No Gloom and Doom by Detlef Palm  The world has become a better place, historically speaking. I am not going to join the doomers. It took me quite some effort, but I will not give in to despair. It is in the DNA of the UNICEF profession to see the glass half empty. Because we need a task that gives meaning to our existence. But there will be no apocalypse. The current temporary pandemic aside, this is the greatest time in history to be alive. Two hundred years ago, 85 percent of the world population lived in extreme poverty. Today only 9 percent live in extreme poverty. The average life expectancy around the world has doubled in the same period, to 72. The biggest progress was made in child survival. To correct your misconceptions about the state of world affairs, check upgrade your worldview on Hans Rösling’s Gapminder . Bad news, catastrophes, terrorist attacks, wars and famines tend to make a headline, good news are just statistics. Rest assured: I am neither in denial, nor d...