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Overall, do you think the world is becoming a better place to live in? Or do tragic events like the wars in Ukraine and Gaza or the growing climate crisis make you worry about the fate of humanity?
What gives you hope about the times we live in?
Nicholas Kristoff writes in “This Year Was a Terrible Year, and It May Have Been the Best Year Ever for Humanity.”
By the end of the year, civilians are dying at an alarming rate in Gaza, and genocide in Darfur could resume. A man charged with 91 felonies is topping US presidential polls, and our carbon emissions are at risk of eating away at the planet.
But something else is also true. In some ways, 2023 may still have been the best year in human history.
How could that be?
The worst disaster that can befall a human being is the loss of a child. Historically, almost half of children around the world die before they reach the age of 15. That rate has been steadily declining since the 19th century, and the United Nations Population Division projects that by 2023, global infant mortality will reach an all-time low, with just 3.6 percent of newborns dying before the age of five. .
This is the lowest number in human history. Still, about 4.9 million children died this year, which is one million fewer than the number of children who died in 2016.
Or consider extreme poverty. Infectious diseases have also reached record lows, affecting just over 8 percent of humanity worldwide, according to United Nations projections.
All these numbers are rough, but it appears that around 100,000 people are now being lifted out of extreme poverty every day. So they can now access clean water, feed and educate their children, and buy medicine.
None of this will alleviate the suffering of those who lost children in 2023, nor will it alleviate the suffering of those caught up in war or climate change. But as we approach the end of the year, it’s worth recognizing the context of this progress. Rather than distracting someone from all the things that can go wrong, it’s a reminder that great things can be achieved if you try hard enough. Looking at the suffering around the world right now, I think we are not trying hard enough.
student, Read the full article And please tell me the following:
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How optimistic are you about the world situation? What gives you hope about the times we live in? Why worry about our planet?
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Despite the tragedies in Gaza and Darfur and the threat of climate change, Kristof writes, “In some ways, 2023 may still be the best year in human history.” What do you think about this claim? Are you surprised? Which example in this essay do you find most convincing or reassuring, and why?
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“Despair is not empowering, it is paralyzing,” Kristoff writes. Does it resonate with your own experience of watching the news? Do you tend to focus on stories of doom and gloom, such as disaster, setbacks, and death? Or do you seek out and enjoy stories of hope and upliftment? Are you there?
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Kristof, whose career has been dedicated to covering genocide, war and poverty, said, “One thing I learned a long time ago as a journalist is that when the reporting is persistently negative, people don’t pay attention.” It means turning away and giving up,” he wrote. If we want to tackle problems, from the war in Gaza to climate change, it helps to know that progress is possible. ” do you agree? Should journalists (and all of us) try harder to highlight human progress? Is Christoph right when he says that reporting on the world’s achievements, success stories, and improvements will “strengthen our ability to tackle all the other sufferings that will remain with us in 2024?”
We invite comments from students aged 13 and older in the US and UK, and aged 16 and older elsewhere. All comments are moderated by Learning Network staff, but please note that if your comment is approved, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Click here for more questions about student opinion. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how to incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
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