Changing the world for the better!
So often do we not get into a conversation with some workmates, friends, neighbours or even acquaintances and talk about a host of issues like the economic conditions of a country, the employment situations, the law and order issues, the health service or about the conflicts that are taking place all over the world. It so appears that we are all aware of the dire situations many of the countries are in and considered deeper, we may even come to a conclusion that the world is in a mess. We may also feel that nothing can be done by us and agree that the world cannot be changed for the better. How extraordinary is it, that suddenly we all become so knowledgeable and prophetic? And gradually we all depart the scene, feeling reassured that we had a good chat and the conclusion we reached is simple – ‘people like us cannot change the world, it is only the people in power that could do something, if at all’. Such conversations happen every day - somewhere, with somebody!
What is usually missed in such a conversation is the historical account of the world in which we live. We tend to forget what the past was. What did our parents or grandparents have - the kinds of facilities such as the supply of food; medical care; schooling; transportation systems or communication systems they had? Furthermore, what kinds of roads, houses, bathing facilities, lighting, heating and security modes were available to them and what do we have now? The answers will simply confirm that a vast majority of the human population is very fortunate to live through the late twentieth and early twenty first century.
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" The world is our home. We need to think of the wider world, before we make any major decision in any part of the world, so that our successes in one place do not cause failures to others in another place. The issues like the climate change, landslide, constructing nuclear power plants, dams on rivers, waging wars, international drug trafficking, people trafficking and many other such activities have exposed the weakness of our mindset on these issues "
When we think deeply about our past, do we not feel today that we are so much better off than our predecessors, a couple of generations past, could ever imagine? Is it also not true that for their laying the foundations of it in the past, we have been able to build on it, to come to this reasonably advanced state of standard of living, we have?
Here we can surmise that we can change the world and make it better for all of us. But why is it not happening that way? There are reasons! Leaving aside the poorer nations of the world, why indeed many of the so-called affluent nations cannot feed their populations properly? Why should they have soup kitchens; people sleeping rough on the streets; lack good medical care; not have enough good schools; students have to protest against high tuition fees; have overloaded and unsafe transport systems; be unable to maintain decent law and order with increased crime rates and a lot worse? In the meantime, sales of luxury cars; luxury holidays; top luxury fashion items in abundance, hit all-time records and the huge attendance in the sports grounds, fill the stadiums. Is it a mismanagement of money or why a section of people are so indifferent to the urgent needs of another section of people? Haven’t the things gone too badly?
While individuals rectifying themselves in all habits, manners and actions can certainly help human society to a measurable extent; the poor attitudes, values, manners and actions by people in power - in politics, governments, businesses, industries, institutions, organisations or services account for the highest level of irregularities. This leads to financial crisis and economic failures affecting employment issues, healthcare management, educational opportunities and others, thus causing unbearable deprivation of amenities and opportunities, precipitating serious disharmony. The eruption of internal disorders and conflicts with other nations is witnessed on a global scale. These are all due to our having the wrong mindset as to how we fulfil our responsibilities in the modern world. Finally it is a matter of having the right people in the right places and a partnership between the citizens and the political arms of nations that decides the well being of a nation. Our active participation in the correct manner will hasten the pace of changing the world for the better. It is up to each of us to take part in whatever humble way we can.
It is as simple as that!