When deciding which problem most urgently needs attention in our global community, education should be the priority upon which we act first. The education of young children and adults, with a concentration of effort placed in impoverished nations, will provide immediate relief to the region and individual communities, creating the desired domino effect that will transform their lives. Education leads to the eradication of poverty, followed by the improvement of women's rights and religious tolerance, which henceforth will cease the corruption of governments and armies. With this, the promise that genocide and terrorism will exist only as memories and remnants of our inactive past is declared. Such a plan is idealistic, but within it we find a frame of realism. It isn't much, but it's enough. It's enough for the initiation of a movement. One that begins in this generation and continues perpetually.
Many might insinuate that global warming is the most pressing issue, with its eventual terror culminating in the destruction of our resources, followed by our own. Starvation will cause the first wave of death. Our lives will be infested with poverty and disease, while the apocalypse of natural devastation ravages the remains of our civilization. This is what our future resembles, no? Quite frightening I suppose. It could make good campfire material, a spin on the traditional ghost story. I don't imagine the third world being as frightened though, seeing as this is their present, not their future. We tremble at the poverty and death of our descendants five-hundred years from now while ignoring those of our global brothers and sisters around the world living through this desolate hell this very day. Our efforts must be concrete; they must adamantly represent an initiative of morality. Our own suffer, our own die. The must be saved from the throes of poverty, terrorism, genocide, gender and religious persecution, and misrepresentation. This will be possible if we utilize education to the best of its capacities. This will end the fight, this will prepare us for the next battle ahead. Global warming will be tackled and it will be beaten, but not today.
Charles you give a very valid and very real arguement however, the flaw is that to teach you need more than a school. To teach, one also needs a school, a means of transportation, a means of feeding the impoverished children who will be attending the school and this, is only the tip of the ice burg. Global Warming is not an issue that should or in my and many others opinion be delayed for such a lofty goal as a world equally educated. Global Warming can be tackled now while it is still somewhat controllable; education is a much more difficult and daunting goal. To tackle education means having a infrastructure strong enough to hold this goal, we would need a constant supply of correctly taught teachers, the means to pay them and we generally need the money. Money is probably the biggest roadblock to any issue but in my opinion it is bigger in yours as Global Warming is already starting change, the money is already there more so then education. Now don't get me wrong I think education is about tied with global warming however it can just wait a little more.
ReplyDeleteI find your argument very interesting and well written but you forget that while education is an important issue it would take a lot of time and resources to even touch the issue and unfortunately time is not on our side. If events continue to unfold as they are now then we don’t have the time to deal with providing a proper education to everyone around the world. Education is no threat to the entire world’s existence. Education would provide for a much better future but in order to have a better future we need to tackle global warming now.
ReplyDeleteBarrett. First of all you've missed the point of my argument. I'm not trying to "educate the world equally" but instead ending poverty, religious and gender descrimination, terrorism, corruption, and genocide. This can hardly be called a "lofty goal." Secondly, you seem to think that the cost of education will be preposterously high, while the cost of reversing climate change will be reasonable and low. The reverse is the obvious truth. It costs approximately $49 to send a child to school for a year, and 30 cents to feed them for a day. I don't mind if you are generalizing facts, but at least try and keep them within the realm of reason and possibility. I mean, you say that fixing global warming will be much easier than getting kids to go to school. Are you kidding! That would make Glenn Beck blush, Barrett. There are legitimate grounds to your argument and I suggest you go back and find them.
ReplyDeleteI guess Education revolves on the same idea and it definitely brings benefit to the individual, the country and its standards of living. It should be attended by the government with perspective of how much to fund from its spending.
ReplyDeleteCharles,
ReplyDeleteYou make a very valid point for the issue of education. I believe that eduation is also very important yet if one issue had to be taken I believe that poverty covers a much broader spectrum of the issues that are facing our world today. You are right in saying that education is a part of the path to eradicating poverty but I will disagree with you on your point "which henceforth will cease the corruption of governments and armies. With this, the promise that genocide and terrorism will exist only as memories and remnants of our inactive past is declared." This point does not take into account that these governments and armies are probably trying to hold education back. Even if better education is put into place there will always be terrorists groups, corrupt governments, and ruthless dictators, they will just be a whole lot smarter! Look at the modernized countries of the world, some would say at some levels that they are corrupt. Macleans just released a report saying that Quebec is the most corrupt region in North America. You would probably say that they are one of the smartest though. I believe that poverty is able to cover a much larger area of world issues including education, maternal health, and other health care, as well as the ability to grow new economies from these underdeveloped countries and stop their dependence on the developed world. Lastly, I would cation you from slamming Global warming so much. As a present issue it still holds some ground in the global marketplace. The degradation of natural resources is already starting riots, and causing a greater divide between the rich countries and the poor countries. Remember that for education to succeed you need capital, and for most countries to get capital you need resources. I hope you will take this into consideration