia!

The Near East Foundation’s project Olive Oil Without Borders works with farmers from Palestine and Israel to improve farming techniques and oil production. The goal is to have farmers from both sides come together and cooperate for mutual benefit because they both contribute to one market for olives and olive oil. The project is funded by USAID and has even established a cross-border trade agreement that still stands, despite conflict between the groups. This is fantastic for both the Palestinians and Israelis and it shows how peaceful interactions can happen even between two unfriendly groups.

All in all, the world does have rays of light shining through the darkness. It is so easy to get discouraged by the sad stories we hear. However, good is still strong in the world. There are many people working tirelessly to help create positive moments. So keep your chin up because even though it sometimes seems that the world is hopelessly going downhill, there’s always a bright side.

Wesley Rodriguez-Diep is a sophomore studying international relations.

Finding Positive Perspective

Questions or comments?