The idea that 2016 was a particularly terrible year is widespread, so much so that there are several popular Internet memes on the topic. Perhaps it's true. The year was indeed marred by war, violence, death, persecution, xenophobia, and censorship, and in our minds just as in the media, if it bleeds, it leads. But dig a little deeper, and you'll see that 2016 also offered us plenty of moments of friendship, creativity, humor and strength. Global Voices’ virtual, community-driven newsroom worked hard this year to build understanding across borders and language barriers through stories that challenge narratives of power and privilege. Our reporting often highlighted kindness in the face of cruelty, love in the face of hate, and resilience in the face of adversity. So before we bid farewell to 2016, take heart in the following list of 41 stories. The year was pretty bad, but not all bad. An Instagram photo of a young boy named Jake drawing intently at school in a Ghanaian village inspired dozens of memes. The man behind the snapshot, Solomon Adufah, then turned the attention into a crowdfunding campaign to support Jake and other children's education, raising more than $13,000. Kyrgyz artist Gulzada Ryskulova recorded a powerful take on the Manas epic, or manaschi, which are guardians of an oral folklore. They are also almost always men. Ryskulova's version carries a new twist, urging the preservation of the country's nature and nomadic heritage. “Walls of kindness” (Deewar-e-Meherbani) began as an outdoor charity drive for Iran's homeless. The walls featured clothing on hooks beside the phrase, “Take one if you need it. Give one if you don't.” The idea then spread to China and Pakistan. Meanwhile, in the US, collaborative walls of empathy in San Francisco's subway stations offered messages of love and unity after a particularly divisive election. Photo by Somali Faces. Used with permission. A new online project shares stories of ordinary Somalis to counter international perceptions of Somalis and encourage Somalis to rise above petty clannism. Readers can learn about people like “The Activist,” who describes how she overcame the loss of her legs as a child to become an advocate for disabled people. “If you have an ambition, there are many ways to achieve it,” she says. A group of priests and imams challenged each other on the soccer field in June to defy media narratives that divide Danes along cultural and religious lines. Co-founder of the initiative Nora Omari explained, “We need something that shows that we as human beings are able to live together.” Croatia became a “Free Reading Zone” in December for all residents willing to install a mobile app that provided access to an e-book library 100,000 titles strong. The month was sponsored by portal No Shelf Required, and the initiative was the brainchild of Mirela Rončević, a Croatian immigrant to the US who believes access to knowledge is a basic human right. At Taiwan Presbyterian Church, Japanese volunteers outnumbered Taiwanese volunteers following the Tainan earthquake, which killed more than 100 people and leveled buildings around southern Taiwan. Japanese volunteers said they felt compelled to help, since Taiwan had donated the most money out of all countries following the March 11, 2011 quake that devastated Japan. Fidencio Sanchez. Photo: Joel Cervantes Macias / GoFundMe A crowdfunding campaign raised more than $380,000 for an 89-year-old Mexican man named Fidencio Sanchez, who works as a street seller of popsicles and ice cream in Chicago. Sanchez had recently lost his daughter, leaving her two children in his care. The money was meant to give the hard-working man a well-deserved retirement. Fatoumata Diaby challenges gender roles in Mali and helps the conflict-raddled country rebuild its economy at the same time. The 35-year-old–who is also a nurse, a restaurant owner, a wife and a mother of three–drives a motorbike taxi, an activity traditionally reserved for men: […] the time to consider oneself superior or inferior regarding a job is over. It is okay just to love what you do and fight for it because success comes as a result of effort. A massive power failure in September caused the almost complete collapse of basic services throughout the archipelago for three days. However, no looting or violence related to the blackout was reported. People who had access to power shared with friends, neighbors and even complete strangers. Every Monday, drawing aficionados across the former Yugoslavia visit Twitter profile @crtkamo, which means “We doodle” in the closely related languages of Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian. On that day, the account posts a doodle prompt, with topics ranging from dream house to Professor Snape from the Harry Potter series.