Israel formally bans LGBTQ+ conversion therapy
While the Health Ministry has advised against conversion therapy for years, no formal prohibition had been issued against the practice until now.
Nations
This archive collects milestones and progress stories involving nations — countries and their governments — acting to improve lives, protect rights, or address shared challenges. From policy breakthroughs to international cooperation, these stories show what countries are doing right.
U.S. to install roughly 400,000 EV chargers along its highways
The U.S. Departments of Energy and Transportation announced that they will dedicate $5 billion over the next five years to the project.
Norway to add gender-neutral pronoun to official Norwegian language
The gender-neutral third-person singular counterpart to the feminine “hun” and the masculine “han” will be “hen.”
Iceland to end whale hunting from 2024
Iceland’s current quotas for 2019-2023 allow for the hunting of 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales every year.
Cuba bolsters conservation efforts with new 271 square mile Marine Protected Area
The MPA will protect mangrove forests, seagrass beds and coral reefs, and boost the nation’s overall marine protected coverage to 28.5% of its marine continental shelf.
Thailand set to become first nation in Asia to decriminalize marijuana
Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the Narcotics Control Board had approved the dropping cannabis from the ministry’s list of controlled drugs.
U.S. to officially recognize trans & non-binary veterans’ genders
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) announced that gender selections on paperwork will now include the options of transgender female, transgender male, non-binary, and other.
U.S. to invest more than $1 billion in Everglades restoration
“The iconic American landscape provides drinking water supply for over 8 million Floridians, supports the state’s $90 billion tourism economy, and is home to dozens of endangered or threatened species.”
France ends ban on gay and bisexual male blood donors
France passed its first ban on men who have sex with men donating blood in 1983, in the early years of the AIDS crisis.
Germany to dedicate 2% of its land to wind power development
If successful, the plan will add up to 10 gigawatts of new onshore wind capacity every year for the rest of the decade.