Throughout history, numerous, horrific genocides have been inflicted upon the human race. There was the Nazi persecution of Jews and the Rwandan Genocide, to name just a few. Every time, the majority of the world chose to turn a blind eye - don’t think about it. If you don’t think about it, then it isn’t happening. This is why the strong western powers are so reluctant to fight injustice - the majority of their people simply want to turn a blind eye. However, this mentality is changing. As poorly executed as the Iraq war is, it shows that Western nations are starting to fight injustice more. Although each individuals reasons can often be more personal, the fact is that they are thinking about it - whether they truly care about world peace or simply want to make a quick buck off the mentality of others. One of the lesser-known but still important conflicts going on right now is a genocide in Darfur. The reason I blog about it is injustice that the media and world are not expressing - they would much rather argue over the ethics of executing a single mass-murderer. In the face of these problems, we need to make a solution.
The world’s population is immense and continues to grow. Of those billions, some people create good and some people create bad. The rest just blindly follow those people or turn a blind eye to it - whether it be good or bad. Consider this, what if every single person made it their goal to (help) solve one problem each week. Make a list of the problems you could help with. It might be something huge like hunger or it might be something small like a messy desk. Whatever it is, just solve it. Even if it something minuscule, it is still one less problem in the world. Once we get the smaller problems out of the way, we will have a more harmonious atmosphere that where we can apply ourselves to fixing a bigger problem. Don’t worry - you’ll be getting help. This week, think of a problem in your life. Solve it and release the good energy into the atmosphere that is created by you solving that one problem. When 5,000 people solve a small problem in their life, that creates good energy which can then be applied to the larger problems. What problem will you solve?
Let’s not lose focus on why we are solving your own problems. When you solve that one problem of yours you release energy into the air which can be used to solve other problems. I’m not describing some spiritual energy that I wouldn’t believe in anyways. Solving that one problem will very likely make a difference. Let’s take a very simple example to illustrate this. Let’s say you have messy desk in your office. You work in a typical office job where people pass by every day. For this week, you clean up the desk - make it look nice and clean. This may not even make you any more productive but it will have a result. Next week, a colleague is passing by your desk and sees how nice clean it is. They get inspired to do the same because they don’t want to see you from IT keeping a better office then their sales department. That week, they clean up their desk. Over time, it spreads and the whole office is a cleaner, nice place to work in. The new intern catches on and cleans up their cubicle. As they are cleaning it up, they come across an opportunity for an overseas assistance position. They take it and find it to be a great fit for them. Soon, they help to build a new school for poor African students. One of the particularly bright students at the school learns about the principles of diplomacy. Then, when there is a village dispute among some of the students they solve it. The students parents see this is think - if our sons and daughters can get along, why can’t we get along with the next tribe. So they ask their children about these principles of diplomacy. They then apply this to the dispute they have with another tribe. Instead of fighting, the two tribes learn they actually have a lot in common and begin to trade together. This improves the quality of life for the villagers. It could go on and on… the villagers might go more prosperous and educated so they can better defend their rights. By simply cleaning your disk, you will have stopped a potential conflict and improved the life of many villagers.
Don’t worry about the world’s problems - worry about your problems and solve them. This will create greater goodwill in the universe and could help to solve some of the major conflicts like the genocide in Darfur. But this will only work if lots of people work on it. So, spread the word with all of the social media technologies you use. Let’s see this month’s top news be about real problems and their solutions - not Digg unveiling new features. Spread the word, solve a problem - save the world.
To paraphrase: “Western countries are beginning to change their policies and actions and are actually starting to fight injustice, even if it is for the wrong reasons at the start. The Global Mass Media (ie. The Old Media) does not represent or report any of the injustices correctly and thus, you blog. ”
While if everyone deals with their own problems the world would become as a whole a much better place, it’s also true that some people need the charity, help, and goodwill of others. I agree that instead of trying to fix your neighbor’s problems while you still have issues of your own, it should be, people solving their own problems while helping each other with the problems that cannot or should not be solved alone.
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Indeed, I too feel that we do need to help fix other peoples problems. The point I am trying to make is that you can’t fix other peoples conflicts if your own life is in conflict. Once you have removed the conflict in your own life and are living in harmony with yourself, then I strongly support helping others to achieve that level. It is better to give someone a goat next month than to give them some milk today.
I don’t think you have to be problem free in order to help others. Helping others gives you a deep feeling of accomplishment, and in it’s own way, helping others is also helping yourself. It is deeply satisfying.
I do agree with you though, that it will inspire others, even if it is just cleaning your work desk.
While I have my own problems, some huge and some small, I also have so much to be thankful for. I like to pay it forward, and hope that my generosity or my spirit of goodwill will inspire others to do so.
Perhaps that is true. It does work for some people. Really, what I am trying to say is that you should on solving problems - big or small. Many people would rather just look at all of the problems in the world and see them as so huge and immense that they cannot do anything to solve them - so they just turn their back and do nothing. Basically, it is important that people start solving problems - big or small - and remember that there are billions of people in the world to help.
Yea, that is true. The problems in the world are overwhelming sometimes. But everyone can do their small part on each of them. It’s really no trouble at all I’ve found. Like, turning lights off when you aren’t in the room, or the tv will save energy thus cutting down on CO2 emissions. Or buying locally grown food as opposed to pre-packaged and processed foods. Not only does that help with CO2 emissions, but it also supports the local economy. And blogging about Darfur or other issues is also a step in the right direction. These little things aren’t hard to do, and only take a few seconds, and they all help.