Change is transition. Change is succession or substitution. Change is time evolution of system’s intrinsic state variables. Change is to alter, to undergo variation. Change is a process of bringing a difference. Change is something driven by core beliefs and central values. Change is something that presses us out of our comfort zone. Change is something that brings hope to adapt and survive, again. Change is not merely necessary to life—it is life.
We do live in a serendipitously discovered, systematically evolved, and structurally ordered world. Our innovative ideas, inventive steps and collective efforts have always kept us on path of continuous evolution. Just let imagination flow -I’m now capable of communicating to anyone, sharing information with everyone, commuting anywhere, and remarkable thing is this all at a pace which would never have been conceived by even my grandfather. This accelerating pace of technology is even driving us closer to Kurzweil’s singularity which might reveal an utterly different reality. This is the CHANGE.
We are bringing change in every possible domain of our existence. New ideas enveloped in appropriate technologies are exploring possibility everywhere. Let me present here some more examples which are sweeping a different plane altogether. The idea of Mohammud Yunus’s Grameen Bank and diligent efforts of Visionary Iqbal Kadir’s Grameen Phone is waving a sea change in the lives of people of Bangladesh. The inspiring vision of Nicholas Negroponte and remarkable innovation of Yves Behar is giving a new hope in the lives of underprivileged children from Developing countries through their XO1, ($100 laptop). A collective understanding of Compassion at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions has resulted into crafting a “Charter of Compassion” by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, It has accepted quite surprisingly our collective failure in living compassionately.
All these are just amazing glances of change. All these things clearly show the power of possibility in ideas, possibility in unfathomed imaginative vision. I see life as a continuous evolving process where these persons of immense character present a glimpse of possibilities in every dimension of human endeavor. People like Shai Agassi of Better place, Mitchel Resnick of Lifelong Kindergarten group, Nicholas Negroponte of OLPC are bringing the change almost singlehandedly. A collective and collaborative effort is also now driving a change. A deeper realization of our associated identity and integrated co-existence is dawning on us.
The world is changing but the gravity of problems, constantly faced by us, is heart rending. The recent estimates of poverty by World Bank has revealed 1.4 billion People living at or below the poverty line of $1.25 a day. One billion people lack access to basic health care systems. More than 100 million people around the world are pushed into poverty each year because of catastrophic health-care expenditures. IUCN reports 75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost and Over 350 million people suffer from severe water scarcity. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names, and most are poorer and unhealthier than those who can. Every Year, nearly 10 million children die totally unpreventable deaths. India’s Gross Enrollment ratio decreased from 88.6% at primary level to 11.85% at Tertiary level, which indicates mass drop out. (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2007).
nice blog and nice posts
nice insight into how we and world around us is changing. Interesting choice and permutation of words. Change is indeed life as you said. It is neccessary infact else it renders life pointless. But the fact that in this sea of change we are leaving so many off this wave of change such that it hardly touches the lives of millions of people. All this change is meaningless to them, basal needs are not fulfilled for them what to say of the latest technology producing even an iota of difference to their lives in their lifetime. Change must be inclusive. Man pursues technological advances, innovations etc. for it gives him an intellectual challenge and is good for society too. But with a fraction of population only benifitting from this change and progress, the progress and makers of change seem to me very individualist, materialists who do it for their own individual benefits. The age of internet , media influencing our perceptions, opinions it is easy to forget the unpriviliged people and think that the world is a happy place with only priviliged people.
Hey.. I do agree with you that Change has to be inclusive, otherwise it loses its very essence.
But the world is really changing in those aspects also where our mindset was primarily individualistic. A new breed of social entrepreneurs like Nicholas Negroponte and Iqbal Kadir, is driving this change. Their model is based on principles of bringing inclusion and equity to all human being irrespective of their earlier setting.
And I do hope that development of new technologies like internet enabled Open Source will definitely assist in this process of bringing inclusion.