Every day news headlines bombard us with shocking and traumatic stories of suffering, violence and political scandal. Even the scientific community has sounded the alarm bells of a Sixth Mass Extinction. Trying to find positive news stories can be discouraging because the uplifting news stories are usually overshadowed by depressing ones.

With never-ending war, epidemics and so on, it’s hard to imagine that anything positive could be instore for our world’s future. Yet, what remains is the hope that one day we will act to reverse these destructive trends. Not surprisingly, the key to solving our problems can be found from selfless acts carried out by a people united.

For instance, thanks to dedicated efforts, America’s iconic bald eagles are making a comeback across the USA. Once on the brink of extinction in the mid-1960s, with less than 30 nesting couples left in California, by 2017 the number of breeding nests were found to have increased to 371 in the state.

Indeed, conservation efforts to restore populations of species close to extinction have not been limited to America. The Prague Zoo, for example, has re-introduced Przewalski’s horses into the wild on Mongolia’s desert steppes along the border with China. These wild horses had been extirpated, or killed off, from their native habitat.

Would you believe that people had the power to reverse the negative circumstances and events around them? Clearly, the resiliency of an Iraqi community, who refused to live in fear and re-opened an ice cream shop after it was violently destroyed, can inspire us.

In a recent study it was found that children who participated in compassionate acts experienced feelings of happiness, tenderness and affection. Not only did these children benefit developmentally, but they also tended to bully other children less often and established more positive relationships with their peers.

In this way, let’s bring hope, compassion and resiliency into our world; let’s believe that the future can be shaped in a positive and conscientious way. There are many resources available to us to lend a hand, and we appreciate the opportunity to do just that.

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