Changes That I Would Want To See In The World

Who we are now is not who we were last year, last week, yesterday or even a minute before. Life never stands motionless, no matter what we do. Change is the very nature of being - our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, ideas, even our relationships are as changeable as rain and sunshine, or night and day. But as much as change is inevitable, it is not always welcome. It can upset our world and produce many conflicting feelings. However, it is in those very moments when everything looks hopeless that we have actual chance to grow into something better: what the caterpillar calls the end of the world, we call a butterfly. The secret of change is to emphasize all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Here are some vast changes that I would want to see by contributing in my best possible way.

Abolish caste based quotas

The reservation, today, is not just a perk for the deprived classes but it has been something that ruins the rights of the deserved people. Caste based reservations perpetuate the abominable system. Let us not be a nation of people hustling to be called backward. Let us instead use economic criteria to support education for those who can’t afford it, regardless of their caste. Merit should be the basis of education. Reservations based upon the economic strata and the change of the mindset are the key to the betterment of the nation.

Abolition of nuclear weapons

With the invention of nuclear arms, war as a nation’s sovereign right became an act that could lead directly to the annihilation of the human race. Because of that, humankind has no choice but to learn to transcend the framework of the state and master the shift in perceptions from “national” to “human” interests, from the sovereignty of the state to the sovereignty of humanity. The end of the Cold War has rendered the idea of nuclear deterrence meaningless, and I believe this is precisely the time we should pursue the total abolition of nuclear weaponry.

Globalization

While it cannot be denied that nationality or ethnicity is a prime point to which we turn in establishing our identity, there is little prospect that nationalism in itself will lead to the formation of a new global order. The primary mission of education should lie in teaching people not to be “tribe-conscious” but to be “human-conscious” in their thinking. In other words tribalism or nationalism, which remains in all of us at some subconscious level, must be cultivated and elevated – by means of education, philosophy and religion - to a more open and universal consciousness directed towards humanity as a whole. Without this fresh consciousness, a new world order will never materialise. In an increasingly internationalized world, it is no longer productive or meaningful merely to stress the tenacity of racial and national identity, or its uniqueness. To continue to do so would plunge the world into chaos.

This must be avoided at all cost. The building of a world community, a global civilization of justice, compassion and hope must begin by turning away from the “eat or be eaten” ethos of competition, and cultivating in its place a shared ethos of cooperation and interdependence – which is, in fact, closer to the original sense of the word “competition”. In this regard, I would like to propose the concept of shared or mutual value-creation as a behavioral norm for the new era. As we enter the new century, numerous problems demand our most crucial attention. We must have the vision to orient it in such a way as to contribute to the creation of a truly rich and diverse age – a global civilization.

Peace

Ways of resolving international problems and conflicts peacefully must be devised if we are successful to break with the culture of war. Too often in the past military intrusion has been considered the only way. Although we cannot afford to overlook problems that pose a major threat to the international community, we must always be extremely cautious in opting for military force as a solution. We must never lose sight of the fact that a 3rd millennium imbued with respect for the sanctity of life, free from nuclear arms and war, and rich with the rainbow hues of diversity, will only come into existence through the effort of empowered and responsible citizens who don’t wait for someone else to take the initiative.

Now that the 21st century is upon us, we must ask ourselves what kind of century we ultimately want it to be. Above all, we want it to be a century without war, in which people no longer take up arms against each other. To that end, we must begin to build a global cooperative system for peace. The greatest tragedy of 20th century has been the loss of human lives in war. Including civilians, it is estimated that 22 million people died in World War I and 60 million in World War II. One scholar called that era the “century of war dead”. This folly must not be repeated in the 3rd millennium.

In a world of growing interdependence among nations, it is no longer possible for any single country to flourish in isolation. We have no choice but to work together, searching for a road to peaceful coexistence and mutual prosperity. What is needed now is a “total revolution of symbiosis”, which can be achieved only through human revolution on a global scale.

I would like to conclude with the words “When we change, the world changes”. Our inner transformation is the key to all change – a change of our hearts and minds. This is human revolution. We all have the power to change. When we realize this fact, we can bring out that power anywhere, anytime and in any situation. Be the Change you want to see in the world. It all starts with one.