This article appeared in the December 23, 2020 edition of the Monitor Daily.

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A better 2021

Thoko Chikondi/AP
Malawi Congress Party supporters celebrate after party leader Lazarus Chakwera was announced the winner of Tuesday's election rerun in Blantyre, Malawi, June 27, 2020. The opposition won Malawi's historic rerun of the presidential election. It was the first time a court-overturned vote in Africa led to the defeat of an incumbent leader.

Yesterday morning, I received a holiday card. “Let’s never do that again,” it read. The sentiment is understandable. This year has been one of tribulation. But this week I also came across The Economist magazine’s “country of the year,” which looks at where things went right.

Among the honorable mentions: Taiwan and New Zealand, for showing that good government and the pandemic were not mutually exclusive. Bolivia, for finding a peaceful presidential transition amid unrest. Even the United States, where the judiciary universally rejected partisanship to thwart an attempt to overthrow the presidential election.

The winner: Malawi, the only country where democracy and respect for human rights improved in 2020, according to Freedom House. Malawi also saw its judges “turn down suitcases of bribes” and annul a blatantly corrupt election, leading to a legitimately elected president.

But there’s a broader lesson here. Today, the Monitor Daily is running a summary of the 274 points of progress we chronicled this year. They paint a picture of a different 2020. Even in the bleakest years, the march forward never stops. And the seed of a better 2021 begins with acknowledging the progress made in 2020 and building on it.


This article appeared in the December 23, 2020 edition of the Monitor Daily.

Read 12/23 edition
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