A lot has happened in these past 10 years, and while a lot of it wasn’t exactly the happiest, there was a lot of good that we can focus on. I browsed the Internet for the most uplifting events and milestones that happened this decade and listed my favourite ones!
2010 – Poverty rates drop
In 1990, 36% of the world’s population (that’s basically a third) lived in poverty. In 2010, it dropped down to 10%, as reported by the UN. Definitely a good start to the decade!
2011 – The Arabian oryx is brought back from near extinction!
The Arabian oryx, a type of antelope found in the Middle East, were wiped out in the wild. Conservationists were able to capture and bred a few, allowing them to be slowly reintroduced into protected areas! The International Union for Conservation of Nature moved them from “endangered” to “vulnerable,” and they’ve been doing great!
2012 – The world’s mountain gorilla population increases!
Mountain gorillas live in only two areas. One is Bwindi in Southwest Uganda, and the other is the Virunga Massif range along the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their population increased by 10% in only two years, an impressive feat given that they are slow breeders and their habitats have been destroyed.
2013 – Batkid saves Gotham City!
5-year-old leukemia patient Miles, had his dream of being Batman fulfilled! San Francisco was turned into Gotham City thanks to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, volunteers, the San Francisco Giants, the police department, and even the mayor himself. It was a full day event, and the Batkid also had his own Batmobile!
2014 – Malala Yousafzai wins the Nobel Peace Price & the Ice Bucket Challenge raises millions for ALS research
2014 had two events that stood out to me, and I couldn’t pick just one.
Born in Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai is an advocate for girls’ rights to education. In 2012, she was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen. She survived and continues to fight on behalf of all girls, never allowing her voice to be silenced. At the age of 17, she is the youngest-ever Nobel laureate.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in both the spinal cord and the brain. As a way to raise awareness and donations, the Ice Bucket Challenge was started. Nominees upload videos showing themselves getting buckets of ice-cold water poured over them. This challenge raised an incredible $115 million for the ALS Association in only 8 weeks! These funds made a tremendous impact on research and allowed for new therapies to be created.
2015 – The Americas eliminate rubella
Rubella is a contagious viral infection that, when contracted by pregnant women, can lead to serious birth defects and even death in a fetus. In 2015, the Pan American Health Organizations and the World Health Organization officially declared that the Americas successfully eliminated rubella! That’s approximately 45 countries and territories that are rubella free!
2016 – Giant pandas are taken off the endangered species list!
The cute, cuddly pandas are downgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their population in the wild is slowly increasing, and hopefully, that’ll continue!
2017 – Sesame Street introduces Julia, its first character with autism
Sesame Workshop consulted with numerous organizations and experts within the autism community to find common ground on how to best portray Julia, a new character with autism. Children are now able to identify with this important character, thanks to the careful work and consideration of the whole team.
2018 – Japanese daily create a newspaper that turns into flowers!
The Mainichi Shimbunsha, a famous Japanese daily, released the “Green Newspaper.” The concept is amazing! The paper is a mixture of recycled paper, water, and small flower/herb seeds. When a person is done reading the newspaper, they tear the paper up into tiny pieces, plant it, and give it some water. Soon, it turns into flowers and plants!
2019 – India plants 220 million trees in one day
People came together in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populated state to plant 220 million trees, and they did it all in one day! The trees were planted everywhere they could find space and they’ll help to absorb carbon dioxide and increase forest area.
2020 – The Happy Broadcast continues to share positive news!
The new decade has just begun and so much has happened already. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the start of the year, I highly recommend checking out The Happy Broadcast! They feature happy news from all around the world with cute illustrations to brighten up your day!
Check out their website: https://www.thehappybroadcast.com/
Follow them on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/the_happy_broadcast
Sources:
2010 – https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/poverty/
2011 – https://www.arabnews.com/node/1433756/middle-east
2012 – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/nov/13/mountain-gorilla-population-rises
2013 – https://abcnews.go.com/US/batkids-make-transformed-san-francisco-gotham/story?id=20899254
2014- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malala_Yousafzai#Murder_attempt & http://www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html
2017 – https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/20/sesame-street-autism-muppet-julia
2018 – https://jinjaritual.com/amazing-newspaper-that-becomes-a-plant-is-coming-from-japan/