26 October 2009

Period 2

 

The World I Envision

     "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal'" (MLK Online, 1963).  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once had a vision in which he hoped the world would be.  I also have a dream, which parallels Dr. King's in that I hope our nation will live in harmony and everyone will be treated respectfully.  My dream also expands beyond our borders and into the various nations of the world.  I envision a world where we live in peace and understanding.  I envision a world in which no one suffers from prejudice and misunderstanding. I envision a world where superior technology and medical treatment will be accessible to all, even those in third world countries.  However, this will only happen with united efforts around the world.  In The Way We Will Be 50 Years From Today, edited by Mike Wallace, sixty brilliant people give their beliefs about what the world will be like in the future.  While not all of their accounts are as optimistic as mine, they present a variety of interesting beliefs.  As Eldman states "As we move through the first decade of a new century and millennium, we have been given an incredible opportunity and responsibility to think differently, even radically, about the kind of nation and world we want to build. . .”(2008, p.117).  I believe that if citizens work together to make our planet a better place, by uniting around the globe, becoming environmentally aware, and providing advanced technology and medicine to all, we can create the quintessential world.

     In order for one to get along with others, one must tear down racial and social barriers and be open to new styles of life.  In fifty years, I hope that the world will have learned to accept and embrace other cultures and nations.  Fear of the unknown leads to intolerance, which turns into prejudice.  In order to curb this vicious cycle, people must become informed.  Over the next fifty years, if people begin to take an interest in these unknown cultures, the world could be a much better place. Carol Bellamy's vision of the future demonstrates what can happen if humans choose to expand their knowledge of the world and become citizens of the world.  "My vision for a new era of leadership-an era that might come to be called the ‘Age of the Global Citizen’- begins, modestly, with sending more young people like Sara abroad each year to connect across cultures and religions. . . and realize our common humanity" (Bellamy, 2008, p.190).  Bellamy's goal mirrors mine: we both want to live in a place where all of humanity will feel wanted loved by other cultures.  My dream is to be surrounded by people that are knowledgeable of other cultures and languages.  This would increase our understanding of others and teach us to respect other nations, which would bring about peace in our world.  I want to be one of the citizens that Bellamy wants to go abroad, and become enlightened by the experience.  I imagine a world much like Bellamy, where I would feel safe and accepted by all cultures and nations.  For those nations that cannot help themselves, the world will be willing to help them.  This is the life I hope to live, much sooner than fifty years from today.  Additionally, my ideal world will be a place where people around the world are treated with respect. Jodi Williams also believes that the world can work together in order to make the quintessential global community.  Williams states " But I believe that if we are to have hope for a viable future fifty years from today, we must embrace human security, multilateralism, and collective responses to our collective challenges" (2008, p. 54).  Mankind must come together for the greater good in order to create a world in which everyone will live in peace and harmony.

    In fifty years, I hope the world will be collaborating in order to curb the climate change that will have changed the world in which we live.  Having recently taken an environmental science class, I know the potential damage that could be caused by global warming. Climate change will take its toll on our planet, through rising sea levels, and changing weather patterns.  Additionally, there will be new storms, which will cause destruction such as that caused by Hurricane Katrina.  In fifty years, however, I believe that the world will have realized that in order to save humanity, each nation must do its part in curbing the release of carbon dioxide.  Carol Browner believes that the next fifty years will provide an opportunity for the world to address these environmental issues.  "We will have passed national legislation to curb global warming- a measure that will cover virtually all human-caused sources of greenhouse gas emissions, which will be strong and enforceable. . . The world will have committed to cut global warming emissions by at least 80 to 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide" (2008, p.204-205). Coming from the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency instills hope within me, because I know that these are the people who are trying to make a difference.  They are the ones who are pushing our nation towards the increasingly popular green movement.  Additionally, three environmental activists affiliated with the Sierra Club believe that the world can turn out one of two ways.  Mankind can rise to the challenge and live in an efficient manner or wallow in the crisis and let the natural environment become a wasteland (Pope, Becker, Forbes, 2008).  They feel that because of the great progress made in the past, when faced with environmental issues, we have the potential to continue and eventually live in a world dominated by an eco-friendly lifestyle. Additionally, the Nobel winning Secretary of Energy also believes that there is hope for the future.  “Chu methodically explained that the science is clear, that we’re boiling the planet- but also science can save us, that we can innovate our way to sustain” (Grunwald, 2009). Chu knows that climate change is serious, but believes that the future will bring about positive change.   

 

     Medical treatments today are astoundingly different from the way they were fifty years ago.  I believe that in fifty years from today, the improvements will be amazing as well. I believe that, although medical improvements have been made, new viruses and diseases will unsurface.  We will still be fighting battles to save ourselves from germs and diseases, but they will be different than they are today.  But with all of the technology and advancements made in the field of cancer, I believe that the world will be nearly cancer free.  I think that the scientific community will come up with a method in which to determine if a newborn will have cancer in the future, and give the child a vaccine of some sort to prevent this from happening.  The founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure hopes that in the near future, cancer, especially breast cancers, will be better understood by scientists.  “By then, if not sooner, a more complex understanding of the causes, growth and spread of breast cancer . . . would mean that no one would ever again have to hear those terrible words: ‘You have breast cancer’” (Brinker, 2008, p.136). With the proper funding and resources, this vision can become a reality.  Too many lives, including my aunt’s, have been changed because of cancer.  If no one would have to hear those devastating words, the world would be changed for the better.  Joseph Bryant also has a vision of the world where medicine will have helped mankind.  However, he believes that diseases of all kinds will be eliminated.  “. . . I must profess that science and technology have come a long way in eradicating diseases in the world.  With the technology that we have today, most diseases of the past are gone. . .” (Bryant, 2008, p. 165).  In fifty years, I hope that the medicines will have solved many of the medical issues that we face today.  However, I fear that some of today’s diseases may mutate and create problems in the future.  I also hope that all of humanity will have realized the importance of saving every life, so health care will not be limited to only those who can afford it.     

     The world that I envision will have technological advances unlike ever before.  The actions that are done manually (such as turnning on the washer and dryer, pressing a certain amount of minutes on the microwave) will be done automatically because sensors will be a major part of technology.  Most of the technology that we rely on today will be updated and outdone.  My vision of the future includes a new car system that does not use any gas, but only solar power and ethanol.  Additionally, the cars will be programed to drive a certain route and have sensors that will prevent car crashes.  Chandrasekhar Narayan also believes that the next fifty years will bring about changes in the car system.  “My train of thought was rudely interrupted by a series of beeps from my car’s navigation screen warning me that my usual route had some traffic problems and that I should pick one of the suggested alternate routes. . . The truly connected sensor networks are not par for the course on most roadways” (2008, p.44).  I am confident that if the technology will be more advanced than it is today.  The drastic changes in cell phone technology over the past ten years attests to this.  I can only imagine what it will be like in fifty years.  However, despite many advancements, I believe one area of technology will regress.  Because global unity and world peace will be such a big priority, nuclear weaponry will be banned.  Because nuclear war causes so much fear in people today, I know that this will be one of the first international agreements to be reached.  Even in today’s world we are making progress in reducing the amount of nuclear testing sites and weapons being created.  “Obama administration officials said they also expected progress at the United Nations today on their goal of reducing the spread of nuclear weapons” (Parsons, 2009, p.A26). This is a major issue today and will continue to be until nuclear weapons are outlawed by the nations of the world.     

     The way I envision the world in the future is somewhat optimistic but not unrealistic.  I know that it will take a group effort and collaboration from every citizen of the world to become globally aware and have understanding and compassion for all races and religions.  The environmental aspect is much more real because of the looming threat of global warming.  But with the right tools, resources and leaders, I am confident that cooperation and collaboration will be easier than it is today.  Advances in health and technology are nearly inevitable; it is just a matter of where these advancements will take us.  I think that ignorance and failure to want to use the necessary resources will stop my vision from happening. If citizens continue to put themselves first, without thinking about the global impact that their every decision could have, then my global community will not occur. Global collaboration in peacemaking strategies and universal health care will also be hindered if the leaders of today do not become more accepting of other cultures and nations. If these leaders are the people who are looked up to, and they are not making a positive change, then who will be the precursor for the global view? I believe that if a nation drops the first nuclear weapon, these visions will be shattered.  Nuclear weapons only bring about tension and fear, neither of which will help keep the world at peace.  However, I believe that the world can be a much better place if citizens of the world put aside their differences and commit to working together.  

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