Ten things humans want most from the world
The human condition varies vastly across the planet and humans vary in their needs and desires. Therefore
if a top priority for one is good food, for another it might be healthcare.
However if a scientific survey of a very large number of humans is carried out
across the world one can find out out what most humans want. Precisely such a
survey was carried out by My World, a
United Nations global survey for citizens. It carried out a survey of more than
two million persons from all countries of the world from all age groups and
backgrounds to find out what most humans want to see for a better world. The
top ten things humans voted for listed in the order of priority were.
- Good Education
- Better Healthcare
- Honest government
- Better Jobs
- Clean water and sanitation
- Affordable and nutritious food
- Protection from crime and violence
- Freedom from discrimination based on race, ethnicity, sex etc.
- Protecting forests, rivers and environment
- Support for the needy and those without work
The fact that education ranks higher than food does not mean that education is more important than food, rather it implies that there are fewer persons in the world that are lacking food than good education and therefore choose education as a priority wish from the world. Other things like better roads, internet access, reliable
energy, political freedom etc. came lower down on the list. That is
understandable because things like food, water freedom from discrimination and
crime are far more important to humans. The support for action against climate
change was the least amongst most humans at large. Perhaps not because they
feel that it is not important but because they feel intuitively that it will take
care of itself if the environment is protected, an intuitive view that appears
to agree with some of the latest scientific conclusions on climate change. What
was heartening to note in the survey is that humans care for the environment
and those in need, unlike some governments and corporations of the world today,
and include these as some of the top priorities of a better world.
The choice would vary from country to country too. For example those in Syria currently would rate freedom from violence at the top, far above education etc. while those in India would, to my mind, rate a reliable electricity supply in the top ten because this service is currently very poor in India. However, it seems that it is not so in much of the world and therefore that need has not figured in the top ten.
The choice would vary from country to country too. For example those in Syria currently would rate freedom from violence at the top, far above education etc. while those in India would, to my mind, rate a reliable electricity supply in the top ten because this service is currently very poor in India. However, it seems that it is not so in much of the world and therefore that need has not figured in the top ten.
A slight modification of original results was done before presenting here in order to make them easier to understand. The entire results and details can be seen at.
Comments
On one of International Education Day, I was reading an activist post leading a bunch of students. I admire her action, trying to increase literacy level, but right next to the post, I saw an ads which seemed obvious to me that they were trying to take advantage of innocent people. Of course, the ads was unrelated to the activist, but I saw it very troubling.
I think no matter how good or better education gets, there is something much more important. Without it, there is no point in good education.
For instance,as a part of good education, let's say we have many good libraries with many good books, but if students are not motivated to read books, that part of good education fails. Building a habit of going to the library as a fun place and borrow books, and they go back to return those books, while they return books, they borrow another set of books, and so on. That's important.
I think forming good habits in learning is far more important than getting good at taking tests and receive As.
There are countless of things like this. Also, there should be more acceptance in different options. Each requires own literacy. For example, I'm impressed with the people here in the US who can do things I cannot such as fixing plumbing, cars, renovating houses and so on. In Japan, we don't learn those things because our parents only know how to hire those professionals. But here, even some women are effective handy women. I believe this is good education. They learn the skills since they are small at home and school, and they develop their practical skills needed for the rest of their life. If that becomes their hobby and later jobs, they will be happier doing things they like rather than getting a college degree and do the kind of office work they are not happy with. I'm just simplifying a situation to make a point.
I see education as a tool or skill that empowers a hums that is why I have stressed in many places that an essential component of education must be moral and human values because a bad person can harm the world with this skill rather than do good.
Do you think you can teach those values to the students who do not have them at home? It's very difficult because normally lectures on the matters wouldn't work.
I remember being very truthful and straight forward as a child but when in school other children made fun of some of it, I changed into street smartness and lot of other habits that are not very moral. However, later with personal education and experience I have reverted to my earlier values. if there was moral education in school, me and the other children may have retained and strengthened morality.
The problem is the dynamic nature of morality. It's evolving and will never stop. I guess we have to keep learning of other's situation and working on it.