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.
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...
US makes at-home Covid-19 tests free to all Americans
With the rise of a potentially-concerning new Covid-19 variant, omicron, and colder months ahead, the US is ramping up health measures to prevent another surge in cases this winter. The White House has recently announced that it will make all at-home rapid tests free. Under the new rules, Read More...
Germany plans to put 15 million electric vehicles on its roads by 2030
Making electric cars the dominant vehicles on the road is key to curbing planet-warming emissions and protecting the climate. In a bid to reach that goal, an increasing number of countries and cities across the world have pledged to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by the end of the decade. Now, Read More...
WHO proposes global treaty to better address future pandemics
Unfortunately, as the climate crisis progresses and humans continue to infringe on wild animal habitats, the risk of another global pandemic is growing. To address this, the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has agreed to form an intergovernmental negotiating body to create a legally-binding Read More...
US establishes protected zone for endangered North Atlantic right whales
The North Atlantic right whale is a species of whale that is currently considered critically endangered. Despite having been included in the Endangered Species Act since 1973, experts estimate that the North Atlantic right whale population has dwindled to fewer than 350. To help protect these Read More...
Community and the environment get a boost with NY freeway transformation
Many urban highways from the 1950s and 1960s were deliberately built through neighborhoods primarily occupied by people of color, effectively walling these families off from economic opportunity and disrupting their sense of community. These same roads also increase the risks of air pollution for Read More...