This year, 2016, has not been an easy year. Europe continued to be the focus of several terrorist attacks; the Middle East conflict is just getting worse while the entire world is watching the horrors of the Syrian war. Brexit brought out the worst of the UK with its immigration policies; the far right is rising and gaining people’s support with their discriminatory and racist policies; and the world is fearing for its safety thanks to an orange man with zero political experience who has recently become the official President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump.

So now what?

2016 might have shaped people’s mind for good or for bad, but it has definitely shown us the possible outcome voting for the far right might have. Social media helped us to understand how cruel war can be while we are watching how everything crumbles from the comfort of our house. 2016 showed us, twice, that what might seem as a joke can become a reality and that we will need to live with it; that people vote for an option they thought might never happen, making us question their integrity and their understanding of how powerful their vote can be.

There is still hope

For me, 2017 will bring with it a new opportunity for change, a new opportunity to dream big and make the world a better place.

We will need to stand up against any discriminatory policies and block the increasing popularity of the far-right. We will need to embrace tolerant and inclusive policies, and oppose to those which do not promote those values. 2016 has been a year that makes us realise that if we do not change our approach to politics and get involve making a positive change, we will be witnesses of how our frontiers will be closed and we will no longer be able to freely move around the world, while xenophobic attitudes might become the norm. So let us make the most out of next year and lead a positive change, stand against hate speech and embrace inclusive policies. After all, we are here to make the world a better place.