Evolution

By: J. McManus

It may be hard to believe that 2025 is coming to an end – this extraordinary year has been filled with unforgettable and record-breaking moments, many of which may have gone unnoticed. As we look back, it may be difficult to perceive how much has changed in such little time, but there are various feats to reflect upon.

In this day and age, we continually break records for the amount of free information made available to the public, facilitating health, safety and educational progression. Today, everything is documented online and news travels instantaneously, ensuring everyone is kept informed on current topics all the time. For example, it’s currently easier to discover whether your destination of choice is hazardous or simply atmospherically uncomfortable (since we have access to the hourly temperature across the globe) and can we communicate instantly and freely with friends, family or peers through social media platforms. All aspects of everyday life are exceptionally convenient and have evolved significantly both economically and socially speaking.

Economically, the world has never been better. With record economic production, as shown by GDP rates, people have more financial freedom than ever before. Stock markets are at record highs, news agencies are providing more detailed and up-to-date reports plus apps provide updated statistics on all sorts of threats related to nearly any topic imaginable, including career, health, politics, crime, conflict, and even sport.

The last formal declaration of famine was in 2017 in South Sudan. At the start of the century, the demographic spread of large-scale famine shrunk significantly and there has been no major famine in Europe since the 1940s, North and South America since the late 19th century, and few in recent decades in Asia. This is the result of the progress made in reducing global hunger nearing the end of the 20th century. Undernourishment in developing countries fell from 1 in 3 (as 33% in 1970) to 12% in 2015 and notable changes can still be seen and measured today from the awareness raised online to the prestigious programs (like those from the UN) that aim to resolve these pressing predicaments.

The world is healing. Slowly but surely, the needless suffering and scars of our ancestors begin to fade into history books, not to be forgotten, but to serve as an incentive for community, guidance and support. We must move into this new era together, as a group of social beings who can benefit and provide for one another, empathize with the ache of our fellow equals and have the ability to speak up, impact the flow of resources to where they are desperately needed and make the world a better and safer place for our children.