Fix the World or Give Up: The Choice Is Yours in 2025. The Art of Jumping: How It Can Save Lives and the World
Welcome to the #FixTheWorld or #GiveUp Newsletter No. 63
Happy New Year! Bonne année! 新年快樂!
hope you like these theme tunes for this news letter, and do tell others to join us FixTheWorld.4Good.Space
Funky:
Hark Rock:
I’m Gareth Wong, and I hope 2025 is off to a great start for you. Personally, I’m kicking off the year with a renewed focus on health—challenging myself to run more and embracing cycling with a new road bike.
While I might not be ready to don Lycra 24/7, perhaps it’s time for someone to design a sleek, 007-level line of functional cycling gear that fits even at private members’ clubs? Any takers? Ed Bartlett
This year, I’m committing to making my newsletters more concise, actionable, and inspiring. Let’s start 2025 by focusing on three essential actions for me, in case you wanted to join forces:
1) Self-Challenge: & Push beyond your limits safely. Meeting a 70-year-old fitness phenom in Hong Kong showed me how much more I must do. Ontop of my running, cycling, I will do more Cindy, will blog about Minimal Viable Workout that increases Vo2Max. See my last post about health Vitality.4Good.Space
Are you challenging yourself enough physically, mentally, or socially? If not, time to start in 2025
2) Follow Wisely: Curate your media and social feeds with intention. Too many people are stuck in echo chambers or swayed by bad socials, unverified claims, especially from influencers promoting dubious supplements.
Let’s empower ourselves—and the next generation—by following credible sources and critical thinkers. Comical look at our silly world now:
Given the latest disinformation clubs of Facebook & X, there is only one way to maintain our sane world:
I’ve explained before about good influencers and how to ‘self defence’:
Some good influencers on Instagram whom might be flooded by Sh*t soon without content moderations by Sam Bentley & Michelle O'Berg ‘s good news
3) Jump: Literally and metaphorically. Whether it's jumping to minimize injury in emergencies, jumping for joy and fitness, or jumping into collaborative actions to fix the world, movement is key. From stuntman techniques to jumping for an active lifestyle, it’s a mindset that can save lives and spark positive change.
It was deeply saddening to witness copycat terrorist attacks perpetrated by cowards ramming into unsuspecting pedestrians. Our hearts ache for all those who have been affected by these senseless acts of violence. As I have already shared this advice with my local neighborhoods, I want to emphasize the importance of taking immediate action if you find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation.
In the worst-case scenario, if you are about to be struck, make sure to JUMP!
See stuntwoman Tammie Baird explains:
Rest of this newsletter includes practical steps for individuals, companies, and societies to create a healthier, more sustainable future. Let’s challenge ourselves, choose wisely, and take the leap—together.
Key point: Biggest threat? Could US’s extreme Accelerationist billionaires be the new Wahhabism without backing of a religion?
Good explainer by Emily Allard Cc Peter Kyle
Fully Blog: TL;DR for FixTheWorld.4Good.Space No. 64
The world is failing to solve its existential issues: systemic liars & disinformation networks (without professional fact-checkers), climate change, rising inequality, war, far-right extremism, and de-globalisation. Even liberal democratic governments are too extreme, biased, slow, divided, or unwilling to act effectively (good luck with those run by present and future despots).
To save ourselves, Individuals, companies, and communities must self-organize with a bottom-up, systemic approach.
Key actions:
Individuals: Change consumption, educate yourself, engage locally, and adopt practical safety habits like "jumping" before any vehicle ramming towards you.
Companies: Measure impact, adopt purpose beyond profits.
Ask the right questions, and do the hard & right things!
Societies: Collaborate across race/communities/ divisions, invest in local scalable solutions.
Practical advice: Learn to "jump" before any vehicle ramming towards you; to minimize injuries in emergencies and integrate jumping into your daily life for joy, movement, and health benefits (so you have sixth sense and can jump without fail) .
Key Global Issues (Based on Research and Trends)
Climate Crisis: Unchecked global warming causes floods, wildfires (our hearts go out to all the fire victims worldwide, and droughts. Reliance on fossil fuels and lack of political will hinder renewable energy adoption. We’ve past 1.5C already in 2024!
Rising Inequality: The wealth gap grows; billionaires control $13 trillion while billions face poverty. Wage stagnation and economic systems deepen inequities. Poor mostly eat (nudged by FMCG marketing & behaviourial science) to select ultra processed food substances that leads to bad health outcome.
Geopolitical Tensions and War: Conflicts like Russia-Ukraine, Middle East wars worsen refugee crises and economic instability. Global institutions struggle to unite actions. (This will get worst with Canada, Greenland, Panama Canal under threat!? Surreal right? )
Far-Right Extremism & Divisive Politics (export from US even!): Disinformation exploits fear, weakening democracies. Politicians prioritise power over systemic solutions.
Biggest threat? Could US’s extreme Accelerationist billionaires be the new Wahhabism without backing of a religion?
Deglobalisation and Fragmented Action: Nationalism and protectionism undermine global collaboration and climate solutions.
If we’re divided while the world crumbles, humanity is doomed.
Step-by-Step Approach
1. What Individuals Can Do
Rethink Consumption:
Shift to nutritious, low-carbon diets: plant-forward, local, less waste.
Prioritize sustainable products: probiotics, circular economy goods, reusable alternatives.
Acid simple tests: Look into your own rubbish weekly, how do you minimise? are you composting?
Educate and Build Skills:
Learn about global challenges from reputable sources (e.g., IPCC reports, IMF inequality studies).
Develop resilient skills: permaculture, financial literacy, digital media literacy. EchoChamber.4Good.Space
Weekly, daily tasks: What have you learnt today/this week?
Organize Locally:
Join mutual aid groups or citizen assemblies for actionable solutions.
Use your voting power and spending to support sustainable companies.
At least SHARE your unwanted products/goods/groceries instead of throwing them out.
Practice Safety and Joy:
Learn to "jump" to minimize injuries during emergencies.
Integrate jumping into daily routines: jump for music, fitness, or to counteract sedentary habits.
Simplest way to safe yourself, like the stuntman, just jump before impact!
Great piece by Alexios Mantzarlis on latest facebook abandoning ‘fact checking’:
Reduce Digital Disinformation Influence:
Given our media world is flooded with more sh*t, please think critically before sharing posts. Read our last post on echo chamber: https://EchoChamber.4good.space
Support media literacy initiatives to counter propaganda (e.g., Dr. Alice Marwick’s research). More on our last blog: https://RespInfluencer.4good.space
Let’s Wait, think, read/watch properly, before sharing!
2. What Companies Must Do
Measure and Transform:
Commit to Fixing the world (could be by ESG frameworks but measure it against FTW purpose!) beyond greenwashing.
Use innovative ways to achieve more with less!
Adopt regenerative practices: natural inputs, waste reduction, circular economies.
Design products and business models that lasts! Can we design another Centennial light bulb. Check out the lightbulb live:
Align Profits with Purpose:
Offer products/services that empower healthier societies and ecosystems.
If you are poisoning people, environment or society, QUIT now, STOP your company's damage to the world!? I dare you to!
Rethink marketing: emphasize longevity, repairability, authentic storytelling. Support great work by Kyle Wiens
Foster Inclusive Workplaces that delivers:
Implement living wages and co-ownership structures to reduce inequality & incentivise results
by all means be 'hard core' but in employees’ own terms and be valued and rewarded accordingly.
Collaborate Across Sectors:
Join or create coalitions addressing big challenges (e.g., climate coalitions, water preservation alliances).
Let's collaborate and #FixTheWorld!
Join us: https://WhatsApp.4good.space
3. What Societies Can Do Collectively
Build Hyper-Local Resilience:
Support local food systems, energy grids, and water solutions.
Use citizen-led budgeting for sustainable infrastructure.
Cross-Division Collaboration:
Create platforms for dialogue between polarized groups.
Learn from successful models (e.g., Nordic welfare systems, long-term investments in China).
Not sure how this is done now .. Let’s discuss and create one? Can we? Cory Doctorow
Focus on Regenerative Systems:
Invest in education, healthcare, and reforestation.
Protect Facts and science based actionable research & collaborations.
Create grassroots-led media watchdogs.
Amplify truth-based, solutions-focused narratives in media.
See last FixTheWorld.4Good.Space blog ?? Gr8Pub.4Good.Space
Research and Leading Insights
Climate Action: IPCC 2024 , https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
Inequality: “Systemic inequality reduces resilience to crises.” – Thomas Piketty, Capital.
Polarization and Extremism:
Regenerative Economies: “Regenerative business models can out-compete extractive ones.” – Prof. John Fullerton, Capital Institute.
Practical Call to Action (possible first steps)
Sadly we can’t have rely on others any longer as we have come to the conclusion of this article. below are some suggestions (you need to adapt for yourself).. fill out/change as you wish:
For Individuals:
Week 1: Audit your lifestyle and consumption habits.
Week 2: Educate yourself about local organizations and mutual aid efforts.
Month 1: Shift to one sustainable habit (e.g., diet, energy, or transport).
Daily: Practice jumping exercises to strengthen your body and prepare for emergencies.
For Companies:
Year 1: Audit carbon impact and commit to regenerative practices.
Year 2: Launch a product or campaign aligned with climate and social good.
For Societies:
Host dialogues: Create platforms for diverse voices.
Invest in youth: Develop mentorship programs for resilient, future-ready generations.
Conclusion
As we kick off 2025, it’s clear we can no longer rely solely on governments or benevolent leaders to address the world’s mounting challenges.
The way forward is through individuals, companies, and communities acting independently and collectively to tackle systemic failures.
This newsletter has highlighted three simple yet impactful steps: self-challenging to grow and adapt, following the right sources to combat disinformation and make informed decisions, and embracing the power of jumping—both literally for safety and figuratively for joy and health.
It’s time to ask the right questions, internalise the right solutions, and take challenging and undoubtedly difficult paths, hopefully together!
By prioritising local action, fostering collaboration, and valuing education, we can create a regenerative, resilient world—before it’s too late. Let’s approach this year with optimism, movement, and purpose, proving that each jump, decision, and effort can bring us closer to fixing the world together.
Founder, Kostüme. Fixing the broken apparel model.
1 个月Well done Gareth W.. As for the 007-level lycra, it's in the roadmap!! Crowdcube link coming very soon. Happy New Year!