At a very crucial time of world history when the present and the upcoming generations face nothing less than a survival crisis, there is increasing urgency of aligning the world’s priorities closely to what the world needs most of all. Unfortunately, what we have seen in recent times is a growing divergence, not convergence, between real needs and actual deeds.
This can be very clearly seen in the response to climate change and other life-threatening environmental problems which has been worsening, getting weaker and more distorted in recent times. At times decisions are being taken as though a very serious environmental crisis does not even exist at all.
Equality and justice concerns are being neglected in the greater part of the world and actual inequalities in some of the most important countries are increasing. At the international level, rules and precepts of systems based even earlier on inequality are being violated in ways which are likely to result in conditions that are even more unjust. Even commitments to life-saving humanitarian aid are not only falling short of the actual requirements to a shocking extent; in addition the existing commitments are sometimes being withdrawn suddenly and arbitrarily.
Similarly peace prospects are becoming more uncertain as the international rules based order, already based on unjust precepts, is breaking down in ways that contribute further to instability and uncertainty as also to highly arbitrary and illegal exercise of power to achieve objectives that are equally arbitrary and illegal.
However in one important respect, some observers feel, there has been some big relief very recently as the threat of the Ukraine world escalating into a much wider war, even nuclear war and World War 3, has declined and may decline further in the near future, although typical of these times, some uncertainties and question marks still remain.
Some relief that has emerged due to the USA seeking to turn away from the troubled legacy of faraway and forever wars has been accompanied unfortunately by increasing worries related to the possibility of the USA seeking more aggressive dominance and even annexations closer to home.
In a world of fast moving changes and readjustments, many outlandish announcements are being made with the world left to wonder regarding the purpose and seriousness of what is being said and at whom this is aimed. This is not at all conducive to stability and peace, as shocking statements lead to increase of suspicion and speculation. Trust is eroded further, beyond its already tattered state.
With increasing uncertainty and sudden, arbitrary decisions regarding trade, tariffs, investment and sanctions we are entering high risk zones in which the economic prospects for many more people and countries can become more grim, and this in turn can be disruptive for democratic politics as governments and leading political parties in many countries struggle to find a way out of chaos.
Change is certainly needed because the present conditions of high and increasing inequalities, increasing dominance of giant multinational companies and speculative finance can not lead to any kind of balanced and sustainable development prospects for most people. However the changes that are being pushed are not at all likely to resolve any of the existing serious problems but instead are much more likely to worsen the existing situation.
In the middle of all this the most important concerns of securing increasing and sustained international cooperation for disarmament, preventing wars, reducing weapons of mass destruction as much as possible ( and if possible eliminating them), preventing any moves towards the possibility of space warfare, preventing emergence of AI weapons that may go beyond human control, ensuring high levels of bio-safety and resolving the many-sided environmental crisis are likely to be neglected, or else some of the recent and ongoing changes can make these problems and high risks even more serious.
Hence clearly the concerns relating to the most serious life-threatening problems getting neglected and the survival crisis getting more precarious go much deeper than the shorter-term issues that generally tend to dominate the headlines.
The world needs a wider social consciousness and mobilization based on this so that most urgent problems and issues get the due attention and priority, and the world’s deeds are more in convergence with the real needs, instead of getting distorted by greed.
Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril, Protecting Earth for Children, Earth without Borders and A Day in 2071.
