| By shakir,
on 21-09-2004 07:01
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"The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious."
John Scully
One of the basic tenets of human nature is to dream, to visualize and to fascinate about the future. The “future” may vary from being a day or week away to months or years away. Where “vision” is concerned, a website very aptly conceptualized the term as “the ability to see beyond the probable, by envisioning the possible; a state of affairs that you desire to bring about and believe in.” This tendency of humans to visualize improvements in the contemporary world is what contributes to progress. My vision for the future is categorized into how I would like to see the world progress politically, economically and culturally.
Where the political sphere is concerned, my vision for the future is a world where countries respect each other’s sovereignty. They recognize each other as a distinct entity, irrespective of how strong or weak militarily they may be; where the concept of “might is right” ceases to exist as a reality; where the superpowers look upon the era of colonialism as a bitter experience of their forefathers and not as an inspirational chapter of history; where the concept of “illegal occupation” is totally alien; where there is no need for any country or group to hoard weapons of any kind and use them against any other group/country which it feels is curbing its basic rights; where the intrinsic human right of freedom is enjoyed by everyone irrespective of nationality; and where people from different religions are bonded by a common sense of commitment to their beliefs.
Where the economic sphere is concerned, my vision for the future is a world in which the benefits of globalization accrue both to the developing and developed countries, but not at each other’s expense. I envisage a world where the developed countries open up their own markets instead of adopting protectionist policies against the goods in which the developing countries have a comparative advantage, a world where double standards cease to be promoted by the developed countries by forcing the developing countries to open up their markets for the imports of manufactured goods from abroad. I imagine a world where resentment ceases to be promoted as a result of the augmenting debt of the developing countries and the resultant dictation of tight fiscal and monetary policies by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Rather, I would like to see countries promoting a culture of self-sufficiency, dignity of labour and making a living off menial jobs; where the labour is hardworking and productive, where is no government red tape or culpable bureaucracy and where there is a general acceptance of the system of meritocracy. Hence, there will be no need for the countries to accumulate debts, which almost never find their way into genuine development projects. On the national level, I dream of a world where a nation fully exploits its resources, upgrades its educational system and introduces the appropriate reforms, implements a proper science and technology policy and simultaneously creates job opportunities, which utilize the skills of the labour fully, and thus the concept of “brain drain” ceases to exist. I also see in my minds eye every nation implementing a welfare state policy where poverty’s root causes are addressed, where the well-off feel a sense of responsibility towards the less privileged, where there is a sense of charity imbued in the minds of the elite, where materialism ceases to be the goal of the rich and the poor alike, thus removing the need for petty crimes.
Going on to the cultural sphere of life, my vision for the future is a world where tolerance is a core value in every culture irrespective of nationality; where people of every race and ethnicity are given equal rights without any discrimination; where the best teachings of every religion are followed; where multi ethnic communities can live side by side without fear of persecution and threats to their life and property; where the right values are imbued as a result of both formal and informal means of socialization; and where ethnocentricism ceases to exist. My vision includes a society where the general norms are accepted by all the main social groups unanimously, and those norms result from consensus rather coercion or imposition by powerful groups in the society; where people have the intellect to make conscious and informed choices rather than being a passive victim of the media and advertising, and allowing the upper class values to infiltrate their ideological framework; a society which does not have to suffer from lack of progress because its members are xenocentric.
This is the world scenario which I would like to see, hear of and think about 20 years from now. This is the world that I await with each step I take towards the future. This vision of a utopian society, if felt collectively, can make a significant difference as people all work to achieve it as a goal. Given the present world situation, this utopian world may seem unrealistic. But when the people who have the power and are part of international organizations that can organize mass awareness movements, share a vision for a peaceful and tolerant society and the world at large, they can make a real difference. When the values of peace and tolerance are imbued in all stages of socialization, through all the agents of socialization, every individual who steps in this world realizes his/her potential to make a difference. It is only when a vision is realized as a goal, can it be brought about as a normative way of life for the future generations.
Men with sight see things as they are. Men with insight see things as they could be. Joseph P. Martino
Last update : 21-09-2004 07:01
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