Food For Thought

The ongoing food and energy crises in several parts of the world have made many global leaders sit up and think. Some have started taking corrective measures while others have committed to working together to overcome human development challenges.

Food and energy, the two basic necessities to sustain human existence, top today’s global agenda. Shortages and famines are fears shared by many poor countries, while the rich are getting worried about ensuring reliable sources of supply over the long term.

Rising inflation and prices of basic food items are making the poorest people insane, and many have committed suicide due to their inability to feed family and children.

Feeding the world’s poor is a major challenge indeed, but providing food for thought is equally essential and necessary. Knowledge of self, surroundings, stakes, rights, duties, freedom, responsibility, skills, as well as what negative or positive impact an individual or a society’s actions could have on other people is as important as food and energy. Teaching someone to catch fish is better than giving them one every day.

The unequal distribution of wealth and resources, as well as greed and hunger for more than one requires to live ‘well’ are hindrances the world has had trouble to overcome since its inception. Throughout history, personal and collective greed has victimized people and nations.

The world’s libraries are full of evidence that the inability to respect the rights of others and restrict actions and advances driven by unchecked ambition – were and are responsible for human tragedies and disasters.

Such disasters continue to harm us today. They are more visible in the poor countries torn by conflict and war, and their impact in the developed countries, at least for now, is of an indirect nature. The rich countries are bombarded with requests for support, aid and assistance in times of trouble.

Help is provided to overcome emergencies. The commitments and assurances of support and assistance make headlines around the world, but little gets done on the ground and the problems continue to multiply. Darfur, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanamar and Palestine are some of the more visible outcomes of human neglect, vested interest and indifference.

Change in mindset and behaviour could only be made possible by feeding the minds. There is more food for thought available in developed nations, but it is in short supply in overpopulated, poor countries and conflict areas. Inability to build consensus, extremism, fundamentalism, and putting personal interests ahead of collective benefit and greater good stem from lack of education and understanding, not only hunger and poverty.

The situation calls for a proactive positive action from countries with the most resources to create awareness through education and dissemination of knowledge at the grassroots level in the developing countries. Change in mindset and behaviour are also necessary in the developed world, and the emerging oil-rich states of the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. Reducing and eradicating human rights violations and abuse of power will expedite human development.

Engaging the people of the world, rich and poor, in a positive dialogue to foster respect and understanding for the rights and needs of others is the only plausible and sensible solution for sustainable development. This could only be made possible if more people, especially in the poor developing countries and conflict areas, are empowered to think for themselves.

Feeding minds with knowledge and education that activates brains to think and act positively is the key to overcoming the world’s current and future development challenges. Making the resources available for the gigantic task is a challenge that could be overcome by the world’s richest nations and the affluent local communities, as well as the multinationals and the corporate sector. Finding the will to drive and push the process forward would, however, require an honest collective effort.

From Lahore to Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi to Aberdeen, progressive minds working for human development in diverse cultural environments with different religious beliefs are faced with their own sets of challenges. They are working on finding answers to many questions, and the one that tops their list is: Why can we not feed the bodies as well as the minds of people if we really want to live in peace together?
ENDS