COURTESY: BABAMAIL
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In different parts of the
world, different countries have developed unique ways to deal with
certain problems, as well as help their citizens have a better life and
be healthier. Some of these ideas haven't gotten to other parts of the
world and it’s a real shame. While this is not a definitive list, it is
still filled with amazing ideas that every country should adopt.
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State-provided new baby kit
Every pregnant Finnish woman
is eligible for a free, government-sponsored ‘maternity box’. The kit
comes with mattress, sheets, jumpsuits, socks, diapers and several other
items a new baby will need. Even the box it comes in can be used as a
cot. The point of this is to provide every future citizen of Finland an
equal start in life.
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Paid maternal and paternal leave
In several countries, both
mother and father are entitled to paid leave when their child is born.
The most generous country in that regard is the Czech Republic. Both
parents get a minimum of 14 weeks of paid leave, and if it’s their first
child – the parents can get 48 months of government-paid leave!
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50% tax reduction on Christmas
In Norway, the government
wants all citizens to have a little more for the holiday season, so
throughout the month of November – all state taxes are halved.
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Income based fine system
In Finland and Sweden,
non-violent crimes will entail a fine, rather than jail time. The fine,
however, is directly dependent on the perpetrator’s income. This creates
a sort of ‘financial prison’ and serves as a deterrence from committing
such crimes. In fact, a Finnish man who earned $11 million in one year
had to pay a fine equal to $200,000 for speeding…
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Free rides on official vehicles
In Cuba, hitchhiking is
acceptable and very common. So acceptable, in fact, that official
government vehicles are legally required to pick up hitchhikers and make
sure they get to their destination.
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Treating bicycles like cars
Before being allowed to ride a
bicycle, children in the Netherlands at the age of 10 are required to
take a written, as well as practical test to assure they know how to
ride the bike, as well as traffic laws that apply to it. This practice
increases the likeliness of them using bicycles regularly as adults and
is a major contributor to the reduction in car usage and pollution in
major cities throughout the country.
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The government pays kids to attend school
Swedish schoolchildren can
earn the equivalent of $187 from the government for having perfect
attendance. This practice reduces the amount of children skipping
classes.
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Only pay for the garbage you produce
To decrease the use of
landfills, German cities will weigh the garbage you throw away, and
you’ll be charged as much as $2 per pound of waste. This has led to
people recycling and composting much of their trash.
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Speeding ticket lottery
In Sweden, A part of all
traffic tickets is kept in a particular pool, and any citizen without
traffic violations is automatically entered into the pool with a chance
to win up to $3000. This custom both encourages people to drive safely
and instills a sense of fairness, where ‘being good’ is rewarded.
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Mandatory voting
Australian citizens are
legally obligated to participate in the elections. Any Australian, who
doesn't show up to vote, is served with a fine, leading to a whopping
95% of the population voting each time. In contrast, in the U.S. the
voting percentage is at 36.6%. Australians who don’t wish to vote, but
would like to avoid fines tend to put in a blank paper (often with crude
drawings on it).
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Reduced jail time in exchange for reading
To reduce the likeliness of
inmates returning to a life of crime, Brazil chose to reduce jail time
for those who educate themselves by reading while in prison. For each
book a prisoner reads, they must submit a report, and if deemed
appropriate, it will reduce 4 days off of their sentence. Since the
beginning of the program, Brazil has seen a 30% reduction in criminal
relapses.
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National "rainy day" fund
The Norwegian government saves
all of the taxes collected for oil and petrol into a ‘rainy day’ fund.
At the beginning of 2014, the fund had $828 million, which is saved for a
time when Norway’s oil reserves are depleted or in case of other
financial crises.
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33% fewer TV advertisements
In the UK and most of Europe,
TV commercials are limited to a maximum of 8 minutes per hour. In the
United States, you would see 3 minutes of commercials every 8 minute.
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Free museum entry for new citizens
When immigrants become
naturalized in Canada, they also receive a one-year free pass to
thousands of cultural centers and museums across Canada. This encourages
immigrants to get to know the local heritage, culture, and national
parks.
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Mandatory paid sick leave
In Europe, paid sick leave is
mandatory in order to reduce the spread of diseases by encouraging
people to remain at home when they’re sick instead of coming to work and
“sharing” their germs with their coworkers.
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Squats for rides in the subway
In preparations for the Sochi
Winter Olympics, commuters at the Vystavochaya Metro Station in Moscow
could pay for train rides by doing squats. The program lasted a month
prior to the Olympic event and was very popular.
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Anonymous, state-sponsored drug testing
In an effort to reduce the
number of overdosing and related deaths, the Netherlands offers a free,
anonymous service that tests the composition of narcotics. The test
lists the ingredients of the drug, warning users of potentially
dangerously laced ones, as well as ways to treat potential cases of
related overdosing.
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Citizens manage the country's social media
Each and every week, Sweden’s
official Twitter account is run by a randomly-selected citizen. This is
done to show Sweden’s cultural diversity and progressiveness.
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