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We are often bombarded with fear-mongering and shocking headlines that make us feel that the world is falling apart.

While it’s important to report problems and issues, I believe there is so much good in this world that just needs to be found and promoted. This is especially true after the last few years we have had with COVID, political, and social unrest, and seemingly more negative headlines than we care to count.

That’s why I started The Happy Broadcast and, this year, it's why I am so proud to announce WHOLE, the free happiness app. WHOLE is a culmination of what we started 4 years ago with The Happy Broadcast, a positive place filled with activities aimed at improving your mental health and happiness. We partnered with science to identify activities that are known to boost happiness, and then built them into a daily tracker that suggests simple things you can do to boost your mood.

Consuming positive news is one known activity that can boost your outlook and mood. We need more positive news to acknowledge that the world is actually getting better little by little. So, with that said, here are some of the top performing positive news illustrations from 2021.

You can find my previous articles about The Happy Broadcast on Bored Panda here (2020), here (coronavirus), and here (2019). And if you'd like to read about the good news in more detail and see the sources that I used, you can go to my website, here.

More info: Instagram | WHOLE

2020 and 2021 feel very much the same. The challenges facing the human family right now are big and scary and there’s no guarantee we will overcome ALL of them. But, as millions of people have demonstrated in the past 24 months though, action is possible, better solutions are available and a better future can be built. Science has really helped us overcome a pandemic but it is the people that have shown their kindness and love for one another.

One at a time, we can all make a positive impact. While I don’t want to be cynical and stop believing that the world can get better, I’m also not naive to think that the world can change if I don’t contribute. That’s why the future will be better if, instead of getting overwhelmed, we celebrate and get inspired by the millions of people that have shown us that we can all have a positive impact.

I’m always optimistic. Every year is better than the one before and even in the past couple of challenging years, there have been several silver linings. The new generations are becoming more and more aware that we need to advocate for a better future, and we need to do that fast. I see more and more kindness and more and more people acting selflessly to change what’s wrong and help whoever is in need.

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Even small acts of kindness towards the environment will, in turn, benefit all and I see that happening. That’s why I’ve built The Happy Broadcast, to highlight the selfless actions of many amazing human beings.

2021 has been a great year filled with hard work, fun, kindness, pizza, and dogs. I always have to keep my mental health in check, but that’s why I love to use my art as a beacon of positivity for me and the people that are kind enough to follow my projects.

The biggest challenge (and reward) has been the launch of WHOLE. After three years of hard work on The Happy Broadcast, I met Keith, who is now my partner in this amazing company that wants to become the one-stop source for happiness. We created WHOLE, an umbrella brand that included The Happy Broadcast and other projects focused on mental health and happiness.

Ultimately people are not seeking to be “meditators,” “mood trackers,” or “journalers,” they want to be happier. WHOLE is a brand, community, and all-in-one mobile app focused on delivering all the “spokes” of mental health training within a single app that guides users towards the ultimate goal of increased happiness. The first big milestone was the launch of our WHOLE app, now available in the App Store and Google Play Store.

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Our goal is very simple yet ambitious: To provide comprehensive solutions that increase the overall happiness of individuals while improving society as a WHOLE.

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Mazer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Let’s hope it isn’t patented 200 times in order to keep costs out of reach

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One of the best things I heard in 2021 involves an organization in Finland called Aktivistimummot, meaning “Activist grannies.” It’s a group pushing for environmental change that delivers a lot of information about climate change. Their aim is simple: to ensure their grandchildren have a safe and sustainable future.

It’s a great example of how we can all come together, despite our age difference, for the greater good of a sustainable and fulfilling life for everyone.

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Ozzie Ogawa
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not just the number of the trees but the species as well. They should plant not just native trees but natives plants as well. A healthy forest should be diverse, both genetically and species.

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Raven DeathShade
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember hearing this for the first time. I was ecstatic! Pandas are my favorite animal :).

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François Carré
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good for them, but while the world celebrates, that shouldn't be an excuse for China to ill-treat millions of other living beings, including humans, out of sight.

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Bunny
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hate to be a downer but they reduced the number it would take for them to be on the endangered list as well... They reduced the levels for all animals...

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Daniel Marsh
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry folks, but this is BAD news. VERY, VERY, VERY bad news for pandas. Giant pandas populations have NOT rebounded suddenly. The infinitely corrupt, evil Chinese government has just simply issued an edict that pandas don't need protection, and simply declared that they would no longer be protected under "endangered species" laws. The number of pandas born in the wild is devastatingly small, having grown only about 15%; and most of the improvement is merely that zoos have learned how to breed pandas more successfully.

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James Doe
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately conservation isn't the reason, otherwise there would be efforts to reintroduce them into the wild. They are just policital play balls of the Chinese government. same but different s**t show when it comes to tiger conservation in China,which is mainly done to harvest parts for micropenis medicine. I've been there (Harbin) but unfortunately was oblivious aslt the time...

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Glirpy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry, but any species that lives on the same planet as humans is endangered.

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Mani
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Panda Express has succeeded in its clandestine mission!

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Christina Uhlir
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's great, thousands of species face extinction though, so.....put down the glass and let's go to the battle.

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Brandy Grote
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wolong Panda Preserve started this boom, and sent pandas to breeding programs around the world to reduce inbreeding. During the 2000s and 2010s, the panda preserves started having successful multiples born, and have been able to successfully breed in semi-wild preserves!

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Kt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have 2 in Edinburgh zoo and I'm sure I recently read that their stay has been extended. I don't know if they have successfully had babies though 🤔

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Gabriel Goh
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What about non-Giant Pandas? Or Dwarf Pandas? And the Pygmy Pandas? Those smaller pandas are easily overlooked!

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Jon S.
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Stop the panda hate! They the most ancient of the bear species and would have continued being fine if we didn't cut their forests down. They also breed very well in captivity now we know how to socialise them with scents. I hate the way people flippantly say we should just let them die out as a 'useless' species.

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Firkin Dirkin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No one says that about letting them die out.. never read that anywhere...... are you a chinese goverment troll? No one hates pandas, just the way China exploits them...

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Eglė Bukauskaitė
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

well once i saw the "breeder pair" pandas in China, their efforts are not that etical...

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DetongLhamo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Their numbers have increased due to humans raising baby pandas in captivity. They have not provided them with any natural habitat to go and live in.

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Amy Beckler
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well. I can only hope that China doesn't behave as the U.S. does=goodie! Let's go hunting!

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Péter Rózsahegyi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Great news! Now the fantastic Chinese scientist should make a turn to save the uyghurs before extinction.

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Me
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought this one might float to the top, for the obvious reason. :)

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Firkin Dirkin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But.. China cloning pandas for profit has falsified the numbers. Genetically, the species has too little variety to survive even in zoos naturally. Making fake pandas to rent to zoos worldwide isn't "conservation" it's "monetization" and is a horror show of species exploitation.

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Kiaya Thompson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Zookeepers dancing around like, “we got the pandas to do it, we got the pandas to do it!”

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Chris Jones
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They became the face for a rather successful marketing campaign regarding environmental issues - not so shabby.

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Kuato
Community Member
2 years ago

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Does that mean we get to hunt them now? Imagine having a panda rug in fron of your fireplace.

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Ryan Deschanel
Community Member
2 years ago

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Meanwhile, many other species keep going extinct, but they are less cute so nobody cares.

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Jon S.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you save the environments pandas need, then you save the habitat for thousands of species.

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David Woollands
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2 years ago

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They deserve to die out as they are clumsy muppets that fall out of trees and can’t be bothered to have sex - much like some humans really!

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Jon S.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You are about 2 decades out of date. Pandas today have the same rate of birth as brown bears. Its only because we didn't appreciate the role of territory and scent in panda mating that we thought they were so hard to breed in captivity initially.

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Last year, I told Bored Panda about how rough it was in 2020, what helped me keep my sense of direction and not get lost during the pandemic, and what new artists should keep in mind. I think that 2020 was definitely a rough year, but I’ve never seen so many great stories of human kindness like then.

Despite all the challenges, it looks like humanity understood how deeply we depend on each other and how much our mental health is central to everyone's recovery and well-being. Sharing good news is a joyful experience for all and also an important part of daily conversations.

There is so much good in this world that just needs to be found and promoted. Never forget that the reason why we have positive news to share is that some amazing and brave individuals did something to solve an issue that worries us all. So, one at a time, we can all make a positive impact. It's our time to BE the positive news.

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Jerry Mathers
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope they take it a step further and prohibit all goods by companies use shark fins in any product.

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One of the things that helped me through the pandemic was working on The Happy Broadcast and interacting daily with my community. Sharing good news is a joyful experience for all and also an important part of daily conversations. Also, baking bread and pizza had a huge impact on my sanity during lockdown.

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One of my favorite pizzas, besides the classic Italian Margherita, is pizza Bianca (which means no cheese and no sauce) topped, after being baked, with a cold mix of vegan feta, arugula, olive oil, salt, and fresh thyme. It’s very fresh and different from the usual pizza we eat at a restaurant, but I’m a creative person, so cooking is another avenue to express that.

Having a sense of purpose makes me feel less lost. I also try to not spend too much time on my phone scrolling through hundreds of posts and I turn my phone off before I go to bed. If I’m feeling blue, I put on some songs that make me want to play the air-guitar and the air-drums, like ‘Gloria’ by ‘The Lumineers.’

I've always loved doodling... especially things with cute faces because it's so relaxing, creative, and fun! I like the message more than the style, so I don’t spend a lot of time on an illustration. Most of my time is spent sketching all the ideas that float in my brain. My advice to young artists is not to focus on trends; focus on what you like to draw. 

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Jo Choto
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We really don't need to keep people in dangerous underground slavery conditions, and allowing a very small number of people to control the supply and get rich on the backs of the workers, just for a tiny gemstone that can be safely replicated in a lab.

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Rissie
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not to be a doozy, because it's admirable that we are capable of change if we set our minds to not using cfc's, but sadly CO2 emissions need to get down (which is a lot harder) to not undo that success in the long run. Bad news stinks of course so, see we can do it, go humans!

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JuJu
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have a few hundred of these in Leipzig. And nobody gets stung.

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Stacy Parker
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I believe that Iceland, Sweden, Costa Rica, and Uruguay are part of that group. Not sure about the rest.

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Romenriel
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very good, also helps with poverty that is endangering humans.

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Alexia
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here is a photo from the campaign. It was actually efficient, several dogs were adopted. It also produced some sweet moments, as some dogs woulnd't leave their humans' arms or would run away on the field :))) 646x528-61...b422a5.jpg 646x528-61b3513b422a5.jpg

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Leo Domitrix
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In short: Common sense! Nature has its pest control. Just make friends with it. (Yes, I am okay with snakes. One black ratsnake native to my area means you won't see rats, mice, or the venomous snakes!)

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Romenriel
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd like to see a source on this one, it would be awesome but I don't see how it could happen.

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ivan bolitekurac
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tbh,if it isn't durable i won't buy it.I have a leather jacket that is 10 years old and it is the same as the first day.I would call that a sustainable piece of clothing.Fake leather will have cracks after a few years so you need to buy new furniture/clothing

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Note: this post originally had 112 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.