World We Imagine Part 1

    

    Trying to come up with ways to make the world a better place is a daunting task. Especially now with social media and information being available to us at any given time, it’s hard not to get overwhelmed with news of injustices around the world all the time. Something that popped in my head as I pondered about making the world a better place was to lead with compassion, not empathy. To be empathetic is to have the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. However, just having empathy doesn’t translate into action. If you lead with compassion, you are actively trying to address other people’s needs and helping in any way possible. That being said, here are a couple sectors I want to focus on when it comes to making the world a better place.

Environmental Crises

    One of my biggest fears surrounds our planet’s environmental crisis. Climate change, global warming, ozone layers, carbon levels— these are all buzzwords that I have grown all too accustomed to since a child. As a child, I didn’t realize the severity of our issues, but above that, I didn’t realize how the world’s environment is being destroyed by a select few in the top 0.1% of the population. Whenever I think about the climate crisis that we live in right now, it saddens me to think about the future generations who will live long past me. If I don’t feel confident in living out the rest of my life without any dire climate consequences, what does that say about this world? If I could start making any changes in this world, I would definitely have climate change at the forefront of my priorities. Without a healthy planet, nothing else would matter in this world.

Patriarchal World

    In addition to being a business major, I am also pursuing a gender studies minor. In those classes, I am constantly bombarded with stories and histories about the injustices that’s imposed upon marginalized communities (women, LGBTQ+, Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC)). Coincidentally, on the same day where we watched Half the Sky, I also watched a video in my gender studies class about sex and human trafficking in Southeast Asian countries. After watching both documentaries, it made me think about the many societies in which women have no rights and are merely properties of their parents or male figures.

    On a broader scheme, I wonder a lot about the patriarchal world that we live under and how our current systems allow for those in power to exploit others in the name of profits and personal gain. If we reassign the way we value things in this world, I think it would be a great step towards not only equality, but a better quality of life for all. Reassigning value means valuing education, housing for all, equal rights, environmental cleanliness and climate, and more instead of valuing money. When all we see is money, the perpetual cycle of injustices and exploitation continues on and on because we can profit off other people’s suffering.

So, What’s the First Step?

    Even though I just said all of this about focusing on the environmental crisis and re-imagining patriarchal structures, I still don’t know what the first step would be. I see the first step as just trying. Trying to lead with compassion and being conscious about our actions in the world and how it shapes our own lives, as well as others. By living with intention, it’s easier to differentiate between what’s right and wrong and to become a better critical thinker. My last advice is to take action to make the world a place you want future generations to comfortably live in, one where you would feel happy to leave without worry.