2025 is coming to an end and with it a year that has seen a succession of events and transformations that have profoundly affected us. It has been a year of great gains and tragic losses, with the conflict in Gaza casting, and still casting, a long shadow across the international community.
The atrocities and genocide in the Palestinian enclave, in fact, are a wound that will remain open in the collective memory, leading the world to reflect on the urgency of peace and the need to stop the violence. But are we able to do it?
However, let’s not forget that, even in this dramatic scenario, we can see signs of hope. 2025 was a year in which activism and the fight for rights reached new heights, with young people, in particular, leading the change. In Southeast Asia and Morocco, Generation Z has raised its voice against injustice, corruption and social inequalities, demonstrating that young people are not standing by while the world changes. The same determination and desire to make the planet a fairer place has driven many other initiatives globally.
2025 has also seen great victories that give us hope: from Poland, which banned fur farming, to France which took a historic step in defining sexual consent, up to the struggle of indigenous peoples and at COP30, who achieved a historic victory in defense of ancestral lands.
And not only that: the creation of a huge national park in Australia for koalas, a symbol of hope for biodiversity, reminds us that nature can also have redemption. It is in this context that we can reflect on the hopes and progress that 2025 has brought us, even with the pain and awareness of how much work there is still to do.
The 5 best news of 2025
In Poland the historic stop to fur farming
This year, Poland took a key step in animal protection with the ban on fur farming. A courageous gesture and an important turning point against cruelty towards animals. The decision comes after years of pressure from animal rights organizations and a growing movement against fashion that exploits fur. Poland has thus joined other countries that have already adopted similar measures, taking a further step towards a more ethical and respectful future for living beings.
We talked about it here: Historic stop to fur farming: Poland bans cruel fashion
Sex without consent is rape: France and the Gisèle Pelicot case
A strong and powerful signal in the fight against gender violence this year came from France, where it was definitively established that sex without consent is rape, a definition that revolutionized criminal law.
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The case of Gisele Pelicotwhich catalyzed this reform, beyond public opinion, has finally given a clear and unambiguous legal response, strengthening the protection of victims and justice for those who suffer abuse. This change marks a civilizational turning point and a significant step forward for women’s rights, underlining that explicit consent is a fundamental right in every relationship.
We talked about it here: Sex without consent is rape: a turning point in civilization in France thanks to the Gisèle Pelicot case
The protest of indigenous peoples at COP30
Thanks to which, Brazil will demarcate 10 ancestral lands. The COP30 in Belèm, in fact, saw a great victory for indigenous peoples, who achieved a historic result with Brazil’s decision to demarcate 10 ancestral lands.
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A historic victory which is a direct response to the fight for the recognition of the rights of indigenous populations and for the protection of the lands they have guarded for centuries. The decision represents a concrete commitment to safeguarding the environment, considering that these lands are crucial for biodiversity and for the fight against the climate crisis.
We talked about it here: The indigenous peoples’ protest at COP30 worked! Brazil will demarcate 10 ancestral lands
A paradise for koalas
In Australia, the creation of a huge national park dedicated to koalas represented concrete hope for the species, threatened for years by the destruction of its habitat and climate change.
The park was created with the aim of providing a safe haven for koalas and promoting a recovery and conservation programme. This project not only helps the species, but also marks an important step in protecting Australia’s biodiversity, helping to preserve a symbol of the country and a key element of local ecosystems.
We talked about it here: A paradise for koalas: a huge national park was created in Australia to save them from extinction
The mobilization of Gen Z
That is, when young people don’t stand by and watch. In a global context where social and environmental inequalities continue to grow, young people do not stand by and watch. In 2025, it was above all Generation Z who demonstrated extraordinary determination to fight injustice and corruption, especially in Nepal and Morocco.
Young people have taken a stand against corrupt political systems and economic inequality, organizing protests and movements that have pushed for change. All mobilizations that are testimony to the fact that the new generations are not willing to remain passive in the face of global challenges. Gen Z has chosen to be the protagonist, demonstrating that change cannot be postponed and that hope for a better future is in their hands.
We talked about it here: “We don’t want the World Cup, but hospitals and schools”: inside the protest led by Generation Z that is shaking Morocco
and here: After the clashes in Nepal, Gen Z cleans up the streets (and teaches the world a lesson): “our fight is not vandalism”
What hope do we have now? It’s that we treasure every piece of these stories, every longing for happiness, every single acquired right. To say, one day, that I have learned my lesson.
