We live in a time where the world is not doing so great. When I turn on the television or read the news to get my daily dose of updates of what is happening worldwide, all I see and hear is bad news happening around the world. I hardly ever hear something good nowadays. We are bombarded with the sorrowful news of terrorism, crimes and wars. The citizens of the modern world are challenged by so many aspects such as an uncertain economy, natural disasters caused by global warming, terrorism threats and so forth. It is evident that no one is safe in this world. In 2030 I will no longer be young, which is a fact of life. But then, if the current situation continues to exist, with dangers such as terrorism threats or even natural disasters just lurking around the corner, it may be a challenge to live a normal and peaceful life. It doesn’t have to be this way, humanity as a whole must change for the better beginning today.
What really worries me today is wars. I would like to see international cooperation to end wars worldwide that have been going on for ages with no sign of stopping. While terrorist groups continue to divide and conquer the middle east, everyday life is a struggle for citizens in the war-torn states. People are terrorised to even leave their homes to do their everyday things. People are stripped from their basic needs such as running water and electricity which makes life very difficult. It also brings political and economic instability in which the citizens face the worst. Rising conflicts may lead to another world war. With this advanced modern technology in warfare makes war today more destructive than previous wars. For whatever intentions it may be, war is not a solution. Human beings must stop wars from happening. There are many brilliant minds all over the world, imagine all the things we as a human race can achieve if wars come to an end. Poverty in those countries will be reduced as an effect of no wars because people are able to go back to their daily lives and work to rebuild their towns and cities. Young people can also go back to school and work hard for a brighter future. By 2030, I hope nations would have come to an understanding to stop wars.
When there are no more wars around, nations can focus on healthcare, science and technology which can improve the quality of life. Many lethal diseases are infecting people, especially in third world countries. For example, Ebola which has killed thousands of innocents lives in west Africa. Lives can be saved if all those budgets used on warfare can be spent on scientific research to solve problems that we face on planet earth like dangerous diseases such as Ebola, malaria or even cancer. Back in the late 1900s, space explorations have been at its peak, we managed to land on the moon even with limited technological resources. The focus was shifted to wars worldwide. If all those funds are used for research and developments purpose, we can discover many wondrous remedies and cures in years to come. Advancement in biotechnology will improve our quality of life in 15 years’ time. Inventions such as the smart pill can monitor heart rate and respiration and sent it to the computer. This can allow doctors to continuously monitor the patients for any abnormal patterns which could be a sign of disease. Smart contact lenses can help to monitor patients’ glucose level and detect any sign of diabetes and prevent it. Imagine the number of lives that can be saved. Some level of world peace must be obtained to bring these advancements to mankind, as war only slows down this progress. Hopefully, by 2030, Ebola, cancer or HIV will have vaccines to prevent them.
Similarly, I would like to see urgent global attention on climate change and find new ways to solve this serious matter. As the doomsday clock moves closer to midnight, we are in danger of wiping all species on earth to extinction. This is caused by ‘continued lack of global political action to address global climate change, the modernization of nuclear weapons and the problem of nuclear waste. The Doomsday Clock created by bulletin of Atomic Scientist represents a countdown to possible global catastrophe.’ (wikipedia.org) Because of this, we can feel the profound effects on climate change. Huge and prolonged floods in northern Malaysia and long and severe droughts California and just a few natural disasters which occur worldwide due to climate change. Hundreds and thousands of people have lost their homes or being displaced because of this unbearable and life-threatening conditions. The temperature of the earth steadily increases year after year with no sense of going down, we are slowly reaching the point of no return where we will be unable to reverse climate change thus risking lives on earth. Where there is a civilisation, there will be pollution. Although this cannot be avoided, we have to change our ways on how we view climate change and acknowledge that this is a matter of life and death. We have to take matters into our own hands. Small steps make a big difference to the environment like increasing the air conditioner temperature, change to energy efficient light bulbs, recycle cooking oil or even take shorter showers. People should also be more involved in environmental restoration and preservation initiatives like” Plant A Tree Today” to restore a place to its original state. This is a global problem which requires global solutions. I hope to see people starting now rather than tomorrow so that this situation will not be worst in 15 years’ time.
In addition, I would like to see more accessible and higher quality education among younger people especially. Education is a basic need of every human being alike food and water. Although over the years, more people are given the chance to go to schools to study, the number is still significantly lower in poverty-prone countries. There are still many people who cannot afford to study because of the high costs. One way to solve this is to provide free education, some countries have already implemented this but it’s still not yet widespread among other countries. With better education, people have a much brighter future before them. The educational institute should also embrace technology to give better quality and more effective delivery to students. With the internet, people are just a tap away from information. Nowadays online classrooms such as Khan Academy which provide free lessons, are becoming the thing. This allows people from all around the world, young or old to learn. Teachers from any part of the world can teach children in any part of the world as long as there is internet access.
In 2030 I will no longer be young, and these are some of the changes I would like to see in the world. In 15 years’ time, I certainly do not want to wake up with updates on an ongoing war or a huge earthquake that happened somewhere around the world. I hope to see the current and future generations “colour blind” where they do not judge people based on their race and skin colour. We should be recognised as the citizen of the world rather than just by outer appearances. Although we are currently facing many problems, we can take some baby steps in the right direction to fix the world that we currently live in. Everything in this world happens because of a reason, the current state of the world is because of our past doings. Most problems are caused by human ignorance and greed. If we don’t make an effort, who will? Mahatma Gandhi once said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” We, the youth have to change for the betterment of all as we are the future generation who are going to live here for decades to come. Let’s make the world a better place to live for us and the future generation.
This is my essay submission to the Royal Commonwealth Society, UK for The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Writing Competition 2015 (Original Title: In 2030 you will no longer be young. What changes would you like to see in the world in 15 years’ time?)
