THE WORLD IN TURMOIL - The Solution
The total number of refugees worldwide will have multiplied manifold and with minimal resources available, a strategy needs to be worked out to address the situation. First and foremost, every possible step should be taken so that there is no likelihood of increase in the number of refugees by providing stability, harmony and equitable economy in all countries. Prevention of civil wars and wars with external forces is of paramount importance to prevent the increase in the number of refugees. Secondly, for the refugees who do turn up at the refugee camps seeking assistance, the first step to be taken, by those managing the camps, is to ensure that the newly arrived refugees are prevented from slipping into a state of helplessness and depression. These individuals who were active individuals, with a business or employment, and with good standing in the community and family and who now find themselves in a tent with strangers and, no belongings and low self-esteem, are now labelled as refugees. They have potential and ability to work and contribute to society. It is imperative that they are made busy right at the outset and provided with psychosocial support as well as vocational rehabilitation to prevent the loss of their abilities and diminution in their capabilities. If they are allowed to settle into an environment of the refugee camps where they have nothing useful to do but ruminate over their predicament and, worse still, to get used to a culture of receiving hand-outs and support regularly, the world will have acquired a monumental liability – loads of individuals, previously with potential, who have no motivation any more fending for themselves let alone helping others.
The Programmes for rehabilitation of refugees and resettlement are, no doubt, currently in existence. Those programmes now need to be updated and the intercession needs to be quick at the outset as the refugees start arriving. This requires enlisting help from volunteers and forming solid partnerships with other charitable organisations in the provision of services for the refugees. The partnerships need to be designed so that there is no duplication of efforts but working professionally and systematically together to achieve a common goal. The goal is to preserve the individual potential of the refugees, immediate provision of vocational rehabilitation and quick re-settlement into a new custom-built environment if it is not possible to return them to their original abode. The new environment can take the shape of a new village, town or even a city. This vision is easy to achieve.
With more economic and political turmoil in the world, the number of homeless and refugees is going to increase monumentally and whereas the donor agencies managed to have resources and coped in the past, the situation will be different. There will be minimal or nil contributions from the existing donor agencies and those who do have the resources to contribute may not have it in their culture to “give generously”. A catastrophic situation can develop leading to chaos, instability and disharmony on a global scale. This does not auger well for anyone including the leaders and the population. Poverty and insecurity in a nation is as much a serious liability and pain, if not more, to the leaders as it is to the nationals. For a peaceful and harmonious world, the leadership has its work cut out. This, in the current climate, applies to both the developed nations and the developing nations. The time has come where those in the developed, formerly affluent nations, need as much help and assistance as those in the developing poor nations. The food distribution centres, homeless centres, child poverty and adult poverty are in existence in the formerly affluent nations. The developing, less affluent, nations will now need to develop their own home-made strategies to initiate and run projects that may have been sponsored or backed by Aid programmes from overseas. Furthermore, if the 2030 goal of achieving eradication of extreme poverty is to materialise, the individual nations have to take responsibility and ownership for it.
There needs to be cordial relations between all the nations of the world whether developed, developing, undeveloped, affluent or poor. Each nation has something good to offer and share with other nations for the common good.
It is said that with the cold war over there is no danger of wars or conflict. It is quite the contrary. The world today is a more dangerous place than it was during the cold war. For combating this state of affairs there are two options. One, the solution could be to spend more on armaments and soldiers and let the status quo remain on the level of aggression at all levels of society and internationally or choose the second option of implementing preventive measures so that the dangers can be removed. The choice and it seems to be the only choice at the moment, because of financial constraints, is to go for preventive measures. This will auger well for humanity, it will be less costly and there will be less sadness and misery.
The demand for global leadership has never been greater. If ever there were a moment for a global leader to step up, this is it. Following globalisation, the world has changed structurally, yet our systems for managing global affairs have not adapted. Seven billion citizens no longer live in separate boats. They live in more than 206 cabins (countries) on the same boat. Each cabin has a government to manage its affairs. And the boat as a whole moves along without a captain or a crew. The world is adrift.
Half the population in the globe lacks basic sanitation and 1/3 of the world population is without safe drinking water. 1 billion people go to bed hungry night after night. Millions of children are losing out on basic education. Unemployment is leading to lots of serious problems socially, medically and politically.
Basic education for all would cost $7 billion and water and sanitation for all would cost $10 billion. Expenditure on wars and its effects cost a lot more than $17 billion. Let us take stock and reflect. This is our globe and our responsibility as occupants and not just of the leaders. We as individuals need to ask, “what can I do, albeit in a small way, to make this globe a better place?”
The unprecedented and unexpected events that have occurred recently are significant events for humanity. A global leader is needed who will be in a position to steer the single boat which has 206 cabins with selflessness and courage, without discrimination, with love for peace and justice among humanity.
Dr Amir Lakha
Founder and Chairman of HUMANITARIAN AND CHARITABLE ONE TRUST (HACOT) and author of HEADS YOU WIN TAILS YOU WIN
#2030NOW
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