How do I begin to make a difference in a big deeply flawed world? By Amaka Dominic- Udeagbaja
Against the backdrop of COVID-19, concentration camps in China, protests and mass killings across Africa, sex trafficking rings up and down the globe and many other injustices that are too numerous to mention or fail to make the news, it feels like there’s always another issue that we can't do much about. I don’t claim to be a supreme model of social justice but I do have some ideas that I know that if even a couple of people were to take on board could put a dent in the corrupt social and economic systems that exist to harm our planet and its inhabitants. Read on for 3 tips on how to do your part in making a global difference.
1. Be honest
I believe there is a lot of power in being honest to the people around that you consider loved ones. Maybe it's the Nigerian in me but I’m very good at telling the truth and feel like this is what many people lack in their daily interactions that although seemingly minor can create a sort of disequilibrium in relationships. I can imagine on a macro-political scale this is how poverty and inequality has been well established into society from politicians fibbing about their future commitments to myths about racial superiority. Maintaining honesty doesn’t mean you should now go and tell everyone everything on your mind; unsolicited ‘honesty’ is equally if not more problematic. When in doubt follow the age old rule; if you haven’t got anything nice (or constructive) to say don’t say it at all.
Another aspect of honesty is within inner dialogue. It’s unhealthy to lie to oneself about their expectations of what the world should look like as soon as the clock hits 12 signalling a New Year, for example, in order to avoid disappointment or disillusionment; but create clearly, defined goals that are achievable within a given time frame and with the resources available .
2. Keep learning
For many, this next step can probably be skipped over but the value in learning when trying to solve issues that surround us is indisputable. Evidently, to solve an issue we need to understand what it is and the mechanisms that underpin it in order to demolish them. There is no time like 2020 where technology has brought access to millions of articles on millions of issues to those who ten years ago would have otherwise been excluded. TEDtalks, books, documentaries and podcasts are a great path to self education; examples of which I’ve left at the end of this post.
3. Make micro changes to your life to create positive changes for the world
Conceptualizing major issues as those that can be resolved with marginal changes in one’s life is the most practical and least psychologically stressful way to approach such issues. There are so many easy ways in which we can implement changes in people’s lives e.g. signing up as a Telephone Befriender for Age UK or taking part in protests for LGBT+ rights. The UN consolidates dozens of suggestions that we can take on to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
On the topic of sustainability, another way of ensuring long term involvement in creating positive change across the world is crafting future career aspirations around such goals. For example if looking into consultancy, think of working for firms that serve NGOs and governments or if interested in economics, what about financial institutions that offer cheap micro-loans to female entrepreneurs in developing countries?
Even if it’s just turning off a light or making a hot drink for someone, there are hundreds of opportunities to improve things for other people and just doing a couple of these will make you realise that you don’t need to build a school in Mozambique to weigh in on global issues and do your part.
Relevant resources
TEDx Playlists:
Spotify Podcasts:
Books:
Geography: Ideas in Profile
The Divide: Global Inequality and Its Solutions
Sapiens
By Amaka Dominic-Udeagbaja