We do want to make a difference in this world, but are truly clueless about how to go about it.
Catastrophes and calamities rule the news across the length and breadth of the globe. It is high time that we think about saving our planet rather than just trying to change the world. It is our duty to make this world a safer, healthier, as well as more just place for us and future generations to live and prosper.
Amidst our personal struggles and difficulties, it is indeed a monumental task to reach out to the world in need and offer help. Like most of us, we are clueless as to where to begin. It is also difficult to differentiate, prioritize, and make that one decision about which challenge needs immediate attention.
The most important question is, can one person really make that difference? At times, it’s stressful and confusing.
As members of the vast Indian Diaspora spread across the globe, you have the power, both political and personal. All you need is willpower!
Lend your voice and time to community-led projects, campaign for equal opportunities, support progressive businesses that are environmentally conscientious, and vote for politicians who are actively working to make the world a more equitable and cleaner place. Act when you can. Let us all, as a community, help each other in doing so.
Some pointers are as follows:
Gender equality
We have always identified the issues faced by the female gender, but it is high time now that we include the third gender as well. Weaker sections continue to face societal, economic, physical, and survival challenges.
Women across the globe, on an average, still earn much less than men. They are still abused sexually and physically, which leads to trauma and severe mental disorders, along with sexually transmitted diseases. They are mostly treated as property and not as fellow human beings.
The hunger crisis and water scarcity
The world produces enough food for all of us to be fed well, yet millions of us go hungry and suffer from various deficiencies. According to current estimates, 957 million people in 93 countries do not have adequate food to eat.
The real issue is not a lack of food, but a lack of access to food. Some of the reasons can be as follows:
- Not enough money to buy food
- Can’t grow or produce their own food
- Displacement
- Political uncertainty, policies and crisis
- War
It is almost the same with water as well. There is enough fresh water on this planet for all of us. The issue again is access to that water.
The reasons are almost the same as above, and a few are as follows:
- Displacement
- Conflicts
- willing to share
- Poor infrastructure
- Political uncertainty, policies and crisis.
- Social evils
All these also mean that many people therefore use unsafe water, which leads to huge sanitation and health risk. A large number of people still do not have access to adequate toilet facilities.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine complicated matters even more. Sanctions against Russia, one of the world’s largest suppliers of fossil fuels, have skyrocketed energy prices even further, causing food prices to inflate, making it even more difficult for those who are already struggling to buy food. Ukraine is a major exporter of grain. It had to shut down production because of the war. The majority of these exports went to countries already experiencing food shortages. Russia and Ukraine are also the world’s leading fertiliser exporters. Because of the war’s impact on supply, farmers’ prices have risen, resulting in higher food costs.
The climate crisis
A crisis which needs our utmost urgent attention. A toxic combination of dependence on fossil fuels and unsustainable industrial practices has resulted in extraordinarily severe weather conditions that threaten to disrupt terrestrial and marine ecosystems as well as our access to basic resources such as food and water.
The majority of the world’s recent natural disasters, including super storms, catastrophic floods, and out-of-control fires, as well as some of the warmest and coldest seasons on record, have been caused by man-made, fossil-fuel-induced global warming.
Major global health issues
The ongoing COVID-19 epidemic has exacerbated the food and water crises, causing food and fuel costs to skyrocket as a result of supply chain challenges, faltering economies, and an energy crisis caused by forced lockdowns and blocked borders.
Despite the fact that we now have access to effective vaccines and treatment is better known, more than six million people have died, and the virus continues to endanger vulnerable populations around the world, particularly in countries where access to healthcare is limited. There have also been major socioeconomic side effects that will continue to contribute to health difficulties, especially mental health issues, for a long period.
The global healthcare community’s attention has switched to non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. All of these health issues remain a concern in nations with little healthcare resources.
Children’s health and education
Education and child health are inextricably linked. Malnutrition causes children to be hungry, unable to concentrate, and thus unable to learn, putting them at danger of acquiring permanent learning disabilities. Children who go hungry on a regular basis can incur physiological harm known as stunting.
Even when children attend school, the quality of their education may be inadequate, or their educational ability and resources may be limited. This implies they may exit school lacking the necessary skills.
We need to understand that all these issues are connected and interlinked.
Climate change is destroying ecosystems all around the world, depleting our oceans, displacing millions of people, and contaminating water and food sources. This has a substantial effect on traditionally neglected groups as well as vulnerable populations such as women and children.
This has an impact on world health because it forces both animals and humans into new surroundings, exposing them to new potential infections that can cross species barriers. Scientists agree that the advent of another virus is almost unavoidable, particularly in regions with inadequate access to healthcare services.
We’ve witnessed the devastation that a worldwide pandemic may cause. COVID-19 has wrecked the global economy, caused an energy crisis that has increased our reliance on fossil fuels, worsened the climate problem, and forced food price increases that will affect billions of people who are already hungry around the world. Not to mention the disruptions in education and other services, as well as the harm done to children, women, and other vulnerable populations.
What can we, as a community, do?
- Empower women.
- equal access to fundamental rights such as food, healthcare, and education.
- End biodiversity and species loss while maintaining ecosystems that help to stabilise the earth’s climate and offer sustainable food and water resources
- Finding sustainable ways to support our communities that may reduce our dependence on fossil fuel energy and global food markets while also providing access to sustainable food and water supplies.
What can you and I do?
- Work to ensure that children all across the world have access to education and public health.
- Collaborate with the local community to ensure access to renewable resources and environmental education.
- Initiate or join women’s empowerment projects that can provide resources to support economic and social equality.
- health and wellness in communities all over the world.
- Make a significant contribution to animal and marine conservation.
It is up to you to identify the cause. What are you most enthusiastic about? Where can your skills be much more useful and fulfilling?
We at WFY and Indian Diaspora Global are looking forward to collaborating with you. Come join us.
Let’s make this world a better place for us to live in!
