## 2025: A Year to Look Forward to?
### Optimism Amidst Global Turmoil
Despite the pervasive gloom of global conflicts and humanitarian crises, Dr. Charles Kenny, an esteemed expert from the Centre for Global Development, assures us that 2025 may emerge as a rather splendid year for the average chap. “The year 2025 might grant us the best odds of surviving childhood, receiving an education, and avoiding extreme poverty,” reveals Dr. Kenny. However, he remains cautious, suggesting that it won’t offer the lowest chance of dying in conflict or thriving in a liberal democracy.
### Progress Overshadowed by Pessimism
Interestingly, the steady flow of despairing headlines tends to overshadow the stories of gradual global progress. Many hold the belief that the world is poorer and more ill than reality actually dictates. This perception persists despite monumental strides, such as the substantial reduction in poverty rates over the last three decades—a trend transforming lives and economies alike.
### Misconceptions in Perception
In a rather telling survey by [Gapminder](https://www.gapminder.org/), respondents were asked about the global population living in extreme poverty. Surprisingly, merely one in ten accurately identified it as around 10 percent, while others leaned towards higher figures or incorrectly assumed poverty rates to have increased. This lack of awareness feeds into a prevailing nihilism, suggesting little impetus for change in a seemingly doomed world.
### The Danger of Unfounded Negativity
Oxford’s professor Max Roser, the brain behind the ‘Our World in Data’ project, captures this paradox elegantly: “The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better.” A trifecta of truths that coexist simultaneously make for a complex narrative. When gloom overshadows progress, it may spur isolationist policies and impede vital international collaborations, vital for public health, climate change mitigation, and consequently, our collective wellbeing.
### The Path to Global Cooperation
Dr. Kenny further emphasises the necessity of global cooperation for sustained progress. While tragedies may be inevitable, for millions across the globe, tangible improvements are on the horizon. Pessimism, whilst prevalent, should not deter the collective drive towards betterment.
### Conclusion: A Call to Recognise Progress
As we inch closer to 2025, it remains crucial to acknowledge progress and counter the misleading narrative of a deteriorating world. Doing so may inspire hope and collective action, leading to a future brimming with promise and possibility.
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Matt Wade, Senior Economics Writer at *The Sydney Morning Herald,* echoes these sentiments, urging us to focus on hope rather than despair. Perhaps, 2025 might just be one of the finest years to be alive.
