"Change We Can Believe In"
As a human being living on planet Earth with the rest of you. I reckon, that as long as I'm reasonably polite, don't slander anyone, nor make any libelous statements; I have as much right as any other commoner, to say what I want to say. Yes 'commoner' is the correct term – the only other natural titles I have, are son, brother, husband, dad, and human.
A little background just in case you haven't read the bio. I was born in England, grew up on four continents, and now I live in Thailand. Living under the passport of my country of birth, and the good graces of my adopted country; I am a world citizen.
I have a funny belief, an idea born of direct dialog that what is "good" for my friends in Bangkok, is also good for my friends living in L.A., in Bratislava, and York (that would be the original one in England), Cape Town, Manila, Mexico City, Geneva, Hawaii, and Vietnam; and also my friends in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia; and every other place where there are children, and parents, our old, and our young; worried about what the future holds.
Will 2011 be a year in which they lose their house, because wealthy banking executives pay themselves huge bonuses; and incredibly wealthy people pay minimal taxes? Will 2011 be a year in which they get sick? A year they could not afford to buy good health? Will 2011 be a year in which war comes again to their neighborhood? And they have to hide in their rooms, covering the ears of their children from the cackle of gunfire and try to explain the horror of humans killing other humans? Will 2011 be a year in which brave men are silenced either by twisted law or permanently – for telling the truth?
Or will 2011 be a year in which our enlightened leaders finally build for us; 'change we can believe in'? I am a great believer in solutions rather than problems, in other words, I'd prefer you came to me with the former rather than the latter. And yes, I do think it is your responsibility to do so – actually it is your job, and we pay you to do it.
The year 2010 was a tough year for all of us.
In Thailand we saw the worst, and the best of this great Nation. I hope that I don't have to keep my boy from going to school because the City is burning, and people are firing automatic weapons in the streets. I hope that my friends can earn their living without being obstructed. I hope that we give ourselves a chance to grow together.
Elsewhere in the world things weren't much better. My friends in North America have been hammered and hammered again. They have to work harder and longer hours than their grandparents, and for less. That's not progress.
There was a bright spot in 2010 – the World Cup in Africa. Who would have thought? You see, one of the continents I grew up in, was Africa. My early boyhood – age three to age ten. We lived in Cape Town, South Africa. It was 1966. You can imagine, perhaps, if you look at the civil rights movement in America, what South Africa was like at the height of the apartheid era… Or perhaps now, in the dog hours of 2010; you'd prefer not to. So 'yah', the World Cup being held in Africa was a big moment for me – I watched most of it in Indonesia – such is life.
But as we watched the World Cup opened by our great human treasure, Nelson Mandela, and as we vilified the referees for their blunders, so we also turned a deaf ear to drones "collecting" collateral damage, and our world leaders making their blunders. And blunder they do.
Going into 2011 I am optimistic. Why? You might ask. And I don't blame you for asking. Well, I generally am an optimistic person – I've had to learn to be – optimism is a useful tool for "planning for tomorrow". An idea that inherently encompasses the concept that there will be something to plan for. I have to believe that. Otherwise I would struggle to smile at my children. It would be hard to lie and tell them that their future looks bright if you believed it was not. Very hard, and heart-breaking. And so I do think, and wonder, and feel for, what the parent, the uncle or the grandfather, says to his kids in Iraq. Or Kabul. Or Haiti.
I don't know. I only know what this parent says here in Bangkok, "I pray for peace. Please. I want a safe place, not just for my kids but for yours too – all of them; everywhere. Is that such a big ask? I wish you all a peaceful, secure, healthy, interesting, safe and happy 2011, filled with love and laughter. I pray too that our leaders around the globe really do give us, 'Change we can believe in'.
Below are some of the people who give me hope. People, I believe, who have, and are truly, creating, 'Change'.
Actions speak louder than words.
Sir Ken Robinson
This is an old speech of Sir Ken's, but one that is timeless in nature. Our system of education globally is broken. It is passed time we fixed it. There are approximately 6.7 billion of us today. In another 40 years it is expected that figure will have risen to at least 9 billion. We use a system of education, globally, that was created during the industrial revolution. It is time for another revolution. An education revolution.
Warren Buffet, Bill and Melissa Gates
for the Pledge. I think it is totally cool that the wealthiest people in the world are giving their money away – and lots of it. I encourage the top ten per cent to follow suit or, as Steve Jobs said, "Do you want to be the richest guy in the graveyard?" I hereby promise. If I have as much as any of the top ten per cent of the wealthiest people in the world I will do the same. Does this kind of action give me hope? Sure.
Auret van Heerden
To the people who sell me things. I don't want to buy your products if you are using "bad practices". I really do not. So that means that from now on I want to know, exactly, what is in everything I buy. I want to trust you I do. But HP, Blackberry, Apple, Toyota, Amazon, - I don't want you to use child labor or factories that cause workers to commit suicide to bring your products to me – I don't need that kind of Karma.
Worldreader.org
At a very basic level. The more people that are reading – the safer we are as a planet. This is hardly rocket science.
Bjorn Lomborg: Global prioritizer
Is it right that most of our world leaders focus not on the world, but only "their own" corner of it? No it isn't. In the connected world we live in, a world that will, if we let nature take its course, become much more connected; we must start thinking of things on a bigger scale.
Julian Assange
Government leaders watch the audience response to the question they are asked at 10:35. Take note – we are watching, and yes, we do care.
Zainab Salbi
"We need to understand peace from a toenails perspective."
Khun Mechai Viravaidya
"We believe in the barefoot MBA."
