The LIDN Weekly Roundup #71

© Good Housekeeping

Well, this weekend has really been the cherry on top of a fantastic (sarcasm) year. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy, and that you’re able to find some way to celebrate this festive season.

My staff meeting this week consisteted of us trying to gather some of the positive developments in development that have happened this year. Given global poverty is set to rise for the first time in 20 years, it was a pretty tall order. And yet, somehow, we managed it! Here’s five:

• The Oxford team behind one of the COVID jabs is also entering the final stages of producing a vaccine against malaria. If the final trials go well, it could be rolled out in 2024, saving millions of lives.
• Governments around the world have extended billions in social protection, much of it cash. For many of these countries, it has necessitated a rapid expansion in digital technology and implementation systems, hugely helpful in the years to come.
• Migrant key workers have been increasingly recognised for their role in combatting the pandemic, as healthcare, agriculture, and logistics workers in particular. Many hope this will translate into more support for migration once the pandemic is over.
• Some countries are “building back better” — remaking their economies in ways that are more sustainable and climate efficient. For example, the EU issued the world’s greenest stimulus plan (750 billion euros). The goal is to be carbon neutral by 2050.
• The Black Lives Matter movement spurred a renewed interest in the localisation of aid, and empowered many local NGOs to call for a fundamental rethink in the way we conduct humanitarian and development action.

Want more?

• If you’re on Instagram, check out Good Good Good. They share good news from around the world and have been a real source of optimism this year. Like the couple who donated their wedding catering to the homeless, the massive rise in second hand clothing sales, and electric vehicle sales hitting record highs in Sweden.
• If you like a podcast, check out Reasons to Be Cheerful, in which Ed Miliband is transformed into someone charming, funny, and engaging. Hear about reframing the political debate, putting essential workers at the heart of our economy, and how we can make the most of COP26 next year.

For those who celebrate, Merry Christmas, and to you all, hope you manage to switch off from screens and get some much needed rest. The world needs you in 2021!

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From Helen