Thursday, July 28, 2005

Children

Every child on this planet has a unique gift for the mankind. We need to nurture the innate abilities of the child so that the child is indeed able to bestow this precious gift upon humanity.

To achieve this, a child should be strong, within and without. The child needs live in harmony with nature and his fellow creatures with sensitivity, compassion and care.

We need to provide an environment in which each child feels secure and happy. We need to foster creativity and originality. Our children need to learn to communicate effectively, so that there is greater understanding amongst the people.

Monday, July 25, 2005

Strong People make a Strong Society

A strong and vibrant society can be created only if its people are strong.

Each one of us must be strong; physically, mentally, emotionally and in spirit. Along with this we need understanding, empathy and compassion. We can help others only when we are strong. And we can help only so much. Each person has to find his or her own deliverance.

Friday, July 22, 2005

Slaves Today!

A wage earner in modern times is almost the same as the slave in ancient days. The chains may not be physical but they are there stronger than ever. They are economic and psychological.

What is an ordinary person today? A slave to a few powerful institutions and companies! A serf with a better name!?

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

People and Society

We are responsible for creating our own society.

Anthropologists have studied so many different cultures and societies. We have seen a wide variety of ethical beliefs, values and norms.

Which values are universal? Honesty? Compassion? Which values, norms and practices vary from culture to culture?

At this point in history when all the cultures meet, when information moves at the speed of light we are in a position to find what is best for all of us. Let us gather the opinion of all the people on the issues that concern us the most.

Why do we vote for people? Why not for issues, norms and laws?

Why are we afraid to talk about values, ethics and norms? Are we growing into an unethical society?

It is we who can find the best ways to adapt and live in harmony as a global society.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Terrorism, War and Responsibility

All of us need to stand up and take our responsibility in the scheme of things.

A soldier cannot kill and shirk his moral, ethical responsibility for killing another human being by saying,”I was ordered by my General”.

A General cannot order the killing of thousands of people, plants, animals, denude earth and then shrug away his responsibility by saying that he was ordered by the head of state.

A revolutionary also can not absolve his guilt by naming a cause or hiding behind a religion. We can not shirk our responsibility by shifting it to another person or some vague principle.

The heads of states and revolutionaries have the greatest responsibility of all. Instead of inciting and justifying violence in the name of God, Religion, Democracy, ‘Our way of life’, they need sit together and sort their differences. They need to find solutions that are fair and just to all.

Injustice, Violence; oral or physical, incite hatred. All of us who stand mute and watch the mayhem thinking that we are secure and safe in our little homes will be next in the firing line. It takes just a few fires to create a holocaust.

Our silence gives tacit support to war and terrorism.

If we do not speak up, do not take action, the violence; conventional,nuclear, biological may spin out of control.

And in the history of universe, we may claim credit for being the only species that made themselves extinct.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Social Technology

Social Technology is the art and craft of applying technology and social knowledge to enhance the human condition.

Modern information and communication technology allows us collect vast amount of authenticated data. In future these technologies are likely to contribute to greater understanding of human societies, their problems and provide insights for their solution.

Social Technology is possible now because we have a substantial body of Social Research available that can be applied to improve the systems that are currently in practice.

www.ablongman.com/baronbyrne has more links for reference.

There is a growing awareness that to solve complex social problems we need to integrate knowledge. There are some notable efforts in this direction.

http://www.acemedia.org/ewimt2005/
http://subsite.icu.ac.jp/people/fuller/unesco.htm
http://kie.berkeley.edu/KIE.html
http://www.iee.org/events/ewimt04.cfm
http://www.aimatshape.net/events-archive/Event.2005-08-03.3459
http://www.i-know.at/previous/i-know04/kmel-prog.htm
http://psicologia.unipd.it/htlab/150.php
http://www.wotr.org/soctech.htm
http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/Us_Eu/conf/tide98/134/ikonen_tuula.html

A few governments and non government bodies are trying to use this concept to improve human condition.

http://www.dswd.gov.ph/programs.php?progtype=2 http://www.socialtechbrewing.org/

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Are We Really Equal?

We hear and speak of democracy, equality, liberty and fraternity but these have become mere words. We use them habitually, self-righteously, without thinking. We listen to and make good speeches but the discrimination continues. We just have to look around and see those who are more equal than others and those who are totally deprived.

In a very macroscopic way we may say that all human beings are equal. The old argument is that they are made of the same raw material, flesh and bones etc., hence they are equal.

However if we observe at a micro level, the total number of genetic combinations that go into making us run into googols. Siblings in the same family are different, even the identical twins are different. I have known identical twins who have different abilities, preferences and abilities.

What is most interesting is that the genetic combinations appear to be random. The sons and daughters of the very brilliant, famous and successful are not that able. A brilliant achiever may be born in an illiterate and poor family. In reality each one of us is unique.

But…

All human beings must be treated equally and all human beings should have equal opportunities regardless of their colour, caste creed or gender because we are intelligent, humane and just; not because we are equal.

It is high time that we accepted the differences and learnt to respect the differences. It is these differences that make individuals interesting. If all human beings were identical, of one design and thought, behaved in the same manner, life would be static and extremely boring.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Can we live only by ourselves and for ourselves?

Life is intelligent. All living things and even the non living things are networked; connected to each other in subtle ways. We are like planets, each different, each on its own path, influencing other heavenly bodies. The entire configuration delicately balanced, constantly changing creating new heavenly bodies and annihilating the others.

Sometimes these connections are strong and sometimes they are weak. When we are connected strongly to some people and even the inanimate objects, the influence is greater. Even when the connection is remote and weak, we are affected for sure. El Nino in one corner of the world affects the whole planet. Theory of Chaos does not speak in vain. The influence may take time to reach us, but reach us it will, slowly and surely.

We can not have an economy of excess in one part of the world and economy of starvation in another. Why do we, the well fed citizens, feel uncomfortable when we see poverty, hunger, disease, death and destruction? For, even as each one of us is unique, each one of us is connected to all others. In the well being of all lies the well being of each one and hope for the future.

The nature is abundant and generous. There are enough resources to go around. All we need to do is overcome our fears and learn to share. We can learn to give a little when we are blessed with so much. It does not auger well for us if some of us throw food into the sea while the others die of hunger, hunger that can be prevented easily. We need to become sensitive to other people’s needs.

We need tolerance, compassion, cooperation, harmony, a global perspective if are to end the chaos and strife. All the people in the world need to put their heads together to solve the problems that beset us and ensure that each human being can live with dignity and achieve his full potential.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Are We Mere Animals?

I have great respect for the biologists who work very hard and study various animal species very patiently. They greatly add to our knowledge. But some people tend to look at animal species and map human behavior to that of animals. They tend to justify any behavior because some animal species have similar behavior. We do not need to emulate the behavior of animals. We can not!

And animal behavior is so varied! Which species are we going to follow; apes, chimps, dolphins, ants or hummingbirds? All species have adapted their behavior to survive and flourish. Why should we emulate the behavior some species?

We have a long cultural, social and scientific history of growth. And somewhere along the line there was a big jump in the intelligence. This increased intelligence and the social cultural factors have made humans very different from the other species. All that is true for animals may not be true for human beings. The ability of human beings to record and transfer collective knowledge from one generation to another has made human beings very different from the other species.

We are the only species on this planet that uses symbols and words to solve problems, convey ideas, thoughts and emotions. We draw, paint, make music, choreograph dance, create beautiful buildings and build new marvels of technology. We are driven by the desire to know the secrets of life, to create beauty, to explore the universe. We classify, formalize, codify all we learn, be it music or mathematics.

At this point in time we really do not know why and how all this happened. We are definitely different from the other species on this planet. Perhaps a little more intelligent than the other species! We not just animals.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

All of Us Need To Think

Will We Survive?

If we look at the world today, we find that change and growth in science and technology is rapid but the process of adjustment to these is slow indeed. Physically, emotionally and spiritually we remain almost the same as our ancient ancestors. The social cultural growth has been painstakingly slow. Our educational systems, ethical systems, religions, social structures and norms date back to ancient times. They are unable to keep pace with change that technology brings into our lives.

This variable pace is a major cause of anxiety and strife. The chaos that we see around ourselves at this point in time is mainly because of this.

I have great respect for all the prophets and leaders who preached the code to their followers and lead them successfully through difficult times to survive successfully. Perhaps what they taught was extremely relevant at that point in time. How ever what was relevant then may not be relevant any more.

Now with almost instant communication and meeting of various cultures, we all need to sit back and think of ways to end strife. If we do not, nuclear and biological wars may not be too far off. As such the tensions and diseases take their toll. Nature may strike back with all its fury. If we do not pay attention now it may be too late after a while.

We need to re examine our belief systems dispassionately. We need to look at our educational systems, ethical systems, religions, social structures and norms again. Are they relevant in our times? Do they give us peace within and without? It is a difficult task but it is possible. We need to apply all our brains to modify these systems or replace them with new ones, so that our species may indeed survive.

Friday, July 01, 2005

Will We Survive?

Let us pause for a while and think about ourselves. We, the human beings on this planet, are unique indeed. We are the only species on this planet that uses symbols and words to solve problems, convey ideas, thoughts and emotions.

We draw, paint, make music, choreograph dance, create beautiful buildings and build new marvels of technology. We are driven by the desire to know the secrets of life, to create beauty, to explore the universe. We classify, formalize, codify all we learn, be it music or biology.

We are the only species that seek to transmit all this knowledge from one generation to another. This knowledge is not mere survival skills transferred by other species. This vast body of knowledge is far beyond that. This process of transfer and accumulation of knowledge has helped us progress gradually and build a complex civilization.

In our quest for knowledge, we find that technology has grown at a rapid pace. Research in Genetics, Robotics, Computers, Information technology, media and Communication is promising new worlds. Artificial intelligence, cloning, genetic modifications, creation of new species are just round the corner. It is an intrepid new world that we are moving into.

At this point in time, we also roam the earth. We regard ourselves as the masters. We strive to control everything around us; the plants, the animals, the non living. We seek to conquer space, age, disease and death.

However even as life spans are getting longer, life is getting more anxious. Tension, maladjustment, drugs take the young and old for their own. Heart diseases, mental ailments, cancer and aids take all. We are swamped with the images of hate, aggression, racism, communalism, war, nuclear weapons, global warming, nature’s fury, terrorism, imperialism and genocide.

If the theory of evolution is true then the human species may or may not survive through eons. Our fascination for dinosaurs is not just by chance. Like us, they were the most abundant species on this planet and then they vanished. It’s only a few species that have survived through ages, bacteria, virus, cockroaches and ants to name a few.

So what is the future of the human species? Will we survive? If so how? Like the bacteria and virus that are able to create their own copies and mutate enough to survive any onslaught or like the insects with their group survival techniques and adaptations? We strive desperately to gain insights through genetic studies and studies of societies.

While we talk of evolution and study other species to get an understanding of our own behavior, deep down we realize that we are different. Are there any other species like our own, somewhere in this universe? If only we could communicate with them and study how they solve their problems, we may be able to get some insights into our problems. So we scan the skies with our SETI telescopes looking for intelligences, civilizations like our own.

Will we be the survivors or will we vanish soon?