Making the World a Better Place
Previously published on May 12, 2010
Whether someone earns a million dollars a day or a single dollar a week, he or she can make a difference in the world. This principle has silently resonated throughout the International Community since the United States began leading the globe toward universal human rights and civil liberties. The Peoples of the world face a growing number of challenges, including resource shortages, political conflicts, and natural disasters, but rather than march toward crisis, the human race has so far chosen to embrace cooperation and uplift the most downtrodden individuals, thus utilizing the talents of people from all regions is the key to changing the world.
At times, it is easy for people to forget cooperation is a valuable tool and focus on individual gain as selfishness is part of our survival instinct. Only when people are able to move beyond their own interests can society benefit from the efforts and ideas of all individuals. In the financial sector, for example, the drive to secure personal gains initially helped people find homes and get credit, but the cost of these benefits eventually caused more damage. When home prices collapsed, people found they could not afford their debt while the ensuing global recession destroyed wealth and incomes around the world.
Furthermore, building institutes of change benefits everyone so long as that change is healthy and sustainable. Once again, capitalist markets can offer potent opportunities for substantial growth in key areas, such as green industry and poor communities, thus economic expansion can actually help build a stable global community by uplifting the neglected and addressing serious, very real problems like climate change. In fact, since the US economy, which is also the world's largest economy, is driven by consumer spending and small businesses, it shows individuals and communities around the world can significantly change the world.
Of course, the only way of making healthy contributions to the world is for people to be knowledgeable and comprehend the complex issues the global community is facing. From listening to fellow citizens to pursuing a formal education, learning is the only way to make the choices that will advance the quality change we need. Learning how to learn gets individuals the tools they need to acquire accurate data and interpret information into meaningful and actionable knowledge. All people, regardless of their backgrounds, can positively contribute to debates, which determine what change that will be embraced, if they are willing to learn.
Through cooperation, the creation of institutes capable of empowering even the most oppressed people, and enabling participation in world politics through the spread of information, the world can be made into a better place. On the other hand, this transformation is only possible if people decide they want the world to be improved. Frankly, action from individuals to the highest levels of all governments and businesses is essential. Moreover, if our civilization is to address the many issues the world faces, harnessing the skills, knowledge, and ideas of everyone around the globe will be necessary.