The world in 2025 was more dangerous and fragmented — but we must live in hope

It can be easy for people to feel overwhelmed and powerless, but every little action for global justice matters, writes Karol Balfe

Palestinians struggle to get hot meals distributed by charitable organizations amid Israeli attacks in Khan Yunis in Gaza last May. Israel’s arbitrary and frequent restrictions of aid are slowly killing a population that was already suffering so immensely. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images

It’s hard not to feel the weight of the world as we mark the end of this year. It’s hard not to feel that things are worse, that the zeitgeist is changing so profoundly we can’t at times keep up with it.

War rages on in Ukraine, with devastating impact on people’s lives. In Sudan, horrors have unfolded that are beyond comprehension. Twelve million people are displaced from their homes since the war started two years ago. Up to 60,000 may have been killed in a recent massacre.