There are many charities set up, doing the job of helping the less fortunate and the vulnerable. They ask for help in the form of advertising and it must work or else they'd stop doing it. So this is one way of solving the world's problems, passing on some money to help. We seem to be going round in circles, though, and frankly, the issues of the world don't seem to have the amounts required to fix them. Government spending can unleash millions and even billions when needed, however, if an ocean needs cleaning up or a rainforest habitat needs preserving, the cash isn't around. We all sit around scratching our heads.
What we need is not just money and helping hands. Something deeper has to change in order to put a stop to the issues at their root. A key feature of education is the ability to do this. When we are aware of issues and the causes behind them, and we see the results, we know and want to do something. It's human nature. The sense of helplessness seems to overcome us all at times. What can we do, in our little bubble? Acceptance of ignorance is a first step, the next one is doing something. We can learn about the issues and the causes, look into solutions, and figure out how we can help.
Let's look at the rainforest. Farmers need land for their cattle and crops, they chop down the forest to get this. The land dries up and loses nutritional value within a few seasons and the next piece of forest is removed. Do this repeatedly with many farmers, and habitats become eaten away quickly. The farmers make a living from the land and need the money. The trees serve a greater purpose for the planet as a whole. Is it not possible to make a living from a forest, and with sustainable techniques, use the resources available in a renewable sense? Can we not learn about ecology and forestry, habitats and biological surveys? Do labs not fund these things? Looking at the problem in this way, a simple investment of bursaries in ecological education for those in the vicinity of the forests could begin and then grow into a cultural shift.
Giving communities the thinking tools to see to their own issues in ways that do not affect society as a whole is something we can invest in. This will not fruit immediately, it takes time to prepare a league of minds in positive ways. Yet, if we find the resources to provide for communities in food aid, medical attention, animal preservation, and many more things, what we could really do with is the provision of relevant education that will gear up the next generation for getting the job done as well as possible. For many people, education starts online. Maybe they didn't get to go to school or they just didn't pay attention, often it's when we're a bit older that needing to know the right things suddenly makes sense to us. This portal to several places of online education is something worth looking at no matter where you are.
Rowan Blair Colver
