What should priorities of poorer nations be?

Poor countries have always had little say in international affairs due to them being viewed by developed countries as having inadequate economic prowess to be of any influence on the international stage.  Progress be it social or economic has been stifled by corruption, poor government funding, rampant diseases, racial tensions and low literacy level. The priorities of governments from poor countries should have a proper quality education, proper healthcare system, decent infrastructure and low crime rates. With the basic fundamentals stabilised, would it be able to progress and create new opportunities for sustained developments.

As it goes with any society, education is key to building a creative and intellect workforce that would have levels of productivity and improve the standard of living of one. They would possess relevant knowledge and skill to command a higher wage for their qualifications that would add comfort to one’s life.  Knowledge is said to be the only thing one cannot be robbed of.  If these poorer nations truly recognize the need of education for its multitude of benefits and not just know that education is vital, would they be on the right track.  Education that creates a talented workforce would be able to produce thinkers and inventors that can pull the country out of its current “brain drain” situation.  With a pool of talented and skillful individuals would they be able to attract foreign investors keen on tapping the undeveloped market that is complemented with a high productivity level.  The transfer of technology and management skills know-how would enable these countries to achieve sustained economic growth that would increase the national income and national employment rate of an economy.  Singapore was once a highly labour intensive country in the 1970s but the emphasis and constant revision of education led Singapore into a knowledge-based, innovative society that boasts high literacy levels of over 94 percent.  It is now a cosmopolitan city that is able to diverse production of various goods.  Education thus, should definitely be a priority for poor countries.

However, whether high levels of education can be achieved is difficult to say.  Firstly, lack of domestic teachers due to low level of qualifications and the fact that an educator’s income is relatively underpaid, would deter one from the profession.  Governments of poorer nations would have to initially “import” educators should the priority be met.  More often than not, they would demand higher wages due to their more “advanced” skills and knowledge. Moreover, poorer countries tend to be demographically large with lots of spare land and with no proper infrastructure.  The ability for one keen on educating himself to get to school is usually a long and tedious journey due to lack of transports or supply of schools.  Schools in poor African nations like Congo, Mali and Chad are sparsely located with no proper facilities for proper education and other developmental enrichments as such drama or sports. This may discourage one to go to school.  Also parents of children from these countries tend to make their child to take after the cradle to grave employment of farming than go to school, as they see farming more beneficial. Government thus should emphasize and create understanding for the need of education. For education to materialize and attract investors proper infrastructure should be built.

Poor hygiene practices and lack of sanitation have allowed diseases to be rampant such as malaria and pneumonia that snatch lives away from thousands of children yearly due to their still feeble developing immune system.  If these children have a chronic date with the Grim Reaper, then there is little but no future for these poor nations.  Human resource is a valuable factor for any country’s progress.  The implementation of a proper health care system that can be made affordable and easily accessible to all must be a priority.  For it to be effective it has to be coupled with better development of rural nations such as ensuring adequate supply of clean water and proper garbage disposable centres that would diminish the possibility of illness.  An obstacle these countries face is the high cost of the provision of healthcare.  In US the healthcare is subsidized at US$2800 per capita and in Singapore it is US$400 per capita.  If only the wealthier counterparts are able to afford it would undermine the nations effort to build a decent healthcare system. For instance, in Sri Lanka, hospitals can be as little as five in a state.  The high demand is not met by adequate supply that sees many left untreated or wait as long as eight years  to be treated.  Subsidies should be implemented with the priority to healthcare in poor countries.

A common detriment to poor countries is the lack of social cohesion and relatively high levels of crime rates be it white or blue collared crimes require proper law enforcement to be a priority.  With social unrest present in a country, focus on where it should be (education cum healthcare) is diverted to violence that breeds inefficiency and casualties. Investors too would become pessimistic about the country’s political climate that would deter investment and also conjure up a negative image of the country’s reputation. They would lose trust from their richer counterparts and would not have the opportunity to host major world events such as the World Cup, IMF meetings and Olympics that can accelerate growth.  Governments should regulate and revise laws that could be harsher to negate crime rates.  Social tensions could be quelled by implementing civics classes for racial groups to appreciate one and other.  For instance, the former ethnic clashes between the Hutus and Tutsies in Rwanda saw over 850,000 casualties.  In Brazil drug syndicates have political ties and are difficult to weed out that can result in high levels of violence and in Eastern Europe, high levels of drug trafficking.  In Thailand, Red versus Yellow have made the country deemed unsafe to travel that lowered tourist numbers. If corruption and social tensions impeded, it can allow progress to thrive.  Tightening of law and proper administration of police forces to inspect and regulate areas should be a priority.  With greater influx of tourists as the country is deemed safer can increase government revenue that can be directed to financing merit goods that are long term investments.

Poorer nations are not congested in just one continent.  They live in contact side by side with their rich neighbours.  Poorer nations have the resources to thrive and should be able to know that they have opportunities – immense opportunities to be economically and politically stable (for instance China). If other countries are rising up they should too.  Excuses for lack of funding and what rot is immature.  If priorities are identified and rightfully implemented they would finally be a belie all who doubted them but more importantly see that the welfare of their citizens have been enhanced, giving them an equal chance based on meritocracy and minimize outflow of migrants.  With higher development of infrastructure, education, healthcare and low crime levels would they be able to handle better world environment problems that trouble the world. With social and economic security, they would have their opinions heard rather than discarded.

It is often said that youth is often wasted on the young. How far do you agree?

Youth has its own natural attributes- energised physique makes everything seem easy and accessible, cognitive intelligence paves the path. Hence, innovative ideas develop and find implementation. The enhanced standards of education and introduction of science and technology adds to their efficiency making them charismatic workers. However, the other side of the coin presents a different picture. The youth is the embodiment of rigid, inflexible stubbornness. They lack in patience and experience. As such the rare gifts and natural talents are recklessly wasted. The abundance of glamour and pleasures make time slip away unnoticed. The counselling of the venerable class goes unheeded. It would be well to understand that the young generation is immature and cannot decide which path to adopt and which to abandon. The role of parents, teachers and society together with the standard of education are the deciding factors that make the young people to utilize fruitfully or to waste heedlessly the wealth of youth.

Young people, as opposed to the senior citizens, possess the potentials to bring about positive transformation in societies, to write success stories and to add to the aesthetic world by creative intervention, provided that their natural instincts and strengths are directed and channelized properly. Young people bring an end to age old conservative thoughts, dogmas and social evils.
The greatest barrier in social progress is ignorance and age old conservative thoughts. It is the young group that can help to eradicate these.

In many of the lesser developed societies, we still find gender-based bias, early marriages, dowry deaths, and child labour as highly prevalent. Despite attempts made by national and international organizations active in this direction, these enigmatic features continue to shame humanity. The young generation can do a lot to clean the society of such evils. They have the insight to comprehend the problem, the ability to find a solution and also the strength to have them implemented. There are many examples that show the revolutionary attitude of the millennials to wage a war against social evils. History has evidence of major changes brought through youthful initiatives and influences. As the young freedom fighters could achieve Independence for their country, today’s youth can free the societies of its foes in the shape of evils. The millennials extend support to social well- being through modern thoughts and innovative functioning

Young people today are successful entrepreneurs and social activists. They can not only revolutionize the digital scene but can also help fight against pollution, conserve natural resources and eradicate poverty. The trend of entrepreneurship initiated by Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg has paved the way for new generation of kids. Kevin Systrom and Mike Kreiger co-founders of the digital company, Instagram, are under 30; Shrawan Kumaran and Sanjay Kumaran, India’s young digital developers are only 12 and 14 years old and have co- founded Go Dimensions; Dylan Mahalingam, only at the age of nine in 2006, founded LilMDG’s , an organization in collaboration with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals; Madison Robinson, the fifteen year old entrepreneur from Texas, is making good profit in her clothing industry Fish Flop; and, Malala Yousafzai, the social activist fighting for education for all and the winner of Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, was only seventeen that time. These success stories suggest the triumph and intense utilization of youthful character, not its waste. Recent passion for technology has triggered a number of young people working in the direction of digital development and the sense of responsibility towards social issues is increasing day by day.

The young minds and hands possess creativity. A number of young people are showing their talents in the field of art, music, dance, drama, film making and sports, making this world a place of great grandeur. Talents in the field of art and literature are continued even as the folk arts are inherited and carried forward by the youth. Young fingers are engaged in creating masterpieces and instruments vibrate magic. Zachary David Zach Sobiech was an American rock singer who was suffering from cancer in 2012; instead of being disheartened by his eminent mortality he wrote songs and gave performances for his near and dear ones and his greatest hit, Clouds, became a You Tube sensation; his music, after his passing away, continues to motivate people to live their life to the fullest. Missy Franklin won Six Gold medals in 2012 Olympics but turned down her financial endorsement to continue her college education. Such talents are no doubt rare, but they, never the less belong to the young.

The role of performance arts, fine arts, folk arts, writings enriches the aesthetic wealth of the globe, adding a soulful satisfaction to human existence. Such young people who are conscious, conscientious and creative, constitute a smaller percentage of the entire mass. The majority of the young generation waste their time and talent in a callous search for momentary pleasures.

More often than not they do not listen to their guardian’s advice and do as they will. Having no respect for the time they let opportunities slip by. Nomophobia is the most widespread ailment of modern youth who cannot survive without their cell phones. Late night parties, friend circles, movies and careless gallivanting are symptoms of the rich while the less affluent take resort to cheap wines, drugs, abuse and violence. They fail to realize their more responsible roles in social development as imposed on them by the demographic transition and dependency ratio. According to the most recent demographic projections, which suggests an increase in the percentage of aged people and a decline in the percentage of the young, the youth will be under greater social and moral pressure of the greybeards. It is ironical that by the time a sense of realization will dawn upon them they will be too senescent for any useful activity. Most of the young population either misuse their potentials or remain idle, undisciplined and violent.

There is a tremendous burden on the young generation and the factors of insecurity and unemployment add to their adversities. Lack of proper guidance and the exposure to technology- social media and easy communication modes of cell phones- deviate them from their path. If they lack the vision to recognise their potentials and appear to be wasting their youth, it is not entirely their fault. Their performances need to be appreciated, their problems require to be sorted out and their trust has to be won by the elders and the societies promoting their participation. Today young people need to be empowered. If these conditions are met, the young will make the best use of their youth.

The young people are equipped with abilities to function wonderfully. They are doing so in various fields. But, there are a number of young people, moving towards senile ageing, without noticing the important fact that time was slipping away silently, like sand through the gaps between fingers.
Problems of unemployment, insecure future, family burden and immense exposure to dazzling distractions of modernity are preventing the young from realizing their goals and prompting the wastage of youth.

The massive rate at which the world population is ageing will give rise to unimaginable problems. How far do you agree?

The world population is ageing very fast owing to the blessings of longevity and improved health facilities. In 2006 the world’s elders were estimated to be 500 million which is predicted to reach 1 billion by 2030. On a global level, the increase in octogenarians is projected to increase by 151% between 2005 and 2030; the increase in 65 and above population is projected to grow by 104% and an increase of 21% for the population under age 65. This increase in the ageing population coupled with a decrease in the number of young people is creating a kind of social imbalance. This demo graph is evolving problems which are predicted to grow severe with passing time. Nations and governments have started developing strategies to minimize the effects of this demographic transition, but how successful these strategies will be, and at what cost, is a serious point of contemplation. The excessive increase in the ageing population of the world will create severe problems for the government, for the young generation as well as for the seniors themselves.

Today the number of elderly is increasing at a vast rate and the governments are finding it difficult to provide financial security and health care to them for the extended years of their lives. The first major necessity of the elders is of health services and long term care. Second, is to extend financial support through pension plans and the next is to arrange for other facilities like transport, roads, recreation centres and community centres for them. All this requires strong economic growth which is not possible in the shrinking young population scenario.

 As the workforce in all nations has fallen low, the development programs are under stress, the revenue generation is inadequate. It is becoming tough for governments to mobilize and allocate resources in various schemes. In order to satisfy the essential requirements of the growing number of old people for a growing number of years, other development programs have to be compromised with. It may be quite possible that caring for the elderly will be like ignoring the children and investing in nursing homes will slash the budget meant for schools and teachers. A number of health workers and nursing staff will be migrating from low-income areas to high-income areas. The required revenue cannot be generated from the shrinking workforce and the governments have to cut down the pensions and increase the retirement age. Even then it is uncertain that the situation will be under control.

Today there is a fewer number of people in the workforce,  who on one hand, have to bear the burden of supporting the nation’s finance through revenue generation, and on the other hand, support the elderly in every way. Earlier there were a number of children, siblings and young members in a family and it was easier to take care of the few elders in it. But today such families have disappeared. Longevity has developed the trend of a four-generation family with a single young member or a couple at the most. These young people have to undertake dual responsibility in the family, of taking care of the children as well as of parents and grandparents; at the same time, they cannot ignore their professional workload and demands of society. These members of the younger generation also have to cut down expenses to invest in the security insurance plans. They also bear some liability towards other veterans in the community. Many times the young member can be compelled to move abroad or to another place for jobs and face moral pressure of leaving the elders uncared. This clearly implies that the ageing population is imposing every kind of -physical, mental, financial, social and moral -burden on the young.

The ageing population will have innumerable challenging issues for themselves. They will suffer in many ways, in health, finance and social security. Senility and debility hold the elders by hand. Most of the elderly are found ailing with chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer and cardiac problems. The recent development of geriatrics offers cure from these but in most cases, the patient falls into some kind of disability making long term care essential. The cost of treatment and long term care is not within everybody’s reach and government-aided facilities will become insufficient in the coming times. Growing in age makes them lose their spouses and having fewer children or remaining childless leaves them devoid of family care. Even if some of them would be fortunate enough to have children, yet the children would stay near and care for them is doubtful. Most of the baby boomers are also found deficient in education and skills as demanded by modern technical professions. Hence it is unlikely that they will be able to continue in the labour force despite good health and fitness. They will have to bear the insult of working under younger bosses. Slashing of pensions as imposed by many governments will leave them in clutches of poverty. Senescent and lonely, the elderly will have to compromise with circumstances.

Ageing of the world is, after all, not a big problem, as the communities are growing conscious and supportive even as the governments are developing plans for comfortable ageing. The situation has come before all and everyone from individuals to communities and governments are moving in the direction to enhance the quality of life for the senior citizens.

That the families have fewer young members is a positive trait. These members are strong and dutiful and accept their liability towards their elders. Emotions and morals attach them to their parents and grandparents. The communities are making special spaces for elders; libraries, recreation centres, parks, fitness, physiotherapy and yoga centres are mushrooming in societies. Organisations like the World Bank and UNESCO; the programs of MDG’s and SDG’s will not let the veterans to starve or to die aidless. There are practical solutions to this over-emphasized problem of an ageing world. The elderly themselves are becoming more and more responsible day by day making self-esteemed and self-earned status for themselves. The elders themselves are beginning to take responsibilities, working for more years and making arrangements for their retirement. They are reducing the impact of compressed workforce and pressure on the government.

Despite the emotional and moral strengths, it will not be possible for the young members to look after the elderly. They have their own pressing priorities of jobs, personal health and social issues. However much the old people may want, they will not be able to remain productive and self-dependent. The government will also increase revenues, decrease pension amounts and increase the retirement age. Communicable and non-communicable diseases will show their impact and leave the elderly in the lap of loneliness and poor health. Migration and increasing fertility rates are solutions no doubt but do not appear practical

The ageing of the world is going to develop problematic issues for the nation, for the young and for the elderly. But an overall awareness and active participation of all in solving this crucial problem will soon bring about a positive change in the situation. But so far as strategies have not been implemented it has to be accepted that population ageing will develop unimaginable problems.  

Science and religion will always come into conflict. Discuss.

The reality is that no one can actually place such large amounts of quotes in an essay unless they use the quote regularly and for the same topic.

To quote Freeman Dyson, a theoretical physicist and mathematician, “Science and religion are two windows that people look through, trying to understand the big universe outside, trying to understand why we are here. The two windows give different views, but both look out at the same universe. Both windows are one-sided, neither is complete. Both leave out essential features of the real world. And both are worthy of respect.” There are disparities between science and religion, such as nature of factualness and neutrality against subjectivity. To elucidate, religion is defined as a sea of beliefs and practices often organized around supernatural and moral claims, and often codified as prayer, ritual and religious law. Contrary to widespread conviction, there are congruence between science and religion as well. Given that there are points of comparison, it is hence a misleading fact of life that science and religion will always come into conflict on one hand. On the other hand, just as there are dual surfaces to a coin, it is almost positive that science and religion will arise to conflict. Science and religion may perchance suffice as supplements to each other then.

A derivation of conflict between science and religion ensues from the contrasting traits of legitimacy. In science, validity is incessantly revised. It is such that the more one discerns of the universe, the more interpretations one constructs, thereby drawing nearer to actuality. In contrast, religious facts are consistent and absolute.  Gospel truth is printed in the Holy Texts, which hails from the mouth of the Almighty Himself. Therefore, science is based on empirical study of the material world whereas religion hinges upon individual or cultural assumptions, and divine revelations. The case in point includes conflict over cosmology, geology, astronomy. A mass of devotee within the conservative wing of Christianity claim that the earth is less than 10 000 years of age. They deduced that the creation and universal flood stories in the Biblical book of Genesis as being literally accurate although 95% of scientists reject a literal analysis. These scientists consider the earth to be approximately 4.5 billion-year-old, that no global flood has befallen, as well as that humanity evolved. Given the discrepant nature of reality, it is a precondition that will result in conflict.

Science is more objective proportionate to religion which is more idiosyncratic. Maximum communicability is the hallmark of scientific truth. As a result, science consists in great part in the endeavour to convey by means of a bureaucratic apparatus or medium such as mathematics that is altogether vulnerable to the scrutiny of any mathematically educated person. On condition that an individual carries out a stringently classified experiment or manner of calculation which is non-comprehensible to anybody else, then it is questionable scientifically. However, religion is more intuitive, pertaining to one’s intimate soul of respective attitudes and emotions. It seeks to satisfy the desire for personal salvation. Therefore, the subject of impartiality will lead to conflict between science and religion.

In addition, both entities pose conflict over themes including human sexuality, medical issues. For example, conservative Christian communities teach that homosexual behaviour demeanour is perverted and can be corrected through prayer and counselling. Nonetheless, researchers into human sexuality by and large are convinced that homosexual orientation is normal for a modest percentage of the human race, is innate, is undesired, is influenced by one’s genes to some degree, and cannot be changed through worship and guidance. Take euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, for another instance. Some faith groups champion that only God bestow life and hence solely God should reclaim breath.

The opposing faction conjectures that when a terminally ill person is in intractable suffering and wishes to depart, physicians ought to be sanctioned to lend a hand in dying. Albert Einstein stated that, “For the scientific method can teach us nothing else beyond how facts are related to and conditioned by, each other… yet it is equally clear that knowledge of what is does not open the door directly to what should be.” Thus, it is a fact of life that religion and science will always come into conflict over ethics.

Despite the numerous disparities between scientists and clerics, both are ambiguous contradiction of each other as there still remain similarities such as science and religion are ‘learned practices’ as well as both carry out significant purposes in Man’s life. No individual is born with an instinctive knowledge of the divine, likewise as no one is born with a hard-wired knowledge of science. They have their specific set of books from whence all information is inferred from, mentors acknowledged as scientists and pastors, philosophies of entity, directions and jargon. Albert Einstein also cited, “All regions, arts & sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed towards ennobling Man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.” Therefore, it is fallacious to postulate science and religion will always come into conflict since there are grey fields of harmony.

Religion can exploit science as its tenet whereas science can facilitate religion with its findings. While religion can critique science for more clarifications, sources, or significance, science should mull over religion and human morals. Science and religion work together to form adequate explanations to figure out the genuine meaning of being thus prompt awareness of our insight of realism. Having the status of being complements, in a way, science and religion depend upon each other. They merely call for receptive minds to what both are assembling and explaining but without the other, their elucidation for gist remains superficial. Therefore it is not true that it is a fact of life that science and religion will always come into conflict. As Pope John Paul II highlights, “Science can purify religion from error and superstition; religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes. Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish… We need each other to be what we must be, what we are called to be.”

Young people today no longer appreciate the simple pleasures of life. Discuss.

The spread of modern technologies linked to the digital world has created a new type of environment for young people. Reality has become synonymous with virtual reality, and almost every action in the real world has its correspondent in the virtual one. It is easier than ever to become immersed in the digital media, and children are born and raised surrounded by these technologies and by parents who use these technologies.

            This scenario has created other types of desires and pleasures, the likes of which were not known to people in the past. Before the spread of modern technologies, young people were used to playing outdoors, engage in physical activities and reading books. There were no alternatives to spending their free time in a fun way. Today, almost all activities are done via a computer or mobile device, connected to the internet. Instead of playing football, young people download the latest FIFA video game and play it in multiplayer, with people they do not even know.

3D movies and video games do not stimulate young people’s imagination, the way in which playing outdoors, physical games with friends did in the past. These entertainment methods have slowly decreased the appetite for the simple pleasures in life, creating artificial desires and encouraging them for the simple purpose of mass consumerism. Every single toy nowadays has to be as shiny, interactive and costly as possible. Interactivity is a term that seems to gain more and more importance and value today. However, people forget that books and social games are also interactive entertainment activities – although they do require more imagination and role playing from their “users”.   

Capitalism has evolved greatly in the past decades, and has lead to a decadent lifestyle, in which pleasure can only be derived from and is equal to the amount of money that is spent for it. A simple piece of wood can be used creatively by children in their games, but today, parents and children alike seem to have forgotten that. It is more convenient to buy expensive toys and digital devices for a child than it is to read him a bedtime story. And it is also more convenient for a child to play a complex role playing video game such as World of Warcraft than it is to actually go outside and create his or hers own story and role play.

            This situation only seems to aggravate in time, as yesterday’s children, who did not have all of the immersive technologies, have raised their children with these technologies from a very young age. The mass media encourages this behavior too, and there seems to be a tacit consensus regarding the negative impact these technologies can have on young people. The old Roman saying, “Mens sana in corpora sano”, seems to have been forgotten. It is no wonder that more than two in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or obese, since they are immersed in the digital world from their youth.  

            If this situation is to be changed in the future, parents need to pay extra attention to the activities of their children. They need to teach their children how to enjoy the simple things in life, how to play in the physical world and how to use their own imagination. This does not mean that modern technologies are bad in themselves; they can be useful, but only if they are balanced with traditional games and methods of entertainment. There has to be a balance between the time a young person spends online and offline, between the time they spend in the digital world and the time they spend in the physical world.

Also, young people have to learn, as soon as possible, that money value is just another type of value, and not at all the only type of value that exists. There are also spiritual values that a person has to take into account, if they want to enjoy the true pleasures in live. The simple pleasures are not just cheaper in terms of the required capital, but also necessary.

There are hardly any worthwhile role models for young people nowadays. Discuss.

Written using an unconventional structure.

The idea that there are fewer positive role models in our contemporary society is based on a fallacy. There are actually more positive role models today than ever before, and it is very easy to get to know them through the new media. We live in an age where people from opposite sides of the planet can easily communicate and share information in real time, and thus greatly influence each other.

This means that young people do not have to limit their popular culture needs to the place where they live. There are thousands of other places that they can find about on the internet, and they can access the internet anywhere, anytime, even on mobile devices. However, the same technologies that can help them in this regard is also the main roadblock in their path to finding positive role models, because the new media mainly promotes negative models, since positive ones have a smaller public impact, while negative attitudes sell better.

This is the reason why many people consider that there are fewer role models for young people nowadays: because they only look at what is promoted on popular TV stations, magazines and websites. However, there are still a great number of publications that focus their attention on educational aspects, which follow a strict deontological ethic and do not care only about their budgets.

Also, individuals can search for role models on their own, without the help of large publications. Of course, parents can also guide their children and teach them where and how to find useful and positive information, without forcing them to learn about things they do not care, but encouraging them to find good models on their own.   

Magnus Carlsen, aged 24, is a child prodigy and the world’s chess champion. Unlike other chess prodigies in the past (Bobby Fischer being the best example), he is a very optimistic, cheerful and charismatic person. He lives a healthy life, engaging in various other sport activities. He always smiles and loves what he is doing. Carlsen is the living proof that people can succeed if they work hard, love what they are doing, remain focus and have a healthy lifestyle. It is now easier than ever to follow Carlsen’s work and his personal life, through most of the popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and even on his Youtube channel.

Unlike in the past, there are no major media publications that mediate this relationship between Carlsen and his fans, which means that admirers can have direct and immediate access to Carlsen’s determination and words of wisdom. There are thousands of other positive role models who can be found in sports, music or films, although they are not as promoted as the negative ones are. Adolescents can easily reach them if they balance mainstream media with traditional and independent media sources. Just as always, it is just a matter of knowing where and how to search for good information and role models.  

             While it is true that the media has changed, and that this change brings about a bad influence to young people nowadays, it is also true that, with a little effort, young people can use the same media to their advantage. Although there are more negative than positive role models nowadays, there are still more than enough positive ones to choose from. The new media, the process of globalization and instant access to information worldwide makes it easier for adolescents to find people who have succeeded in domains that interest them. It also makes it easier for them to understand how and why these people have succeeded, and thus to learn from their successes. Most people are however blind to these immense opportunities and this blindness is a form of ignorance, the same ignorance that makes other people blame technology for their own failures. Violence, sexism and hate are a major theme of our contemporary world. It is however up to each and every one of us to choose our goals and ideals in life. Everyone will choose the thing that best fits their own character and desires. Neither schools nor parents can impose positive role models on young people. They can however guide adolescents and help them make the right decisions. This decision has to ultimately come natural to them.

Is the elimination of global poverty a realistic aim?

The elimination of global poverty is certainly not a realistic aim in view of the various problems that are still arising in these poverty-stricken states, and such problems are also often more likely to lead to a continuation rather than the elimination of global poverty. At the same time, while initiatives had been taken by authorities or international institutions to deal with the problems, the effectiveness of it is however often undermined.

One of the main problems that caused some of these states to suffer from poverty is the control of the country under the corrupt government. The government often plays an important role in helping its people meet their social needs and other welfare. Thus, if their leaders are corrupt and are only concern with achieving their self-interest rather than the nation’s, then the elimination of global poverty will definitely be impossible. The Oil-for-food programme by the United Nations implemented in Iraq is an example of how a corrupt government in power could prevent the people from receiving the humanitarian aid they were supposed to get. In this incident, the UN officials and the Iraqi government were accused of siphoning off profits from the Oil-for-food programme. Under this programme, a percentage of the profits gain from the sale of oil were actually to be used to provide basic needs to the people there, however, due to corrupt officials, these benefits were not trickled down to the people and hence the inability to tackle the problems of poverty there. From here, it is clear to us that albeit initiatives taken by international institutions to address the problem of poverty, as long as there is the existence of corrupt government all these solutions may just ultimately proved to be ineffective.

On top of that, the debt problems that some of these Third World Countries face till today have also crippled them to an extent that they are unable to make economic progress and thus bring themselves out of impoverishment. For instance, for the poorest countries, $550 billion has been paid in both principal and interest over the last three decades and yet there is still a $523 billion debt burden left for them. Although various aids had been put forward to help these countries, some of these aids still failed to help deal with these debt problems and sometimes even backfired. The Heavily In-debt Poor Countries initiative, for example, was set up to help reduce the external debt for the poorest countries. However, it was instead backfiring in some cases as unfair conditions are also associated with this initiative and some of these debt relief advocates were making it even before the scheme was launched too. Therefore, with these huge financial burdens, it would certainly be difficult for these countries’ economies to pick up and thus the achievement of the aim of eliminating poverty for these states will certainly not be in the near future too.

At the same time, while many of the developed countries have played their part in helping these states, ironically they are also the ones that are worsening the situation there too. The falling commodity prices presented by these developed nations brought in tough business competition for these poor countries and also, the vast agricultural subsidies in North America and Europe have all combined to have various effects such as forcing farmers out of business and into city slums too. Hence, while steps have been taken by these richer nations to help these impoverished countries, the effectiveness is eventually undermined when their own government policies fail to take into consideration the adverse effects they may have on these nations.

On the other hand, the UN has also put forward other initiatives that saw hope for the aim of eliminating poverty on a global scale and such an initiative is the ‘Millennium Development Goal ‘. The first initiative calls for halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty between 1990 and 2015 and some of the many actions taken were such as the elimination of school fees, upgrading slums and providing land for public housing etc. Indeed, living standards have risen dramatically over the last decades and the proportion of the developing world’s population living in extreme poverty has fallen from 28 per cent in 1990 to 21 per cent in 2001. Thus, this goes to show that the aim of eradicating global poverty may not after all be unrealistic.

Although recent research by the UN has shown that there are more people living in poverty in 8 Indian states than in 26 poorest African nations combined, patches of light are still showing, as a recent report has shown that improvements have been seen in these poor provinces too. No starvation deaths have been recorded in Chhattisgarh in recent memory and in Bihar, which was widely seen as India’s worse administered states, the crime rates have fallen and infrastructure is taking off too. Hence, despite the fact that poverty is still one of the major problems faced by India, the improvements that could take place even in one of their worst-hit states expresses to us that the aim of achieving the eradication of poverty on the global scale may not be that far off ultimately.

However, it is still important to note that the effectiveness of some of these initiatives is often limited due to the aforementioned problems that surface in many of these impoverished countries. Therefore, at this point in time, eliminating poverty at a global scale still remains uncertain and thus is an unrealistic goal.

Quality of life is more important than longevity. Discuss.

Good essay that scored very well for prelim but has an excessively long introduction and conclusion. If it wasn’t so well written, the author would have been penalised for writing more than 800 words.

Conjecture science empowers mankind to be immortal, what will one then do for infinity? The great yearning at present is to prevail to a hale and hearty mature age but such questions help place into standpoints just what is gratifying as regards to life. This scepticism furthermore brings to the fore that humans would not crave to reiterate homogeneous measures in production-line approach. An ilk of Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative quizzes, “what does what we are doing achieve?” On assumption that we function as infinite beings notwithstanding forming slight and superficial merits, Man may wish to reassess the significance of permanence and construct an enhanced quality of life. It is commonplace to evaluate longevity against quality of life which refers to the general well-being of individuals and societies. The rapid pace of technological advancements in science and medicine in the 21st century suggests that mortals can look forward to living pleasantly in their extended senior era. However, with a societal fixation on length of life, it appears that quality of life is still less critical despite the latest developments. 

Every individual of the human race aspires to extend their lifespan and this hope is being met by scientific innovations in medicine. Latest developments in science and medicine includes a technique that radically ameliorates the efficiency of crafting stem cells from human adult tissue without the exploitation of embryonic cells hence forging momentous strides in addressing a major challenge in the progress of stem-cell-based medicine, production of vaccine for cervical cancer, and advanced findings about brain proteins imply a promising novel tactic against Alzheimer’s disease. Average length of life is increasing on a global scale which results in impending challenges. By the year 2050, a quarter of the universe’s population will be over 60 and it is to be expected that these people will be afflicted with chronic illnesses in relation to geezerhood that will necessitate relentless care. A rampant and relevant apprehension is that science and medicine offer short-term assuaging for sustained breath but may fail to result in a fitter life. Already, there are intense ethical disputes over euthanasia, whether patients in terminal stages of their ailments and in constant misery should be permissible to bring forth the conclusion to their life expectancy. Thus, irrespective of the latest developments in science and medicine, quality of life has more bearing as compared to a wearisome and distressful but drawn-out lifespan.

Given that the latest developments in science and medicine are projected to protract longevity, countries worldwide can envisage aging populations. An extended length of life hence may adversely impinge on quality of life, which comprises nine factors founded on The Economist Intelligence Unit’s quality-of-life index to be exact, material interest, life expectancy at birth, political stability and security ratings, domestic life, community activity, climate and geography, job security or unemployment rate, political autonomy, as well as gender equality. An aging population however indicates that the economy has fewer productive human capital but faces rising expenditures such as social welfare and healthcare services. Therefore, a lengthened lifetime because of scientific betterment in medicine pales in review of a superior quality of life which is a more comprehensive evaluation of value of existence.

On the other hand, while the existence of life may be observed objectively, its quality can only be weighed up intuitively. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s quality-of-life index is primarily grounded in the western hedonistic tradition but there are no collectively agreed norms for quality of life, for each person confers disparate significance to the myriad aspects of life and even this metamorphosis with varying circumstances. The notion of averaging out people’s heterogeneous assessments to form a conglomerate metric of quality of life ignores its fundamentally contextual nature and its intrinsic subjectivity. Since quality of life is extremely capricious to employ in shaping clinical decisions, all we can reasonably do is to muse on the tangible and the measurable, to prolong the physiological homeostasis as long as we are able to with the latest development in science and medicine.

It is rational to desire to survive for a lengthy lifetime but not with the sacrifice of a fulfilling existence. There are people who have led fleeting satisfactory lives whereas others may clock up the years with the support of science and medicine yet experience meaningless continuance. Lord Byron was merely 36 when he breathed his final. Nonetheless his poems remain widely peruse and influential even in this generation, both in the English-speaking communities and afar. Similarly for Vincent van Gogh, who aged 37 when he died, his fame grew in the years after his demise. Nowadays, he is broadly respected as one of history’s finest painters and an imperative contributor to the tenets of contemporary art. Although their premature mortality could have been probable to avert with modern science and medicine, it comes across that they have experienced several periods in one which is what in actuality matters. Conceivably, Woody Allen summed it up most aptly concerning latter-day society’s unwholesome obsession with prolonged longevity in his quote, “I don’t want to live forever through my work; I want to live forever by not dying.” Quality is of greater magnitude than quantity therefore people should not pin disproportionate optimism on the latest developments in science and medicine. Instead, strive for an enriching experience and there are likelihoods of a fuller life beyond death in which there are prospects for the soul’s development. (901 words)

What is knowledge? Who owns it? How can it best be taught or transmitted?

From the very genesis of philosophy as a discipline, scholars have struggled with the concept of knowledge and, by extrapolation, the wide array of methods concerning the acquisition of knowledge. In pursuit of this aim are two noteworthy groups of philosophers apparently at odds with each other: the rationalists, who see logic and raison d’être as the source of all knowledge, and the empiricists, who believe that knowledge must be derived from one’s experience of the surroundings. Both schools of thought accept the idea of warranted true beliefs as a working definition of knowledge. It is about the steps required to satisfactorily prove a belief both true and justified, that rationalists like Rene Descartes conflict with empiricists like John Locke. Rationalism holds that all knowledge can and should be uncovered through the use of logic and reasoning, beginning with comprehensible and distinct ideas that need not be proven further and building up through layers of more complex reasoning a view of the world that is both true and logically justified.

Reasoning is an extremely powerful tool in the overall attainment of knowledge, offering philosophers a method of broadening yet deepening their knowledge of the world beyond their own experience. By comparison, empericism’s reliance on sensory perception and contact with the physical world appears somewhat limited and possesses the ability to cast doubts on the extent to which empirical knowledge can be conclusively proven factual or justified. Newton’s law of gravitation itself was incomplete by experiments; it was only after Newton came up with the equation that weight was the product of an object’s mass and the value of the gravitational field strength at that point in which we could fully appreciate the experiments that he carried out and extrapolated that knowledge to anticipate the outcomes of further experiments. This is less of a challenge in rationalism, where one need not depend on sensation to develop knowledge; instead, one can derive knowledge through a series of logical arguments, that is, through the supremacy of reasoning alone. In the case of Descartes, rationalism also transcends the challenges posed by scepticism to some degree by asserting that proof of a consciousness is a sufficient proof of existence. By adopting a structure that is apparently more objective that empiricism, reasoning offers us a chance to acquire theoretical knowledge even beyond our personal experience.

Thomas H. Huxley’s quotation, though contentious, gives any reader good food for thought. By claiming that “the deepest sin against the human mind is to believe things without evidence”, Huxley implies that the mere obtainment of knowledge without any proper, well defined proof is as good as blatant ignorance. Huxley can thus be categorised into the school of thought of positivism, first theorized by Auguste Comte in the mid 19th century and developed into a modern philosophy favoured by scientists and technocrats; positivism states that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge and that such knowledge can only come from positive affirmation of theories through strict scientific method. This perception that science provides us a platform for absolute truth and unfalisifiable facts was, however, rebutted by classical compatibilist David Hume and was consequently deemed incredulous.

It is almost a characteristic of modern society that when progress takes place, a myriad of issues with regard to the purpose, the means as well as the implications of that progress would emerge. The appreciation and understanding of information via lifelong learning, from birth till death, and experience is incontrovertibly intricately interrelated to the development of nations. Eg? However, it does not serve as a purpose, means or implication to this progress; instead, it stands as a cornerstone in our unending journey towards the unreachable, undefinable success of a country. Knowledge develops man to achieve their potential in their ability to interact with his surroundings, both adversely and beneficially; such a gift does not necessarily affect the progress of a country directly. Nevertheless, it is vital for the long term growth of our international society that consists of both developed and less developed countries. Eg? Consequently, knowledge is not an object to be selfishly confined within a group; it is a valuable possession that is meant to be shared throughout our international platform regardless of the existing paradigm shift.

However, a challenge that arises alongside such an advantage of knowledge is the acceptance of knowledge. Sometimes, our reluctance for knowledge emerges due to our stubbornness and reluctance to understand our world although it is clearly beneficial; such a case is acrimoniously tragic as the laziness and glaring materialistic tendency of mankind result in ignorance which further exacerbates the situation in which we are suffering so devastatingly in. The reality that there has been an exponential increase in the consumption of fast food is great testament to the fact that we either ignore information concerning the adverse effects of such consumption, such as insulin resistance and obesity, or simply are ignorant to such knowledge. According to the film ‘Fast Food Nation’, (why quote this movie if all you want to cite are statistics?) in 1969, McDonald’s had 1,000 restaurants compared to McDonalds’ more than 30,000 today, with 2,000 new ones opening each year due to an increase in demand for fast food.  A  more poignant movie would be Sicko – that why despite the effects of fast-food, people still consume horrendous amounts. If you can give a simpler example, you can remove the above lines. How about…HIV/Aids?

However, the rejection of knowledge may also be due to our tendency to subscribe to solipsism which is the idea that one can only know that one’s self exists and that anything outside the mind, such as the external world, cannot be known to exist. Solipsists place emphasis on a subjective reality, and that what we perceive to be true for one person may not be true for another. In fact, many of our global leaders today lack sufficient current affairs knowledge to be compatible politicians attempting to assist mankind in its unending journey to an ambiguous better life. Sarah Palin herself thought that Africa was a country, not a continent and could not name all the countries involved in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Another example is that of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran who claimed vehemently that the holocaust did not take place.

With the ever-growing culture of globalisation, we, as global citizens have to be knowledgable about our rapidly-changing world. As developments occur, we have to keep updated. We have to keep track of developments in our globalised world. The lack of acquaintance about our surroundings has the potential to disadvantage us. Only with proper knowledge about our surroundings can we make informed decisions for our own selfish desires; only with various angles can we appreciate suffering and selflessly think about how advantaged we are. We live in a highly interconnected world; our very actions can have far reaching effects. The burning of forests in Indonesia adversely affects tourism air quality in Singapore and the region. Consequently, the development of other countries in Southeast Asia.Mere apathy of our surroundings can result in undesirable effects for others or even one’s self.

However, it is apparent that knowledge is both our friend and foe. Incontestably, we have improved our standards of living through technological developments and the spread of ideologies such as capitalism, mainly due to knowledge. At the same time, the overflowing knowledge of certain individuals may be highly aversive to society; the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the nuclear bomb was due to our confident knowledge of modern physics, the brainchild of Albert Einstein.

In today’s modern context, the most common mode of transmission of knowledge and information is via the mass media. The mass media is a powerful force that inevitably penetrates through our lives to the extent that it can influence our character, attitude and lifestyle; its ubiquitous nature has the power to make or break a person. New and conventional media have managed to integrate into our lifestyles such that we are non-existent without it. Dwelling in an exceedingly interconnected world, we cannot merely garner knowledge by word of mouth, just as the aborigines in Australian transmitted their knowledge over generations. We depend highly on the Internet and newspapers for knowledge concerning daily occurrences; journals keep a register of past discussions for us to learn new knowledge for application in future research. Internet usage itself is increased from 361 million users in 2000 to 1.8 billion by 2009.[i] Its effects in disseminating knowledge are far reaching – a new frontier at a cusp of innovation…Since September 2006, the brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook has seen an exponentially increase in a few short years to a sum of 300 million subscribers today. Such a platform has been useful in the spreading of knowledge and as a discussion forum.

In our aim to teach one another knowledge that is freely accessible physically, yet extremely exclusive mentally, we have to undertake pedagogy that appreciates that we most efficiently learn via different learning styles. In our aim to teach knowledge through the best possible method, we should have the target to do so efficiently and within the least time possible. This can only be done if we can satisfy the learning style of the person being taught. This is where many educational institutions have failed. Merely organising lectures and tutorials are insufficient; they are only effective for auditory and visual learners. Holistic teaching that encompasses theory and application are essential to driving knowledge. Institutions should organise field trips and excursions so that kinaesthetic learners are not left out; they can benefit equally from the education system. Alternatively, practical sessions could be organised; instead of simply learning an economics concept or scientific theory, projects, experiments ad research can be facilitated as an approach to hands-on learning. Today, we should not emphasise rote learning is a distant past; independent thinkers  are the future.should be developed. This can only be done if institutions teach less, but students learn more. This will succeed if institutions inculcate into their students the importance of interdependent and independent learning.

Independent learners can be developed through Socratic thinking and questioning. Socrates once said theorised that, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” To develop independent learners, we need to teach ourselves how to think. Through independent learning, we obtain knowledge by ourselves; we do not depend on others for such a valuable commodity. The job of institutions is to teach people to find knowledge, not teach them knowledge. The best way to do this is via thought-provoking questions. Through his relentless questioning, Socrates forced people to examine their own beliefs. Questions provide us a platform for a purpose-driven life. We think about our actions; we appreciate our environment. We do not merely accept knowledge; we question it. We do not simply consume knowledge; we apply it. The integration of such outcomes of a thinker causes us to become more than knowledgeable. We become wise. Examining Blooms Taxonomy, accepting knowledge passively is the lowest level of education-receiving. Institutions should aim to undertake an approach in which students value knowledge and allows it to influence his or her characteristic where useful such that that knowledge can be applied with wisdom.

Thomas Edison explained, “our greatest need is to teach people who think- not what, but how.” Through such judgment, we are not satisfied with simple knowledge. We are more interested in the process than the final result of knowledge per se. We are not as concerned about the facts; rather, we are engrossed with the derivation and controversies about such beliefs and falsifiable theories. When Einstein presented his theory of Quantum Physics, the world was appalled. How could electromagnetic waves have wave particles? Nevertheless, it was the process in which Einstein was enabled to justify, to an extent, such a theory that appeased the world; he performed experiments. Through judgment and the skill of analysis, we evolve from conformism into individualism. Only through individualism can future civilizations accept facts firmly and determine the suitability of such knowledge in that modern context. Conformism is the sustenance of knowledge; individualism is the birth of knowledge. Our understanding of the heliocentric solar system and quantum physics were due to the individualistic nature of brave, confident scientists who rejected the paradigm of their time and were consequently leaders of a paradigm shifts. Via Quantum Physics, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was invented for further investigation into the characteristics of subatomic particles which will consequently strengthen foundations concerning our knowledge on Quantum physics and build upon that understanding. Individualism allows for the growth of a plethora of schools of thought that enables us to appreciate knowledge based on stronger foundations.

Knowledge consists of both the priori and posterori knowledge; nonetheless, there is no superior form of knowledge. Knowledge should be a civil right; it should be non-rivalrous and non-excludable. The preference of type of knowledge and learning style will help us, as members of an interdependent international society focus on the development of one another, as independent, individualistic thinkers such that we are not merely bogged down by mere memorisation of knowledge; we rather decisively critique knowledge. Only then can we apply knowledge to improvements in quality of life so as to ensure the progress of future generations. Our forefathers have passed down to us invaluable knowledge; the Babylonians and Egyptians indisputably inspire us. It is time for us to take the lead and inspire future civilisation to press on and trudge on in the unending pursuit for knowledge. Ultimately, it is the wise who own knowledge. They know the importance of it and they apply it not to benefit themselves only, but to advantage the rest of mankind as well. Stephen Hawking, a reputable mathematician and physicist who continued the work of Einstein from various aspects such as relativity, once said, “we are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.” Knowledge and its applications have made us superior. The option has been provided to man to accept knowledge and convert it into multifaceted wisdom.

The growth of tourism is a threat to the environment. Discuss.

Tourism is an activity with roots that can be traced as far as people visiting the Roman baths, becoming a fashion in Europe since the 17th century. Today, tourism represents more than an activity or a fashion, it is an industry which brings great contribution or even keeps alive certain economies. In the age of cultural diversity, any country can allow the world to become familiar with their roots, traditions or beliefs. Much alike the case of natural resources, tourism is regarded mainly from one perspective, that of financial income for the hosts. In a time when technological development marks every corner of the world, the wide-spread touristic activities are enclosing the natural habitat until it reaches the confines of a windowed room, for the leisure of innumerable individuals.

            Tourism determines the need to expand over natural environment. In the field of tourism, the most important aspect is to have impeccable services, which means that enough accommodation must be provided, as well as infrastructure for access to the area as well as recreation facilities. All of these are necessary in order to keep a constant income of visitors, while ensuring that a good deal of profit is being made. For instance, accommodation facilities and recreational areas in the case of ski resorts imply massive deforestation, severely altering the trophic chain of the surrounding forest. Furthermore, the extensive paving required by infrastructure access and travel related building such as airports amount up to an alarmingly high portion of the natural habitat. These inherent, compulsory factors brought about by the progress of the tourism industry eventually end up dominating the environment and turning it into a man-made, artificial one.

            The pressure exercised by the tourism industry does not, however, resume itself to limiting and confining nature. Another grave issue is represented through the enormous resource consumption, pollution and waste that result from the millions of visitors. For instance, in the case of Cyprus, in 2009 the government has approved the touristic development of 14 golf courses. Considering the amount of drinkable water that is already scarce in the region, the annual required volume to maintain the golf-courses sums up to more than a third of the population’s need of potable water over a year. What is more, any form of transportation employed by tourism is, unavoidably, air polluting, bringing a massive contribution to the process of global warming by the means of carbon dioxide emissions. All factors considered, being one of the fastest growing industries around the world, tourism poses one of the biggest threats for the environment and for the preservation of natural habitats, causing a tendency in people to put a price-tag on everything that can be considered exotic by someone else.

            On the other hand, there are also advantages determined by touristic development because of the world-wide advertising this industry can bring to a remote area or potential investors. Therefore, tourism is beneficial because it contributes to key-areas such as raising environmental awareness, the protection and preservation of certain ecosystems and endangered species within protected natural parks. For example, in Congo, the coverage provided by tourism has led to investments to protect the mountain gorillas, one of the most endangered great ape species in the world. One other positive example is the Grupo Punta Cana resort, located in the Dominican Republic. In this case, over 10,000 hectares of natural habitat have been set aside for the preservation of biodiversity and 11 fresh-water springs are maintained for the same purpose. The resort truly combines luxury with utility, also having created a biodiversity laboratory run by the Cornell University. These facts serve but to emphasize that with the proper responsibility, care and attention to the nature which protects humanity, the environmental issues can easily be solved by means of sustainable development.            

As it is the case with most rapidly growing industries, exercising control and regulatory standards is close to impossible on a global level. The lack of environmental awareness and education has brought humanity to the paradox of wanting to travel in order to visit and appreciate a unique place on earth, while destroying it. Awareness for the ecosystem in which people live, should be a part of the common consciousness. Ethical principles should be applied to man’s relationship with his habitat, so that the few positive examples are followed, turning a strictly financial business into a life-giving one, both for people and for the Earth.