1. Peru: free solar-powered electricity for the poor.
In 2013, in Peru, only about two-thirds of the 25 million people had access to electricity. The Peruvian government decided to do something about it, and instituted a program to provide free solar energy to the underprivileged.
2. Iceland: white-collar criminals go to jail.
In the wake of the collapse of the housing bubble in 2008, it was not only the United States that almost fell into a deep economic depression. The same criminal activity our banks engaged in, inflating the housing market and gambling away our money while saddling crippling debt on untold millions, was also occurring around the world. One country in particular, Iceland, almost imploded. It had a far different response to the crisis, however.
3. France: stop throwing away food.
While the United States may be the richest nation on the planet, more than 15 million children go to bed hungry. Digest this fact while also noting that 133 billion pounds of food, fully a third of the available supply, goes uneaten, eventually ending up in a landfill. France, facing a similar problem, made a very simple decision: stop throwing the food away. As of early this month, it became illegal in France for large grocery stores (4300 square feet or more) to throw out unsold food.
4. Sweden: the six-hour workday.
Americans are the most overworked employees in the developed world. Even though the traditional work week for American workers is 40 hours, the average actual number of hours they work has crept up to 47 hours a week, almost a full extra work day. And while Americans are also among the most productive workers in the world, most social scientists will point out that many hours a week are wasted by employees who are simply burnt out and unable to focus for so many hours.
Sweden thinks it has a solution. A trial six-hour work-day has been instituted by several Swedish companies.
5. Portugal: decriminalize drugs.
Although several states in America have legalized growing and selling marijuana, on a federal level weed is still illegal, as are many other mood-altering substances. The criminal prosecution of drug offenders has resulted in a bloated prison population and has devastated African American and Latino communities, who have borne the brunt of the prosecutions. A solution to our drug problem might be found in Portugal, where drug use (not trafficking) has been decriminalized since 2001.
6. Ireland: drug addiction is a health issue.
Imagine the hullabaloo in the United States if, instead of arresting heroin addicts and throwing them in prison, bloating the system with non-violent offenders, and devastating families, we treated them like the ill persons that they are. Ireland, in the throes of a serious drug addiction plague, plans to show us what that might look like. Beginning this year in Dublin, the Irish government will be decriminalizing the personal possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine, and other previously illegal drugs.
7. Japan: make children self-sufficient.
The helicopter parent is ever-present in the United States. It seems children aren’t allowed to walk anywhere by themselves, play by themselves or be left to themselves. Parents who do allow such self-sufficiency in the U.S. are actually looked upon as negligent. Some have even been arrested for the crime of letting their child play alone in a playground.
In Japan, there is a vastly different attitude about children. Japanese parents instill a sense of self-sufficiency early. Contrast that with the warnings from American parents that every stranger is a potential child molester. Japanese children barely out of kindergarten can routinely be seen walking alone.
8. Sweden (again!): we are all feminists.
Certainly in the U.S. strides have been made on gender equality. Women are no longer expected to be barefoot and pregnant. Women in the workforce are an accepted norm. Still, the glass ceiling remains intact, with women making on average far less than men in earnings (78 cents for every dollar), despite being more likely to have a college degree. Male CEOs far outnumber female. The U.S. remains one of the only developed countries to lack paid pregnancy leave. Political representation is far below the 50% of the population that women represent. And still no female president. Of the 197 constitutions across the globe,165 of them—or about 84%—explicitly guarantee gender equality, the WORLD Policy Analysis Center reports. Not the U.S. constitution.
In Sweden, they take a more enlightened approach. “Gender equality is one of the cornerstones of Swedish society,” Sweden’s official gender equality website states. Every 16-year-old child in Sweden has been given a copy of a renowned book by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, called We Should All Be Feminists.
9. Israel: water can be managed.
California, Texas and the American Southwest have been struggling with a years-long drought that has left them with water shortages just short of catastrophic. As the domestic water table recedes, and climate change becomes more and more apparent (except to a politically expedient Republican Party), water management has become a priority that America must master or face the eventual horrific consequences. For lessons, we might turn to Israel.
Situated in the parched Middle East and comprised of half-desert, Israel itself was on the brink not many years ago. In 2009, after seven years of drought, there was a very real danger that Israelis would turn on the taps and no water would come out. The solution was three-pronged. The government mandated limited use of water, even limiting the length of showers.
10. England: Domestic abuse isn’t always physical.
Almost a third of the women in the U.S. have experienced physical abuse from their spouse or partner, according to the CDC. More than 22% of these cases have been severe physical trauma. Over 19% of these women have been raped. It is likely these percentages are actually low, since many abuse victims fear speaking about it. U.S. law certainly provides these victims a place to address their fears should they seek protection from physical abuse. But in this age of social media and digital apps, our laws may not adequately address emotional and psychological abuse. Increasingly, women find themselves being spied on online by their partners, or subtly or explicitly threatened through social media.
In England, the government has addressed this problem head on. A new law has been passed with penalties of up to five years in prison for abusers who seek to control or spy on their partners online or via social media.
