The news circulates stories that attract the large population, and most stories that stick are stories of despair and emotional turmoil. It can be a great deal to process hearing a war, famine, political discourse, and other social issues occurring around the world while you are just sitting on your couch unaware of how to help.
There is a great importance of being aware of what's going on the world, but there should be a balance of filling your mind with good news as well. An abundance of change in laws, donating to less fortunate, and a shift in government is happening around the world and should be known.
1. Diversity elected into the United States Congress.
The Congressional freshman class of 2019 includes 66 Democrats and 45 Republicans with a record number of women and diversity elected into the House. This includes the first Muslim and Native American women, and members of the LGBTQ community. 42 women will join in January 2019, one of them being Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez who comes from a white district which is a majority of a minority-majority district and will be the youngest woman to serve in Congress in the history of the United States.
2. South Korea to turn former slaughterhouse into public park.
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The Taepyeong-dong complex was previously the largest demanded slaughterhouse in South Korea. Younger generations are declined to consume dog meat, so this in return was the fall of the complex. Laws such as animal protection act claims that meat consumption is not a justification for killing dogs which are also domesticated as pets. The dog slaughterhouses also did not follow the country's health protocol. The land will in the future be turned into a public park. The officials and citizens are hopeful and excited for a new beginning.
3. Indian Supreme Court ends law that made adultery lawfully punishable.
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The law has been amended by Supreme Court that made adultery punished through imprisonment up to five years. The law gave the husband the right to sue the wife's lover without her consent. This law was double-standard as men were still allowed to commit adultery without punishable actions. It followed the misogynistic behavior that past centuries held. The Chief Justice Dipak Misra stated the law was "arbitrary "and gave no dignity to women. India is spreading more progressive rulings across the country.
4. A store in the UK centers on buying gifts for refugees.
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A pop-up shop located in Soho London called Choose Love that is packed with resources that customers can buy for refugees. The store has tents, emergency blankets, educational materials, hygienic supplies, sleeping bags and more. The nonprofit organization gives all the items across Europe and Middle Eastern. The idea is to bring awareness that consumerism and be used also to give to the less fortunate.
5. Denmark may label food based on climate effect.
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Denmark's government may require manufacturers and stores to regulate food based on environmental factors. This will be calculated by the amount of transportation the product takes to reach the shelves, water consumption by the product, pesticides used on its exterior, the environmental impact of the packaging, and amount of greenhouse gas emissions that were created as a byproduct of the food. This will take a few more years to accurately accomplish but will be worth the challenge as visualizing seeing how the products are manufactured and what is in the food you eat will make the consumer more aware.
