Civil society

Civil society encompasses the nonprofits, advocacy groups, community organizations, and grassroots movements that operate outside government and business to advance the public good. This archive collects stories of civil society actors driving measurable progress on issues ranging from human rights and environmental protection to public health and civic participation.

Rhino and calf, for article on black rhino recovery

Black rhino populations are starting to thrive in Zimbabwe for the first time in decades

By / / Good News For Humankind

Black rhino recovery in Zimbabwe is one of the most meaningful wildlife comebacks in Africa in a generation. The country now protects 614 critically endangered black rhinos and 415 white rhinos — a combined count that hasn’t reached this level in over 30 years. Behind the numbers are round-the-clock patrols, careful monitoring, and hands-on care like the rehabilitation of Pumpkin, an orphaned black rhino now thriving in the wild. Poaching networks remain active and funding is never guaranteed, but Zimbabwe’s model shows that sustained, community-supported conservation can genuinely move the needle for species on the edge of extinction.

Lynx, for article on Iberian highlands rewilding

Lynx, wild horses and vultures return to eastern Spain in latest rewilding project

By / / Good News For Humankind

Rewilding Europe’s first project in Spain is bringing an 850,000-acre mountain landscape back to life — and the early signs are genuinely hopeful. Wild horses are already breeding, black vultures are being released at up to 15 a year, and Iberian lynx are expected within two years. The project is also designed around local communities, creating economic incentives for nature-based tourism and forest protection. Stories like this show that recovery is possible when wildlife, people, and landscape are treated as one connected system.

Ocean plastic, for article on ocean plastic removal

The Ocean Cleanup removes first 100,000kg of plastic from Great Pacific Garbage Patch

By / / Good News For Humankind

Ocean plastic cleanup just crossed a meaningful line: The Ocean Cleanup has now pulled more than 100,000 kilograms from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, all independently certified as ocean-sourced. The bulk came from “Jenny,” a system deployed in 2021 that swept an area roughly the size of Luxembourg across 45 extractions. Founder Boyan Slat frames it simply — repeat this haul a thousand times, and the patch is gone. The next-generation system is built to collect up to ten times faster, turning an overwhelming problem into a countable one. It’s a reminder that large-scale environmental repair, paired with cutting pollution at the source, is moving from theory into something the ocean can actually feel.