Lately, American news headlines have been full of Trump policies, protests, and hate-crimes popping up around the country. And while, to some, this past week may have felt like the beginning of End Times, it is important to remember the "big picture." Here are 5 global headlines to spread some positivity and remind us that the world is not such a bad place after all.

1. 1,400 Migrants Were Rescued in the Mediterranean.

On the morning of November 12, 2016, 1,400 migrants travelling the Mediterranean Sea to Europe were rescued from six wooden boats and a barge. This is fantastic news, because as of October, the year 2016 has been named the deadliest year for migrant travelers, wracking up an astonishing estimated 4,200 deaths. Pictured above is a woman, Rachel and her son Jonas, after being rescued this morning.

2. A survivor of last year's ISIS attack on Paris has turned to art for recovery.

I highly recommend reading this article about Fred Dewilde's journey to recovery after his traumatic experience in witnessing the brutal attack on an Eagles of Death Metal concert last year. Dewilde, who survived the attack by "playing dead" next to a young woman whom he refers to as "Elisa," has spent the past twelve months recounting the tragedy through the eyes of an illustrator, creating a graphic novel centering around that night to cope with his memory. Cheers to him for finding a healthy, creative way to work through his post-traumatic stress-- and in turn, creating such a beautifully crafted novel, shown above.

3. One man managed to save 70 civilians during an ISIS sniper attack with his bullet-proof BMW.

[Note: this event actually took place on October 21, 2016, however the story was updated on November 8, 2016 to discuss the reward he was offered, and gracefully declined.] Iraqi man Ako Abdulrahman, after learning of a sniper attack that left 64 civilians and 86 ISIS militants dead, as well as more than 100 civilians and security personnel wounded, decided to take action with his bullet-proof BMW. He took several trips into the city, rescuing 70 wounded civilians as well as helping to transport the dead. His car recieved 50 bullet marks. After his heroic act, he was awarded a certificate and a monetary reward by the Governor, as well as an offer from BMW for a brand new car. He gracefully declined the money and vehicle, and is quoted as saying, "In my car, I carried Sunni, Shiite, Kurds, Turkmen and Christians. I felt like I am truly Iraq and this is who everyone should be...I was happy with the certificate of appreciation from the governor, but I thought it's insulting to give me money for something every Iraqi should do... I am not a hero, I am only an ordinary Iraqi who wants to defeat his country from criminals and killers." Think what you want, Mr. Abdulrahman, but in my eyes you are a hero.

4. A Bronze-Age city was discovered in Iraq, filling a gap in the archaeological timeline that appeared in 1975.

This story personally excited me way more than it probably should've. Last month, a team of German archaeologists unearthed a Bronze-Age city from the Akkadian Empire, in the modern small village of Bassetki. The Akkadian Empire is known as the oldest empire in human history, located in Ancient Mesopotamia (Modern-day Iraq, Syria and Southern Turkey). While this particular site is largely unexcavated-- and therefore, most likely teeming with archaeological discoveries just waiting to be made-- this find is fascinating because of its link to the Bassetki statue of god-king Naram-Sin, discovered in 1975. Up until now, the location of the Bassetki statue puzzled researchers, as it was found in a rather isolated area. This new discovery, however, leads researchers to believe that this ancient city located in modern-day Bassetki was a hub of Akkadian culture and religion. Further investigation of the region is now underway.

5. New Zealand built a safer travelling route for local penguin populations to use.

City officials in Omararu, New Zealand are taking steps to ensure the endangered korora-- otherwise known as "little penguins"-- have a safe travel route from the ocean to their nests. Previously, these flightless birds had to cross a dangerously busy road to travel back and forth to the ocean to provide food for their young. Not only is the road dangerous to cross, but the white light of a car's headlights is blinding to these small birds, causing many to become disoriented and wander into oncoming traffic. City officials, with the help of marine-biologist Philippa Agnew, are working to create an underground surpass for the birds to utilize. Not only does this tunnel provide safe and easy access to their destination, protecting them from cars, dogs and curious humans, it also offers an opportunity for these humans to safely observe the species in their travels without posing any threat to the birds. Good job, New Zealand!

I believe the biggest thing we should take away from these stories-- and others like them-- is that these are all people behind them. These are people saving migrants and civilians from dangerous conditions. These are people making new and wonderful discoveries. These are people taking steps to protect animal wildlife. These are people taking their own grief and trauma and using them to create beautiful works of art-- the things that give us culture, that make us human. There are good people in this world. The world is a good place, at its core, and we can make it an even better place by taking notes from and being inspired by these kinds of people. If you find yourself having a hard time looking for good people in the world, be that good person yourself.