Individual Actions vs. Fate of the Wider World Part II

For my last blog I got a very interesting comment:

“It is very well served to make motivational statements…..Equally clichéd are statements like someone has to begin somewhere- the fact is that little concrete is ever achieved.”

This is so very true. He/She was referring to my essay and I fear that sometimes I end up talking like our seasoned politicians! 

We often come across inspirational stories and examples about how some people are dedicating their life to change the world around them. We too get motivated by this and resolve to make a positive change in this world. After watching a war movie you feel very patriotic, isn’t it?

However, as we all know, this zeal is short lived! Once we move on to the next movie or next party or the next day, we tend to get busy with our own schedules. We simply don’t have the time to get involved with a social campaign or volunteer in some social organization. Of course, there are exceptions and we admire them, but the majority of us simply can’t motivate ourselves to take up their causes.

I feel we need not carry out philanthropic activities to change the world. An economist will serve the world better if he is able to suggest effective policies. I feel as a first step, youth should choose the job they would be most happy doing, avoiding societal impositions. Then we need to be creative and innovative in our respective professions.  If we are innovative, we can link our work to address social issues. In doing so, I believe the results will be much better, as this will ensure we get 100% participation, and not just a fraction as we do now.

From our entrepreneurship workshops, we came up with so many business ideas that can address both pollution and poverty in developing countries. For example, a fashion designer can promote eco-friendly textiles and use of organic dyes through his/her work. Movies, books and music have also been instrumental in helping a lot of causes. Insurance/banking companies can ensure their clients follow strict environmental practices – after all, the impacts of climate change, such as frequent hurricanes, affect their balance sheets too, when widespread damage has been done.

So let’s try to use this platform to share with each other what we want to do and how we can link it up with serious social issues. This will help all of us see a new dimension to the various professions. If you are unable to make the link –no problem, I am sure together we will be successful in doing so.