The one thing the world needs now

Posed with the question “What is the one thing you think the world needs most right now”, it took a while to come up with a definite answer.

I believe the world needs many things. We live in a world where global warming, over population, war, poverty, AIDS and crime are just a few of our problems.

My first belief is that the everyday citizen is not presented with the right information to make an informed decision. We are often presented with a skewed version of the truth, bombarded with entertainment.

A war in Libya is not only relevant to Libyans as it affects all of us. Poverty and famine in Somalia stretch further than the thousands of kids who are starving. Floods in Australia and floods in Japan are one of the many indications that preserving our earth is something we should all lend a hand to.

However, bigger than our global warming problem, I believe that our moral standards as a society are deteriorating at a faster pace. I am of the opinion that the one thing the world needs right now is to re-evaluate the value we have placed not only on life, but the quality of life and our understanding of what life is.

I live in a world where close to a quarter of its population tips the scales, as they hurriedly shovel down buckets of processed foods. While another percentage of its population sit clutching their empty bellies unable to go to sleep, as they pray to every known god for a taste of food.

I live in a society where the wealthy are constantly afforded the opportunity to look down on the poor, often paying them close to nothing as they climb higher up their mountain of riches, forgetting that these very people are the workforce behind their success. Communities where husbands beat their wives, women are raped by their bosses, and children are sold for less than the price of a full tank of petrol.

This world, though filled with many evils and unfair truths, still cradles hope.

First and foremost, we must realise that we are all human. Though we serve different gods, have different cultural beliefs, blessed with different skin tones, and are raised under different climates, we are human. As hip-hop artist Lil Wayne says, “We are in the same picture, we just all have different poses”.

We need a deeper understanding of who we are, and how we have evolved. While we were once living worlds apart we are now virtual neighbours with people anywhere across the globe, through the evolution of our technology and communication.

The key to our development and solving of our problems is that we communicate any information we may find with each other. Knowledge belongs to those who seek it, and the law of abundance tells us that there is a surplus of every good and wonderful thing or experience.

No man is an island, we should all help establish a better quality of life. - Independent Newspapers Cadet School