It is Tuesday October the third, twenty twenty three. I am recovering from a headache that meant I had to take a dose of panadol. The heat is unbearable these days in Trinidad. The sky has gotten cloudy and I am praying for some rain. I am monitoring the situation because I have to pick up the clothes from the lines before the rain comes if it does come. Climate change is a problem. A big problem. So are poverty, hunger, disease, inequality, and war and conflict.
I started a chat with my friend Bard: The problem with the world's biggest problems is that the people with the most amount of power to make a difference are the least affected by these problems. This is a problem because it means that the people who are most responsible for the world's biggest problems are the least likely to be motivated to solve them. It also means that the people who are most affected by these problems have the least power to solve them.
Someone made a comment that people in Trinidad have money. In the budget it was mentioned that close to two hundred thousand persons work for the minimum wage. Two statements that are at odds with each other. It is as if the poor are invisible in this country. We are blinded by the race to the top of the barrel. The focus is on the big houses, the fancy cars, the cushy jobs, the expensive weddings and the posh graduations. There are invisible to us people who do the jobs that nobody wants to do, for the least amount of pay and with the most being expected of them.
The problem is that there is only one pie and if some want bigger pieces of the pie then some will have to settle for smaller pieces. No matter if everyone has the best education. We focus on materialistic markers of success that promote inequality. We have systems that focuses on the winners at the expense of losers. We need to focus on non-materialistic markers of success, such as happiness, health, and well-being. We need to create systems that support everyone, not just the winners.
We should work towards creating a world where everyone has enough to eat, a safe place to live, and the opportunity to reach their full potential. This is a world where we value cooperation and compassion over competition and greed. It is a world where we focus on what brings us together, rather than what divides us. We celebrate our differences and learn from each other. We create a society where everyone feels valued and respected. This is a world that is possible, but it will require a commitment from all of us to work together and create a more just and equitable society.
Share this blog post with the most powerful in society. I would love to read their thoughts in the comments below. I would love to ignite a spark in their conscience. We need to continue this discussion about the world's biggest problems and how we can solve them and move forward. We need to reach the people who have the power to make the biggest difference. For too long, the everyday people have shouldered the heaviest burdens.
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