If You Choose One New Year’s Resolution, Make It This One
I am exhausted from a year in which it felt like we were constantly inundated with bad news. Somewhat muted during a Christmas season filled with baking cookies and drinking mulled wine, anxiety about the state of the world has once again hit me full force in the new year. In just a few weeks, Donald Trump and Elon Musk will formally take power in the United States. In Germany, our commitment to democracy will also be tested in the upcoming elections. The wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan and other regions, which we forget all too easily, are likely to continue – or they may end in outcomes that favor parties known to systematically commit crimes against humanity. And the list goes on.
Why You Should Not Give Up on Humanity
The temptation to stay on the couch and keep scrolling from one disaster report to the next doomsday scenario is strong. But with the new year’s resolutions still fresh in my mind, I am putting up three sticky notes on the fridge to remind myself why, despite everything, we should not give up on humanity:
There are things we can do. I spent most of the past year evaluating how effective humanitarian aid was during the last major drought in Somalia. The result: the efforts saved tens and probably hundreds of thousands of children from death – despite the difficult conditions in the country.
- It does not take all that much. According to United Nations estimates for 2025, we will need about 48 billion dollars to assist the almost 190 million people around the world who require humanitarian assistance. That might sound like a lot, but here are some numbers to put this amount into perspective: it is only a tenth of Elon Musk’s fortune and less than Germany’s defense budget. It is worth fighting to mobilize the necessary funds, in Germany and beyond. It is also worth pushing for more effective use of these financial resources, for example by investing more in prevention and anticipatory action as a way to prevent the worst emergencies from arising in the first place.
- It matters. Many of the values I have always considered to be the shared, moral foundation of our society are currently being questioned. This makes it all the more important to clarify and clearly state what you stand for.
For me, humanity and solidarity are a key part of who I am.
“And what are you actually doing now?”, my children ask me when they see the sticky notes. My first order of business is this: in the run-up to the 2025 German election, I will check the parties’ electoral programs to see if and how they address humanitarian aid and development. A second item that should be manageable it to look for specific individuals or projects to support directly. Through my work, I often meet people on the ground who can spark meaningful change with just a small amount of financial support. Thanks to GiveDirectly.org, you don’t have to work in the humanitarian sector to come across these gems; anyone can find and support such contacts from home.
This commentary was originally published by Stern.de on January 1, 2025.