Title
DARING ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE WORLD
The 21st century is characterized by rapid economic growth
and accelerated structural development. These changes have
greatly improved the living standards of many. For example,
many provinces in rural China now have access to electricity
and water. Nevertheless, they have also brought about a
series of critical complications that we must address immediately
to make the world a better place.
The twin forces of globalization and democratization have
fuelled economic expansion in the last century, giving poorer
countries renewed hope to survive and even thrive in the
new environment. Nevertheless, this prospect has not materialized
and the gulf between the rich and the poor continues to
widen at an unprecedented rate. While large corporations
have overtaken the state to become the most powerful institution
on this planet, it has become evident during the last decades
that the ‘invisible hand’ of our capitalist infrastructure
is faltering. The functionality of the ‘invisible hand’
hinges almost entirely on social responsibility, which has
all but evaporated in our relentless pursuit of material
gains. As such, economic liberalization has led to the unfortunate
exploitation of the poor and an increased concentration
of income and resources among the richest companies and
countries. According to the latest United Nations Human
Development Report, the world’s three wealthiest people
alone possess more assets than all the least developed countries
combined. Furthermore, about 1.3 billion people in the world
still struggle below the poverty line with less than US$1
a day, with many more just scrambling to secure a roof over
their heads.
Considering the sheer number of malnourished people languishing
in war-torn, famine-stricken countries in Africa, it would
be impossible for one person to resolve all of their social
and monetary woes. It would also be undesirable to wait
for developed countries to send economic aid or the United
Nations Development Project to actualize its objectives
as such schemes are often tedious and inefficient. Instead,
I propose that as a young and unemployed student living
in a developed city, I start small by supporting the less
fortunate in Singapore. Although I might be incapable of
contributing financially, I would be able to make a difference
by listening to their everyday troubles, and later sharing
them with the Government and other Non-Government Organizations
through dialogue and feedback sessions. This addresses a
pressing concern in society today – that the poor are
not sufficiently represented in politics and that their
weak cries of anguish are often overshadowed by demands
of the rich and powerful. Through regular and sincere conversations
with the poor, I am able to gain a thorough understanding
of their real needs and provide them with some much-needed
consolation that they are not entirely alone in this brutal
world. More importantly, Singapore also moves one step forward
in its principal direction towards a more caring and inclusive
society.
Another crisis which afflicts the world is environmental
degradation. Due to our persistent march towards finding
a low-cost solution for every problem, we have at times
forgotten about long-term environmental sustainability and
meekly submitted ourselves to economic rationalism. For
example, millions of hectares of the pristine Amazonian
rainforest have been cleared during the last century for
farming and mining, consequently disrupting the already
unstable ecological balance of nature. Although natural
resources form the foundation of all development processes,
and with a major environmental disaster looming in the foreseeable
future, it is indeed astounding that environment issues
are still taking the backseat in both national and international
affairs. The political agenda today is still being determined
by fierce industrial lobbyists who are more concerned with
the commercial viability of their company than possible
environmental effects. This has in turn resulted in the
failure of numerous environmental treaties, most significantly
the Kyoto Protocol which the United States and Australia
have not ratified.
Despite these regrettable developments on environmental
issues, I believe that environmental conservation should
start from the individual and not the state. This is because
the evolution of economic and political behaviour is fundamentally
dependent on the principles and beliefs of society. If enough
people prove to be passionate about conserving the environment
and are taking active steps to realize that objective, it
will only be a matter of time before companies and countries
rethink their priorities and practices. As such, besides
exercising more care in the usage of non-renewable resources,
it is important for me to defend and support my stand on
environmental degradation by shunning companies with bad
environmental track records and patronizing those which
are unwavering in their compliance with the 3‘R’s.
If time permits, I will also join a related non-governmental
organization such as Nature’s Society to further spread
the word on the importance of environmental conservation
and encourage my peers to do more for the environment. Only
with the collective effort of the community can the world
truly move away from its current obsession with short-term
economic benefits and embrace a new paradigm where the environment
comes first.
Resolving the two problems I have identified above is instrumental
to the advancement of humanity. When everyone breaks free
from the shackles of acute poverty, and when the long-term
sustainability of our planet is guaranteed, we can then
proudly proclaim that mankind has progressed. However, before
this lofty goal can be met, we must first put in the effort
and dedication in effecting the small changes that matter.
