What is truly relevant to the youth of today? Where do they get adequate context upon which to base their future hopes and dreams?
We of earlier generations, were not as vulnerable, I feel, as our world never changed so quickly, and obsolescence never occurred within our lifetimes. Yet, as we look around now, it’s no wonder the modern generation has some distrust of us, because really, we’re not doing a great job in the areas that really matter.
If we are serious, we would probably say that health, education, security, poverty, energy, technology, employment and a sustainable environment, not necessarily in that order, are the issues that confront the world’s population in one respect or another, daily. Our, my, your generation are not doing a very good job of ‘taking care of business.’ So, let’s ask ourselves why, or why not?
Firstly, let’s look at poverty. Now India is one of the globe’s fastest developing nations, and the recent Davos World Economic Forum was told that 1 per cent of that country’s population currently owns in excess of 70 per cent of the nation’s wealth, which is staggering enough, but when you consider that 12 months earlier the figure was less than 60 per cent, the rise of affluence is astonishing, and this is in a country which still receives billions in foreign aid from around the globe every year, to ease the poverty that sees, according to Oxfam, 5 per cent of the population in poverty, earning less than $2 per day.
There is so much wrong with this picture. Now personally I don’t begrudge anyone their millions or billions, but where is the humanitarian concern, or the philanthropy that makes us better than what we could have been? And I don’t really want to be seen to be picking on India, because as a nation it has seen far too much trauma, conflict and tragedy for that kind of treatment to be deserved. I could just as easily be citing social media, news media or trading identities for their lack of genuine compassion or sensitivity.
Youth could also point to global security as a considerable failing, and the inability of the once respected United Nations to bring peace. One could be cynical and ask, “What has the UN General Assembly achieved for its $5.5 billion per year?” And maybe there should be a ‘user pays’ concept, instead of the current Gross National Income tariff calculation? I guess that would make Canada and Australia feel much better, as I don’t recall either being the scene of international conflict, yet they still pay between 2 per cent and 3 per cent of the UN budget each. The fact is that our world is no more settled, no safer, and no less conflicted than it has ever been, which must be incredibly galling to such a man of peace as Oman’s immaculate His Majesty Sultan Qaboos.
The conservation and environment questions that continue to confront us are a bit like the Brexit debate, in that, for every claim there appears to be a counter claim, and at the end of the day nothing gets done.
There are answers, but man seems to have this unique ability to offer a growing number of questions, and a lesser number of answers. I tend to lean towards the view that if we each do ‘the right thing,’ in terms of endangered species protection, littering, and recycling, we are at least headed in the right direction, and as my Dad always says, “small fish are sweet.”
If we each take personal responsibility for our own ‘personal’ environment, then that’s a start. And if everyone did the ‘right thing,’ this legacy we leave our kids, would be much less tarnished.
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