Nations milestones | Good News for Humankind

Women’s participation in India’s tech sector triples in last four years

By Peter Schulte / March 26, 2025 / Good news links

India’s tech workforce has seen a significant shift over the past four years, with female participation increasing from 10% in 2020 to 28% in 2024, according to a new report. This growth is driven by advancements in digital infrastructure, increased access to remote work opportunities, and the expansion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. However, despite improvements at the entry level, women’s representation in senior leadership positions remains low, growing only marginally from 11% in 2020 to nearly 14% in 2024.

India has treated 6.8 million cancer patients for free in seven years

By Peter Schulte / March 20, 2025 / Good news links

India’s Health Minister just reported that a national insurance program has treated an astonishing 6.8 million people for cancer, three-quarters of whom live in rural areas. The cost of the work amounted to $1.5 billion USD. Managed and paid for by the country’s flagship health insurance program called Ayushman Bharat, patients could get financial assistance to fight breast, oral, cervical, and lung cancers, as well as metastatic melanoma, chronic myeloid leukemia, and Burkitt’s lymphoma.

U.K. emissions fall to lowest level since 1872

By Peter Schulte / March 13, 2025 / Good news links

In a major win for climate action, a new analysis from Carbon Brief has found that the country’s planet-warming emissions fell by 3.6% to 371 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024, the lowest since Queen Victoria’s reign. Last year’s decrease was largely driven by a drop in coal use, led by the closure of the UK’s last coal-fired power station and one of its last blast furnaces. Other contributors included a drop in demand for oil and gas and a nearly 40% rise in electric vehicles on the road.

Brazil’s crackdown on illegal mining in Munduruku Indigenous land sees success

By Peter Schulte / March 12, 2025 / Good news links

Since November 2024, government agents have carried out 523 actions, destroying 90 camps, 15 vessels, 27 heavy machinery, and 224 engines. The coordinated government effort caused losses of $1.9 million USD to criminals. The 5.9-million-acre Munduruku Indigenous Territory, home to 6,500 people, is one of the lands that has been hardest hit by illegal mining in the country. During Bolsonaro’s administration, there was a 363% increase in the area degraded by mining which brought diseases, mercury contamination, attacks, and deaths to communities.

Norway boosts financial support to Ukraine with €4.3 billion

By Peter Schulte / March 6, 2025 / Good news links

The Norwegian Parliament has agreed to more than double the financial support to Ukraine for 2025 as the United States continues to withdraw its support under the Trump administration. Norway’s state budget for 2025 initially granted €2.98 billion to Ukraine. Today’s increase by 50 billion kroner boosts the total sum for this year €7.24 billion, more than doubling Norway’s contribution. None of the politicians were against helping Ukraine in its defense against aggressor Russia, from the far right to the far left.

Marshall Islands signs treaty banning nuclear weapons in the South Pacific

By Peter Schulte / March 5, 2025 / Good news links

The Marshall Islands has become the 14th Pacific Islands Forum member state to join the South Pacific’s nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament treaty. The agreement, known as the Treaty of Rarotonga, was opened for signature on 6 August 1985 and entered into force on 11 December 1986. The current member states of the treaty are Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Denmark to ban mobile phones in schools and after-school clubs

By Peter Schulte / February 25, 2025 / Good news links

The Danish wellbeing commission was set up by the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, in 2023 to investigate growing dissatisfaction among children and young people. Its long-awaited report, published recently, raised the alarm over the digitization of children and young people’s lives and called for a better balance between digital and analog life. Among its 35 recommendations was the need for government legislation banning phones from schools and after-school clubs.

Norway permanently closes all fur farms

By Peter Schulte / February 24, 2025 / Good news links

Once home to nearly 300 fur farms, the Scandinavian country has now phased out the industry entirely, with the last farmers shutting down operations ahead of a February 2025 deadline. The final decision to ban fur farming was made in 2018, with a phase-out period designed to help farmers transition to other livelihoods. Now, the country has officially made good on its promise, joining a growing list of nations that have decided fur farming belongs in the past.

The Netherlands to return over 100 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

By Peter Schulte / February 20, 2025 / Good news links

The Benin Bronzes are a collection of thousands of metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin. Created between the 14th and 16th centuries, British soldiers looted the Benin Bronzes from modern-day Nigeria in the 19th century. Of the looted statues taken during the Benin Expedition of 1897, two hundred were housed in the British Museum, with the rest spread across other European institutions. The Netherlands has now agreed to return its share.

Canada to build massive, fully electric, 185-mph inter-city rail network

By Peter Schulte / February 19, 2025 / Good news links

Canada is set to begin work on a high-speed inter-city rail network – the largest infrastructure project in the country’s history. Spanning 621 miles, the fully electric new rail network will serve 18 million people – nearly half of Canada’s population – across the Toronto-Quebec City corridor. It’s expected to serve 13 times more passengers annually than the current service. Canada is expected to invest nearly $3 billion USD over the next six years to bring the project to light.