Policy Making
Strong public policy leads to more cohesive, resilient, and sustainable societies. In this section, find out about the latest legislations from around the world aimed at making our world a better place.
FEMA will begin screening for potential discrimination in disaster aid denial
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a patchy history. Well known for denying assistance to low-income communities, FEMA appears to be cleaning up its act with a new plan to track who is applying for FEMA aid and, more importantly, who is being turned down. Nearly half of all FEMA Read More...
New Zealand's new law prevents tobacco addiction in future generations
According to New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, between 4,000 and 5,000 people die every year in the country from smoking-related illnesses. Even though there’s been a significant decrease in the country’s adult smoking population (down to 13.4 percent of the population from 18.2 percent in Read More...
New York City will allow noncitizens to vote in local elections
For long-time residents of the US who have difficulty acquiring citizenship, elections can be a painful reminder of the difficult road to fully establishing oneself in the US. In an unprecedented move to support those seeking citizenship, New York City has approved a bill that would let noncitizens Read More...
Italy’s generous subsidies are driving a wave of green home upgrades
Homes account for 11.5 percent of Italy’s greenhouse gas emissions, but fortunately, the country’s green “superbonus” scheme is encouraging record numbers of residents to make sustainable upgrades to their homes and businesses. Under the program, the Italian government will pay an Read More...
US Fish & Wildlife Service approves unprecedented move to save manatees
In Florida, near Cape Canaveral, wildlife conservationists are getting desperate to save the wild manatee population, which has been dying at alarming rates. More than 1,000 manatees have perished in 2021. The primary cause of death is pollution, which has brought the seagrasses in the Indian River Read More...
Chile legalizes same-sex marriage
After a decade-long legal battle, Chile’s Congress has officially passed a law to legalize same-sex marriage. Passed on Tuesday, the bill is expected to be signed into law soon by President Sebastian Pinera. The road to marriage equality has been long and arduous in the conservative South Read More...
Paris has an Olympic-sized plan to clean up the Seine
If you stroll through Paris on a warm summer day, you’ll likely see groups of sunbathers and picnickers lounging near the Seine, but you probably won’t see anyone swimming. Waste management and pollution issues have made the river too dirty to swim in, but that may change thanks to a new city Read More...
Canada fast-tracks bill to ban conversion therapy
A bill that would ban the practice of conversion therapy in Canada has been unanimously adopted by the House of Commons, fast tracking it for approval by the Senate. Bill C-4 bans the practice of conversion therapy, which is a harmful attempt to change an individual’s sexual or gender Read More...
Botswana decriminalizes homosexuality
Back in 2019, campaigners in Botswana fought to remove jail sentences for those caught in same-sex relationships, arguing that the punishment (which, since 1965, is up to seven years in prison) is unconstitutional. The country’s High Court ruled in favor of the campaigners much to their Read More...
New Zealand is first nation to protect drug checking services by law
In a world-first, last week New Zealand’s government approved legislation made to protect drug checking, a service that saves lives by chemically testing illicit drugs to scan them for dangerous contaminants. The legislation is expected to pass into law as soon as next week. “We’re the Read More...