Politics
Having a difficult time finding positive news about national and global politics? Search no further! From public policy to positive leadership to democracy efforts, find the latest good news stories in the world of politics at The Optimist Daily.
US and Canada establish first international transboundary Dark Sky Park
If you enjoyed last week’s Perseid Meteor Shower and want to see more night sky action, we’ve got good news. The US and Canada have established the world’s newest International Dark Sky Park for star-lovers to enjoy. The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is a collaborative National Read More...
This sanitary pad washing kit helps refugees tackle period poverty
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are 82.4 million forcibly displaced people around the world, about 6 million of which live in refugee camps. Women make up half of these populations, yet access to period products in these environments remains a major Read More...
Community input stretches the impact of Covid relief dollars
As $350 billion in Covid-19 relief funds make their way to cities and states, many are pondering the most impactful way to spend that money. Some, like Nashville, are putting towards affordable housing while others look at infrastructure or making up for lost tax revenue during the pandemic. To Read More...
This hotline makes it easy for anyone to demand climate action
Activists will encourage you over and over again to call your representatives to spur action on a specific issue, but if you’re not familiar with the process, you might be asking yourself: How exactly do I call my representatives? Fortunately, a new project now makes it easier than ever to demand Read More...
Minnesota law improves conditions for pregnant women in prison
Resources for pregnant mothers in US prisons are scarce, to say the least. Most offer limited prenatal care and in some states, newborns are only allowed to reside with their incarcerated mothers for 24 hours before they must be turned over to a relative. In a bid to make conditions for pregnant Read More...
US to return Gilgamesh tablet and 17,000 other looted artifacts to Iraq
During a period of unrest in Iraq in 2003, looters stole tens of thousands of ancient artifacts that were later smuggled out of the country, including the 3,500-year-old Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, a rare portion of the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem, known as the earliest Read More...
Sierra Leone abolishes capital punishment
On Friday 23, 2021, Sierra Leone became the 23rd country in the continent of Africa to abolish capital punishment after MPs voted unanimously to end the death penalty (which is largely a remnant of colonial legal codes). Under the 1991 constitution, criminals could be sentenced to death in Read More...
This new metric assesses road safety before any accidents ever happen
The way urban planners currently assess the safety of a road involves counting the number of accidents on that particular road. Essentially, this means that there’s a "literal human cost" to measuring how safe a street is, says Megan Ryerson, a transportation engineer and urban planner at the Read More...
Cheaper and Cleaner: Europe’s renewable energy success story
Europe made history over the last six months when it generated more electricity from renewable sources than it did from fossil fuels. Over 40 percent of the electricity used by the EU’s 27 member states came from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy. In contrast, fossil Read More...
The Optimist View: ITP Small grants change the world
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead The Optimist View is our long-form edition weekend publication which dives deeper on the critical solutions we cover on The Optimist Daily. Read More...