World Change

Are we the revolution? 

Should we not all want to do something that is outside of our comfort zone that really makes a substantial difference on a wider scale, in a country outside of our immediate locality?  It would give us the opportunity to communicate with people from different cultures, gain their trust and a deeper insight into how their lives and communities are supported and affected by social and economic policies by local governments.  Throwing money at a problem is not the solution.  It is about working with local people to discuss the problems that affect them directly and find sustainable routes which will help them improve life chances, and this is far more effective than distanced monetary aid. 

It seems evident that working with people from a different social lifestyle and background would allow us to give back and really make a difference to the world, perhaps not on a global scale, but the world of those whom we encounter.  It appears to me that the glitter of consumerism has produced powerful images that have served to silence and banish those who are forced to live in a different reality in such a class-divided society.  Those that stand up and refuse to accept or comply with the system get smashed down time and again, which makes trying feel so futile that most don't, thus making positive change even harder.  Individually it is painful to confront reality, but collectively change is possible.  Gradual social change followed by the violent overthrow of capitalism is the most realistic way to achieve greater equality.  We need to develop explanations for society that will lead to practical strategies for reducing inequalities in the here and now, whilst waiting for a revolutionary uprising and a socialist utopia to abolish it. 

Moreover, the abuse of human rights across the world is an issue which is not discussed rigorously in mainstream media because there appears to be a general assumption that these rights are upheld, when in reality they are often ignored in countries where people are unaware of their rights enshrined within law. This is something that needs to change in order to bring about positive lasting benefits for as many individuals and communities as possible.  Unfortunately, due to the political messes worldwide, human rights and socio-political and economic change have become unspeakable things in various cultures.  This relates to how our most personal and intimate things are the most political; they impact on our lives in every way and keep us submissive, unable to question the status quo and create worldly change. 

We need more people whom are capable of confronting and challenging the morality of our fragmented society because, when we pry beneath the surface, we quickly realise that everything we have been socialised into is an ideal, and that very few people can live up to the unrealistic standards of society's institutions.  We need to question why society coheres with the way institutions have developed, changing society for better or worse (more often than not, worse).