I made my first trip ever to Pakistan to learn more about the country’s incredible efforts to wipe out polio.
I woke up this morning and, like most days, I read the news. It’s grim. Hurricanes in the Americas have killed dozens of people and displaced far more. Mexico is recovering from its most powerful earthquake in a century. North Korea is threatening its neighbors. The civil war in Syria seems to have no end. These days, a lot of people look at the headlines and think: The world is falling apart.
I have a different view. I think the world is far from falling apart. In fact, it has never been better—more peaceful, prosperous, safe, or just. And I’m on a mission to prove it.
Believing the world is getting better is not some Pollyanna view. It doesn’t mean you get complacent or ignore the world’s problems. It means you do what former President Bill Clinton calls “looking beyond the headlines for the trend lines.” Armed with an understanding of how many challenges humanity has overcome so far, you’re inspired to do whatever you can to help solve today’s problems and prevent tomorrow’s.
This is the message Melinda and I are taking to New York this week, where we’re co-hosting an event called Goalkeepers. We’ll be joined by former President Barack Obama, Nobel Peace Prize laureates Malala Yousafzai and Leymah Gbowee, musician and activist will.i.am, and hundreds of other world leaders, experts, and celebrities. We’ll be sharing exciting success stories and talking about where the world still needs to improve.
You can watch live on Facebook on Sept. 20 at 11:45 a.m. EST. I hope you’ll join this community of people committed to continuing and accelerating progress on some of the world’s toughest challenges.
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