Germany is the first European country to free Syrian refugees from a draconian bureaucratic “trap”

With the creation of oral rehydration solution, diarrhea can be treated by inexpensive, homemade remedies. O.R.S. has undeniably helped Bangladesh make big strides in improving child health in recent decades thanks to thoughtful, systemic implementation, and it is now distributed by UNICEF in more than 60 countries.

Territorial conflicts in neighboring countries can spur bloody battles.The discovery of a headless corpse in the Netherlands helped Belgium and its bigger Dutch neighbor resolve a property squabble that began in 1961, showing that land disputes can be settled peacefully.

For 70 years, India’s Sikhs have faced barriers to visiting one of the holiest sites in their religion, a template just three miles across the border in Pakistan. Now, the Pakistani government has announced plans to open a border crossing and building a connecting road. The high-profile gesture signals a desire for goodwill between Pakistan and India.

The Great Lakes contain 84 percent of the surface freshwater in North America—a staggering 21 percent of the surface freshwater worldwide. To manage the resource sustainably, all eight lake-bordering states, Congress, and Canadian provinces created the Great Lakes Compact in 2008, which has regulated and curbed water use. An evaluation of the agreement ten years later shows promising yet mixed results. And critically, it asks whether strong policies can withstand a future of growing water scarcity.

The Central African Republic is rife with political problems including the lack of a health system, proving problematic for a country where Ebola runs a constant risk. Despite the challenges, the Catholic Scouts Association has stepped up to create and implement programs that aim to "promote vaccination, check out rumors about Ebola, carry messages between rival military factions and more."

In countries like Cambodia, Angola, and Mozambique, rats are saving lives by detecting untriggered land mines. An international nonprofit, Apopo, provides funding a training and works with local organizations to operate at the local level. The rats are light enough that they don’t trigger the explosives and can cover up to 2,000 square feet in just 20 minutes – something that would take a human up to four days to complete.

Brooklyn’s Red Hook Peacemaking Program, part of the Red Hook Community Justice Center, is bringing together individuals in conflict to practice restorative justice. The program accepts cases coming through various courts, schools, and personal references, and brings together families, friends, and adversaries to participate in moderated, peacebuilding discussions. Seeing over 100 cases each year, the program has decreased recidivism rates and spread to other cities in New York.

The Eris Conflict Resolution life-coaching company is using conflict mediation and resolution to help those experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace. The company works with both stakeholders and the businesses involved in one-on-one mediation, course modules, and the option of conflict mediation certification to give them the tools to end the harassment safely. Since opening, 19 of the 27 clients have seen the results they were hoping for.

A unique partnership between environmental groups and governments in the United States and Mexico has led to the resurrection of wetlands and forests in the long-dry Colorado River Delta. Since the waters were dammed and diverted in the 1900s, estuaries dried up and vegetation was lost. The two nations agreed to rewet the delta via a planned flood. Even though there isn’t enough water available to restore a flowing river, these restoration projects on parts of the delta have shown promise. Challenges, including limited funds and hotter, drier conditions due to climate change, remain for its longterm success.

A growing number of governments, companies, and nonprofit organizations are working together with new technology and data to identify fishing vessels that are breaking laws and engaging in human rights violations. Using satellite imagery and tracking signals, for example, a philanthropic company and a nonprofit worked with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to help the Ghanian navy arrest four vessels for illegal fishing practices. Technology by itself won’t stop forced labor and unregulated ships, but it can be helpful for cash-strapped governments looking to increase oversight of their fisheries.