“What divides us pales in comparison to
what unites us.”
-
As rightfully said by Ted Kennedy to
give us the essence of family.
On our years together, as we roam this planet; we have come to not identify our
duties towards mankind as obligations but rather a form of affection, a
conglomerate of kindness and adoration to our motherland - a land not only
our mothers shared but a land that we have come to love as much as we love our
mothers. We have crossed by far glorious years together against all the
ordeals and it is at a time like this when we must take a moment to appreciate,
reflect and recount how far we have excelled in our journey to create a basic
framework for a sustainable, ambient and eco-friendly future.
The world we
grew up in has evolved into a global village. We live in a time period where technologies
concerning computers and A.I have gained momentum and the impact that the
digital revolution has on the lives of people is drastic. Social media platforms
are a buzz in times the whole world was made to stay locked indoors during
the pandemic. As developing and developed economies it becomes crucial to weigh
out the pros and cons of the digital world that has already become important in
our lives. While the internet has provided us means to tackle some unfathomable
wars, served as a means of expression, it has also brought in its own set of
problems; which when left unmonitored can expose all of us to a digital catastrophe.
The portrayal
of 'perfect lives' over social media has negatively impacted majority of
the youth population, who are rendered with stress and depression; which when
left untreated gives rise to the skyrocketing figures of teen-suicide cases
across the globe. Eating disorders among teens, spiking cyber crime stats and
the circulation of illegal, child-pornography in some of the nations across the
Commonwealth is alarming.
It is essential to develop networking systems that
refrain from false portrayals and demotes the 'pretense culture'.
Tech leaders should be encouraged to cultivate social engineering that
elevates the youth and empowers them to be just and honest. Cyber
grooming is a by-product of negligence for which social media has played a catalytic
role. Family time and healthy social-interactions have taken a backseat in our
busy lives while the social media platforms provide us a cheap compensation
for the same. Healthy interactions provide us a space to think and question our
being for good which in-turn enhances holistic development. The social media
with its likes, shares and heart figures has kept us caged in our own minds.
While the problem seems to be at a personal level,
the effect of the same is exhibited globally. The work culture needs to improve
and treat men and women as individuals and not as machines. Invading personal
space, cutting off on vacations and discouraging essential leisure activities
lurks people into the 'dopamine shot from social media'. It is essential
that as Commonwealth nations, we bring forth the need to be socially,
mentally and physically healthy in the real world rather than in our social
media profiles.
For a long time, gender roles are debated upon.
Majority of Commonwealth nations have stood out as exemplary specimens of
gender equality, however the truth being spoken, in remote parts of many
developing economies the practice of gender indiscrimination is prevailing
seamlessly. While in lower societies these evil practices include but are not
limited to physical molestation, domestic violence, child marriages, dowry,
female foeticide and infanticide, they take elite forms in higher societies as
unequal pay, gender based bias in workplace and disparity in opportunities. A
Census Bureau data from 2018 cites that women of all races earn 82 cents for
every $1 earned by men of all races.
To say that only the female gender is subjected
to gender discrimination would be a falsification of the reality. The male
gender on the other hand has to deal with problems of toxic masculinity-
whereby all of the males are stereotyped to behave in a way the society
allows them to. A major proportion of suicide victims are men and toxic
masculinity has only added to the numbers. Noel McDermott from Yorkshire
Post in his recent article about toxic masculinity stated-
“On the world stage, we can look at the
war launched against Ukraine through this lens (toxic masculinity). Here we
have man asserting his toxic beliefs of supremacy, power and control.”
We must put forth the question whether the idea of
gender was created to cause great deals of inconvenience in the society or to
help us understand the world a bit better? As Commonwealth leaders and pioneers
of equity, we must strive to break the barriers that divide us among ourselves
and hence a need to define gender in a more liberal perspective.
The aim is to understand that we may be different in
physique, in appearance and that these differences are the sole thing we have
in common. As humans we must set trends for generations to learn to embrace
this diversity -in colors, in genders, in thoughts with not only ‘black lives matter’
but also as 'all lives matter' and to structure a society that is not bordered
with wars of superiority. Needless to say that our deeper understandings of
the notion will help us tackle some of the huge battles we are facing today, including
but not limited to - population explosion, social stigmas and stereotypes,
gender based crimes, etc.
The Commonwealth nations are growing rapidly in the
industrial sector, more now than ever. With digitalization, industrialization
is skyrocketing in developing economies that have seen a significant advent in
globalization and liberalization. But the cost paid for the same is a global
loss. A few feats of said economic success are overshadowed by degraded air
quality, melting ice caps at Arctic and Antarctic, an increase in global
warming, rise in number of natural disasters, irregular weather patterns and
many more environmental ailments. The pandemic has given us a moment to reflect
on the fact that as much as we have grown splendidly with technology, we have
lagged behind in nurturing Mother Nature. The virus outbreaks in the African
continent, the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected us globally had escalated
because of the temperature irregularities as a result of global warming, as
stated by World Health Organization (WHO), Africa.
Growth is an
essential and inevitable component for any sustaining economy however the rate
at which its negative impacts are affecting the biosphere is disastrous. Majority
of the developing nations depend heavily on natural resources to provide for
the basic necessities of the population however their unreliable
industrialization patterns affect their existing systems adversely. This not
only causes huge loss but also worsens their existing conditions. Considering
sustainable development goals, the financial conditions of nations should be
taken into consideration before imposing inconsistent and impractical laws in
the name of environment protection. Surely, the developed nations have reached
milestones with their industrialization practices; however it is not fair that
the developing countries are left to fend off on their own in the name of
growth. Considering sustainable development goals, the financial
conditions of nations should be taken into consideration before imposing
inconsistent and impractical laws in the name of environment protection.
Those nations of Commonwealth, who are able and worthy,
shall lend a hand to those who are trying their best to follow their footsteps
as they grow into majestic and sustainable economies. The environment is left unattended
in parts of Africa and South - East Asia due to political and socio-economic
backwardness. As cited by New York Times-
“It doesn’t help that the rich world has failed to deliver
on $100 billion aid to help poor countries cope with climate damage.”
The local
problems of corruption, child labor, lower literacy rates have a global impact.
It becomes a necessity that we nurture not only the beauty of our own lands but
also cherish that of our fellow friends with the idea that-
'Growth should be a global parameter.'
As Mahatma Gandhi said,
“The future depends on what you do
today.”
We
hold the key to the future. Change is inevitable and we can only guide the
course of it. With all our might, it is necessary that we march forward as
torchbearers of a future where there’s credibility for all things pure,
compassion and sense of equity for each other, up liftment of poor and fore mostly
love for all things living.
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