7 Reasons The World Will Probably Actually Just Keep Improving

In spite of certain political leaders who seem fully bent on taking us all the way back to the pollution and poverty of nineteenth century industrialism, recent studies have found that the world is much more likely to improve than regress. Find out more here!

C.j. Eugene
Created by C.j. Eugene
On Jun 23, 2017
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If you're feeling a little down, or even more than a little down, about some world leaders' opposition to social, environment, or economic progress, you're certainly not alone. But fortunately, a recent study on the Millennium Development Goals set by the UN in 1990 has shown that change for the better is still probably going to come whether they like it or not. We'll give you a brief overview in the following video, then we'll explain a little more.

1. A recent study has shown that development is homegrown, not internationally pushed.

Howard Steven Friedman of Columbia University recently studied the impact of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of pledges the UN set up in 1990 that the world was supposed to accomplish before 2000, before and after the deadline. Friedman's overall findings concluded several things, but a primary takeaway from the project was that positive change may be sought on a global scale, but it is effected by individual entities, nations, and communities. For example, a Sachs project attempted to create "Millennium Villages" in Africa, ideal communities as envisioned by a white American man. These communities ended up effecting minimal positive change and resulted in communities dependent on foreign aid. Other villages that received minimal concentrated help with things like mosquito netting changed more quickly for the better because the people of those villages were able to take action for themselves in using their new resources to the best advantage.

2. While millennium development goals weren't met by 2000, things got better anyway.

In spite of the fact that the MDGs were not achieved by their goal year of 2000, the world continued to improve. Countries and communities strove to improve themselves anyway and to make their corners of the world better places for their citizens. Whether they felt pressure from the MDGs to do so or people simply wanted better quality of life and took action to make that happen doesn't really matter.

3. In the last 27 years, world poverty and hunger rates have been cut in half.

Today, the world hunger rate is 40% lower than it was in 1990, only 27 years ago. Child mortality rates have decreased by more than 50%, and poverty rates overall have also dropped by more than half. This trajectory of diminishing evil is projected to continue until these issues are finally resolved.

4. These decreases happened both in spite of and because of 1990 MDGs.

Whether or not these decreases can be attributed to MDGs doesn't really matter, and it can be said that the MDGs both contributed to and did not contribute at all to positive change that communities and countries brought about on their own. It can be argued that pressure to take action to finally make positive changes happened one the MDGs were solidified. But the MDGs arose from a global consensus on a desire to improve quality of life for all people. Either way, the millennium development goals certainly didn't hurt progress.

5. MDGs created a solid foundation for the world to improve on its own.

MDGs did give a solid impetus for action as stated above, and the frenzy of people working to effect change in their wake had a lasting impact beyond the end of the 20th century, as we've already seen from the steadily decreasing poverty rates that continue to this day.

6. Countries who saw the most progress opened to global change on their own.

One of the countries that has seen the most positive change since the implementation of the millennium development goals has been China, but China made the decision to become a more globalized economy and culture on its own. The economic and social impacts of these changes has been seen in a nearly infinite number of ways. Other countries decided on their own as well to make changes and become more globalized, adopting new ideas and technology to become better places to live. But, in turn, that globalization falls in line with a desire to make the world a better place by accepting a place in it.

7. UN Sustainable Development Goals create the same foundation for change.

If you have been discouraged that several major nations have been steering away from the globalization that has been creating positive change over the last nearly three decades and away from the global consensus that the earth as a whole needs to find more sustainable ways of living, you're not alone. But just like the MDGs still created a better world for everyone by laying a strong foundation of principle and lofty goals to strive for, the new sustainable development goals will do the same. While a few major countries may opt out, many more will become more sustainable, more environmentally friendly, and will have a massive impact on the wellbeing of our planet. But now, we'd like to know...

Do you think life on earth will get better?

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