Spiders, Universities & the Future of Humanity

The Loureedia phoenixi velvet spider was discovered in Iran. The colouring on its back resembles the face paint of the movie character Joker, and the species was named after actor Joaquin Phoenix who recently played the said character. Photo: K. Shei

IMAGINE

1. You cut off the legs of a spider; and
2. Then, you are expecting it to jump; and
3. Because it does not jump, you then conclude “it is deaf”!

Same with government systems:

1. We keep the poor with no tools to escape poverty; our kids with no clean air to breath; and our politicians without the wisdom and political motivation.
2. But we are expecting the poor; our kids; and our politicians to jump a leap of faith.
3. And then, we conclude poverty is a lack of character; kids will manage on their own; and yes, our politicians are deaf.

This is how humanity is acting now as if life on earth is a mega experiment, but see what I IMAGINE for the FUTURE OF HUMANITY:

I imagine the change starts from within Universities, all around the world, where students from developing countries receive funding for their higher education and then return to their home countries to lead the change; where there is plenty of programs on sustainability and environmental studies, on animal rights and welfare, on international collaboration and research exchange, smart and green cities, peace building and mitigation; and also, programs aiming at training current and future politicians that we all rely on.

As I see it, Universities, our hallowed institutes of higher education and progressive thinking, are humanities biggest hope for igniting scientific and public consensus on the HOTEST topics on the global agenda. Universities have a large cultural capital in our society, and their shifting has a great influence over the broader society’s ethical views and sustainable practices. This is particularly because they educate the leaders of our future society and because they are the very institutions where much of our understanding about the climate crisis has emerged from.

What can you do about it?

Don’t succumb to defeatism: Whenever someone says “It’s too late — the end of the world is coming”, you can reply “All it takes is a leap of faith and to ACT”.

How to ACT?

1. Talk to politicians relentlessly: they’re the ones who can make this simple vision a reality.
2. Share with peer students you know that if spiders “hear” by sensing vibrations on hairs found at the tip of their legs, then it’s possible to change the world through simple will and actions. It will change the foreseeable future of your life, your family’s life, and the lives of those you care about most.
3. Spread the word on social media: All it takes is a leap of faith and to ACT!

Now I ask you all — how do you choose to ACT?

Source: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/spiders-universities-the-future-of-humanity/