With so many political and international happenings, you can’t help but worry about the progress of our world. Many people focus on the problems and setbacks, but there are many signs of improvement! Below are some tidbits of news around the world that show how our society, though facing challenges, can still advance and work towards the greater good.

In Rome, Italy, there was an initiative launched in July 2019 to promote recycling. It offers free metro tickets to travelers who recycle plastic bottles using machines in three of Rome’s stations. So far, this idea has been extremely popular, and over 350,000 bottles have been recycled. To read more on this, click here.

A daytime, dancing club has opened in Seoul, South Korea, that is specifically for people over 65 years of age. One man with back and leg problems said that “when the music comes on… all my pain disappears.” This disco was arranged by the local government in an attempt to reduce dementia and loneliness. To see the full video, click here.

Surgeons in Australia have found a way to rewire nerves in some arm- and hand-paralyzed patients. Their procedure does not work for every patient nor does it regain individual finger control back, but it is a huge step forward in surgery and is very much life-changing. The successful patients have more independence and can go back to work. For more of this topic, click here.

Holland has become the first country without stray dogs. In the 19th century, owning dogs were very popular and many families owned them. Then, a rabies epidemic broke out, and many families resorted to abandoning their dogs. This created a huge stray dog population. In 2016, the government, covering all expenses, started to utilize the PSVIR (pick, sterilize, vaccinate, identify, and return) method. In addition, they had incentives like getting people to foster these dogs (which then found forever homes for them) as well as raising the taxes on purchasing dogs from stores. For more on this, click here.