From rewriting harmful narratives to keeping forests intact, meet some of the people fighting for a peaceful and sustainable planet
In a year marked by crises, 2024 also brought moments of triumph and reasons for hope. From groundbreaking business innovations to examples of remarkable resilience during crisis, here are some of the stories that remind us that positivity and creativity still thrive even in the most turbulent of times.
The first deforestation-free coffee
We love coffee and we love the people who grow it and make it. Unfortunately, traditional coffee growing takes a toll on the environment, particularly when rainforest is cleared to produce it. In Ecuador, Indigenous leaders have gone in a different direction, teaming up with Lavazza and us to produce the world's first 'deforestation-free' coffee. It hit the European market in September.
A carbon negative clothing brand
With the Equator Prize Initiative, we're proud to support the Yawanawá, an Indigenous community of the Land of Rio Gregório in the Acre State of Northern Brazil, and Sheep Inc. They've created the first carbon negative clothing brand providing a "blueprint for the garment industry to change its ways and to bring us back in touch with where our clothes come from".
Artificial reefs protect marine life
Yes, the world faces existential challenges, but we reject the 'gloom and doom' mindset that often prevails in public discourse. We search for, and find, people who are thinking hard and solving problems. In the Indian Ocean, this means building artificial reefs to bring back the diversity of marine life. Old solutions are being revived in north-eastern India, where tradition and conservation literally intertwine in living root bridges. And we are working in the 'laboratory of evolution', the Galapagos, to protect its bountiful diversity of life on land and in the sea.
Food grown on demined land
A Ukrainian chef prepares "the world's most valuable meal" - a traditional Ukrainian appetizer made from vegetables grown on demined land. This project aims to draw attention to the problem of the large amount of Ukraine's territory contaminated with mines and explain how this affects the country's economy and global food security. It showcases the positive changes and results in demining, achieved through the use of innovative technologies.
Culture promotes change
Performance art and culture are vital to healthy societies. In Haiti, a street theatre troupe offers a respite for children displaced by violence. And in Zambia, theatre and dance is being used to confront environmental and economic challenges and encourage young people to explore their talents and reshape their mindsets for a more productive future.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Communities create peace
Of course, no development is possible without peace. And those who suffer in conflict are usually those who know the best path out of it. Somali women are leading on many fronts - from resolving disputes within communities, and training others to do the same, to using poetry to open minds and hearts to peace and reconciliation. They are showing that hope is not futile, and any action, however small it may seem, can become part of a movement for positive change.
