• Question: If you had a chance to change the world what would you start with?

    Asked by dramaqueen1 to Betul, Bridget, Ceri-Wyn, Laurel, Maria on 15 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Bridget Waller

      Bridget Waller answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      Hi,

      This question popped up in the livechat – so i guess i should try and expand on my answer somewhat! I wouldn’t like the thought of trying to change the world, I think the lack of determinism in life is exciting and challenging. Exactly like evolution…it is not pre-determined or directed, it is an inevtiable process that comes about because that is the logical way that life works. So…even though there are horrible things about the world, our job it to deal with them and ease them as much as we can, rather than change the world.

      Or, I would make sure there was tonnes of money for research into primate behaviour and evolution…. 🙂

    • Photo: Maria Pawlowska

      Maria Pawlowska answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      Thanks for the question – the answer won’t be very science related but it’s something I strongly believe in. If I had a chance to change the world I’d make sure that every child everywhere, independent of gender and country of birth, has equal access to health providers and education. So that no matter where a little baby is born and whether it’s a boy or a girl it gets to see a doctor or nurse when it’s sick, get the medicine it needs and than get schooling until at least the age of 15 or 16.

    • Photo: Ceri-Wyn Thomas

      Ceri-Wyn Thomas answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      Hmmmmm. This is the most difficult question I’ve been asked so far. Where would I start?
      I guess poverty is hugely limiting and puts an impenetrable barrier against any form of progress since no money means no choices and no resources- so tackling poverty is where I would start. This way developing nations would be able to educate their population, provide it with good quality healthcare and then it would be able to start tackling bigger problems like sustainable development, industry without too heavy an impact on our climate and the likelihood of civil war would hopefully be reduced. It’s only when you have economic and political stability and an educated population that you can really make an impact tackling those problems that affect us all. People power is the way forward!

    • Photo: Laurel Fogarty

      Laurel Fogarty answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      If I had a chance to change the world I would start with helping girls in the developing world go to school, start businesses and make their lives better. Research has shown that girls who are educated, allowed to flourish and learn like their brothers and respected can go on to earn money that will get their whole families out of poverty – also (no offense boys) but girls re invest more money in their families and communities than boys. This means that it is unfair on everyone when girls are not allowed to go to school. There is a really great video about this here: http://www.girleffect.org/

      I think that education is the answer to almost every problem. Education means that we can think and learn about problems in different ways. For example, you might be used to thinking about climate change as an environmental issue, but what about thinking about it as a humanitarian issue?- did you know that over 3 billion people (that’s half the world!!!) in the middle east and on the Indian sub-continent could face acute water shortages if the predictions about climate change come true?

      Hmm…this is a passionate topic for me! I think I will stop there and just say that I think I would start with education. For everyone.

    • Photo: Betul Arslan

      Betul Arslan answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      Good question! I think I would love to live in a world where science and scientific discovery is more appreciated and welcomed. I think we are doing a better job than we used to (like science is not that scary to public anymore) but more has to be achieved.

      Apart from science, it is hard for me to ignore the fact that so many people in the world are still being treated differently and are facing racism and separatism because of their skin color/religion/beliefs/thoughts and gender. All human beings must be treated equally and I hope to see that racism will be gone to garbage someday, forever.

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