Positive Changes in Countries Part 34 of a Multi-part Series – Altruistic Governments, Altruistic Citizens: Laos, Latvia, Lebanon

Laos is home to a variety of diverse ethnic groups who are unified through the country’s prevailing Buddhist beliefs. The country’s lushly forested mountains, plateaus, plains, and the Mekong River basin host an amazing range of biodiversity. To preserve this precious life, our government has wisely designated a network of protected regions. To achieve the goal of bringing electricity to 98% of the country’s citizens by 2030, our country is employing sustainable solar energy. Moreover, our forethoughtful government is determined to develop a state-of-the-art rail network to connect with our neighboring countries. Toward this goal, the Laos-China high-speed railway linking our capital Vientiane with Kunming, China, took its inaugural journey on December 3, 2021.

Latvia is a country in northeastern Europe, with a shoreline that meets the Baltic Sea. With music at the heart of our culture, the Latvian Nationwide Song and Dance Festival has been recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Legislation recently passed into law that automatically grants Latvian citizenship to all newborn children. As stated by Her Excellency Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner on Human Rights for the Council of Europe, “This measure represents significant progress toward implementing the right of each child to a nationality at birth and toward fully including all children in Latvian society.” The kind Latvians have been avidly helping Ukraine war victims.

My country, Lebanon, is a small Western Asian nation situated on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. To restore the nation’s sacred cedar tree, as well as precious pine, fir, and oak, Lebanon has worked in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to plant over 1.2 million tree seedlings in ten regions throughout the country. Mediated by the United States President, His Excellency Donald Trump, a meeting was agreed upon by His Excellency Michel Aoun, President of Lebanon and His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu, Former Prime Minister of Israel. Both sides indicated that they would continue negotiations toward a permanent positive resolution. Most joyously, the veganism movement in Lebanon is growing. What’s more, Hayek Hospital in the capital Beirut became the first in our country to serve patients 100% vegan meals.