Belize certified malaria-free by WHO
Over the last 3 decades, Belize has achieved a dramatic reduction in its malaria burden – from a peak of about 10 000 cases in 1994 to zero indigenous cases in 2019.
Nations
This archive collects stories from Good News for Humankind involving nations — countries and their governments — as key actors in progress. Across 1,807 articles, you’ll find reporting on policy wins, international cooperation, and measurable improvements in health, climate, rights, and more.
More than half the population of India supports same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in India is not currently legal and queer couples in the country are only afforded certain rights if they live together as a cohabitating couple.
Estonia’s parliament approves same-sex marriage
It’s the first central European country to do so. It is a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has invoked the West’s “moral degeneracy” as one justification for his war against Ukraine.
Spain to get majority of electricity from renewable energy in 2023 for first time ever
Spain will become the first of Europe’s five highest energy-consuming countries to pass this symbolic 50% marker.
Japan expands the definition of rape after years of protest
Japan’s parliament passed legislation to redefine rape as nonconsensual sexual intercourse – removing the provisions regarding use of force – and raise the age of consent from 13 to 16.
Germany hands back centuries-old masks to Colombia
The wooden objects are highly revered by the country’s Indigenous Kogi mountain people, and their return is the latest in a string of cultural restitutions by Germany and other European nations.
Fossil fuels now account for less than half of China’s power capacity
In 2021, China set a goal for renewable capacity — including wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear power — to exceed fossil fuel capacity by 2025, a target that it has hit two years ahead of schedule.
Iceland outlaws conversion therapy in unanimous vote
The Icelandic parliament has unanimously passed a comprehensive conversion therapy ban, prohibiting the practice on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Wind and solar generate more power than coal in the U.S. over five months for the first time ever
“From a coal perspective, it has been a disaster,” said Andy Blumenfeld, an analyst who tracks the industry at McCloskey by OPIS. “The decline is happening faster than anyone anticipated.”
Seth Marnin makes history as U.S.’s first out trans male judge
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has appointed the state’s first out transgender judge and the nation’s first trans man ever to serve on a judicial bench.