This article honors the importance of community and global engagement.
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Introduction
Humankind has failed to respectfully live in peace and harmony with each other. And the failure has been miserable. Humans have also failed to be good stewards of planet earth. We must work to engage with each other and our planet more effectively.
Having conversations about differences and environmental global challenges has not been enough to ignite change.
As global citizens, we must work together to solve all the problems that have overtaken us before we can begin to make plans to inhabit the outer reaches of our universe.
Earthly Issues to Resolve
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As members of the human race, multiple obstacles continue to consume us. While some complications have been pushed to the forefront of our lengthy list of struggles, others have remained in existence for centuries.
These eight things continue to breed strife throughout our planet.
1. Injustice and Inequality
The fight for justice and equality marches on for many people groups. Struggles with the powerful and the privileged continue to prevail against the powerless, suppressed, and oppressed. Humanity must not stop fighting to eradicate implicit and explicit racism, discrimination, bias, stereotyping, prejudice, and other forms of hatred against diverse members of the human race.
2. Conflict
Some people exist to perpetuate hostility and to cultivate strife. These resistors battle the status quo and display selfishness as well as egotism by fighting against others without regard for peace and unity. They place their sense of entitlement above what is in the best interests of others. The goal of these rivals is to exclusively get what they want at any cost.
3. Pollution
Human beings have failed to honor and protect our earth by desecrating it with garbage, filth, waste. and poison. Our water, rivers and oceans, air, and land have been abused and filled with toxins by the hands of people. Even though advocates have campaigned to keep our earth pure from hazardous waste, chemicals, and other harmful substances for decades, individuals have failed to remain good stewards of our world.
4. Global Warming
Many people, businesses, industries, and politicians continue to ignore what scientists have been reporting about climate change. According to scientific researchers, humans have altered the surface of the earth and have caused vegetation and animals to become out of balance. Global warming has become the ultimate consequence. Humanity needs to follow the scientific recommendations for preventing the resulting climate change. Some of these popular guidelines include driving less, recycling, using less hot water, and preventing deforestation as well as planting more trees.
5. Education
Many schools and systems of education have been in trouble for an extremely long time. The achievement gap, poor student performance, inadequate and inequitable funding, teacher preparation and shortages, and outdated educational facilities and resources are among some of the problems that have historically plagued the process of education in many regions. The pandemic has intensified all of these problems and created more.
6. Spirituality
Unconditional goodness, integrity, forgiveness, honesty, and kindness are among the virtues that must be valued by humanity. These moral, ethical, and spiritual qualities must reside in the hearts of humankind for them to manifest and reverberate to others. These traits are often an extension of one’s communion with God, Jesus Christ, and their specific religion as well as living in harmony with nature.
7. Honoring Children and Elderly
There tends failure to preserve and protect the innocence of youth and to honor the wisdom of the more mature members of our society within some sectors of the world. The youngest and oldest among us must be held in the highest esteem. The growth of our future depends upon the vitality of youth and the legacy of the aged.
8. Political Discord
People from opposite ends of the political spectrum are so polarized that they refuse to compromise with each other. The failure to work together for the good of the people they serve continues to breed hatred, animosity, discord, tension, distrust, and hostility. Humanity models the atrocious characteristics many offending political leaders perpetuate.
Next Steps
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We must establish a resolve to do more than ponder and discuss these issues. Instead, we must embrace strategies to take action.
Here are the five steps to getting this done.
- Leading experts in the field of science, medicine, technology, social sciences, and education must be respected unconditionally.
- So many people promote and are willing to actively participate in conversations. However, these conversations are not enough to bring about the change that is needed. Actions plans must be developed and adhered to with fidelity so that behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes will change.
- These credible leaders must lead with vision and integrity. They must remain committed to fulfilling action planning goals and initiatives by remaining mission-oriented.
- Leaders must secure followers who become critical members of their village. These partners must work together as a team by aligning sustainable resources and rallying others to support their goals.
- Compassion and empathy must remain the guiding principles that will release the required change that is desperately needed in our world.
The steps to achieving a higher level of global unity would be easy to resolve. Sadly, negative, unfocused human beings who do not want these problems to be solved selfishly prevent this from happening. They disrupt positive progress.
The same steps to solving our world problems must be applied to change the cold hearts of these disruptors.
My Final Thought Is the Conclusion
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There is so much on the horizon for humankind to embrace. The exploration of the unknown is one of those things. While the inquiry is a natural part of the human experience, resolving problems that denigrate our humanity must remain at the forefront.
I consider the notion of colonizing any planet or any region outside of the Earth’s atmosphere is wrong. I stand firm with my opinion because humans have not learned basic earthly principles that include respect for each other and the beautiful environment that we have been blessed with.
Positive energy and sentiments to encourage humankind to move forward in an honorable direction are found in the words of this beautiful song shown below.
Imagine
by John Lennon
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us, only sky
Imagine all the people
Livin’ for today
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
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Here is my golden ticket that helps me accomplish my mission.
Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired Teacher and School Administrator. Her website is www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and her YouTube Channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS1DPhBeA29UlybU9jzDkdQ.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: NASA on Unsplash
