7 days of global military expenditure can educate 200 million children

All of us are aware of the highly dangerous and troubled world we live in today. But the critical issue is that “most of us, particularly the leaders and intellectuals of the world, know what are the major problems of the world… illiteracy, poverty, crimes, wars and so on. And they also know the solutions. For illiteracy, you have to invest in education; it’s simple and not such a big deal. Only a week’s global military expenditure can help in educating all the children of the world… 200 million children who are out of school can go to schools with just seven days of global military expenditure,” said Nobel Peace Laureate ­Kailash Satyarthi, delivering the ­keynote address at a plenary of the Kochi Zone Institute.

From L: Rashi, PRIP Shekhar Mehta, Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, RI President Stephanie Urchick, PRID Mahesh Kotbagi, Institute Convenor RI Director Anirudha Roychowdhury, Shipra, Institute Chair PDG John Daniel and Meera.

Along with the problems, the solutions were also known, but unfortunately the gap between the problem-solvers and the creators of the problems was growing wider. “Every day we keep creating new dialogues, phrases and jargon to say this is the solution and that is the solution, but nothing happens.”

In a world where new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence and a myriad other technological tools are emerging, what is required today is “compassionate intelligence”. Showering praise on the assembled Rotarians, he said, “Thousands of transformers of society are seated in front of me. You transform the world. Someday if a book is written on goodness of humanity, then I promise that your children, your grandchildren and greatgrandchildren will see your signature on that book of goodness. You’re making this world a better place. You have shown moral compulsion, a sense of moral responsibility towards the world. I congratulate you for that.”

The world has never been so broken, so divided, so fragile, as it is today. We have never faced such compounded crises and multiple challenges at one time as we do today.

And yet, despite all the good work Rotary, and many others did, the fact remained that “the world has never been so broken, so divided, so fragile, as it is today. We have never faced such compounded crises and multiple challenges at one time as we do today,” he said.

But at the same time, “the world has never been so wealthy and so filled with information and knowledge, advance in technology as now. On the one hand, every week, the world is creating two new billionaires, but during that same week, almost 10,000 children drop out from schools globally.”

Striking a poignant note, and echoing another Nobel Laureate, Bob Dylan, who wrote and sang the song The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, Satyarthi asked the delegates to ruminate over the fact that ‘every week almost 10,000 children are pushed into child labour and slavery. And these are not just numbers but breathing bodies and hearts. They will not come and knock on your doors; we have to have those ears to listen to their cry of silence. We have to have those eyes that can see the faces of invisibility.
I am sitting here because I have faith in you, my dear Rotarians.”

PRIP Mehta with Satyarthi.

The world was facing “a compounding crisis. The visible ­challenges, the war and violence we all know. But we don’t know how many innocent children in Gaza have been bombarded, or what is happening to the rest of the Israeli children and women kidnapped and kept in captivity by the terrorist group Hamas.”

What we did know was that “160 million children are working at the cost of their education, freedom and future to produce wealth for you and me. Children have never been responsible for wars.” The adults, the wealthy, knowledgeable and people in power were responsible. “With their warmongering, divisive mindset, hatred and revenge, these are the people responsible for this situation. Nearly two billion people (nearly a quarter of humanity) are living in war zones or countries facing conflict and wars; of these, 468 million are children living in danger and fear in those war-torn countries and conflict zones. Their brains are shaped in that environment of hatred, revenge fear and violence. What kind of world are we going to give our children,” he asked.

It was heartbreaking for him to “come across various situations where children are involved in making footballs, but they can never play footballs. I know of so many children in
Sub-Saharan and other African countries, who work in cocoa fields, so that you and I and our children can enjoy chocolates. And those children have never tasted a chocolate. Whose children are they? You can say they are Pakistani, Indian, African, American or European, Muslim, Hindu, Jew or Christian children, but I say they are your, mine and our children.”

If we couldn’t protect these children, “then we cannot protect ­humanity. If one single child is in danger, entire humanity is in danger.”

I have launched the Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion with 13 universities such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, Indian IITs etc to find solutions for a violence- and conflict-free world.

Expressing concern over the growing inequality between the world’s rich and poor, Satyarthi said by 2023-end, one per cent of the richest people in the world held two-thirds of the world’s wealth, while 50 per cent of the poorest people held only two per cent of this wealth and this divide is growing.

Coming to AI, Satyarthi said it provided a great opportunity, and could be used for many of the world’s solutions, if used in the right areas such as health and agriculture. But if any artificial learning lost touch with the human component, then there was the risk of misuse and manipulation, triggering even more problems.

“I believe that the human component in AI is needed. That’s why I call for compassionate intelligence in solving global problems. Normally compassion is considered a human, social, spiritual and moral value and goes deep into all religions. In my opinion all religions and social transformations were born out of compassion, when somebody felt the suffering of others as his own suffering, was drawn in to and took action to solve the suffering of others. And thus religions, revolutions and social transformation were born. But now, the core, the energy, source, spark that should exist in all institutions that work for the betterment of society, government, judiciary, law enforcement and faith, need the oxygen of compassion.”

The children’s rights activist had a simple message to deliver — develop the culture of problem-solving that is selfless and filled with compassion… do it as a mother would do something for her child without expecting anything in return.

All religions and social transformations were born out of compassion, when somebody felt the suffering of others as his own suffering, and took action to find a solution.

Returning to the danger and problems confronting our world, he said while the creators of those problems and perpetrators of injustice and violence are growing stronger, those who could find solutions are becoming silent spectators.

“That is why I have launched the Satyarthi Movement for Global ­Compassion. If each of us, who is born with compassion in our hearts, could reinvigorate and launch that compassion, a solution is yet possible.” To raise that ‘compassion quotient’, he was working with several universities such as ­Harvard, Oxford, MIT, some Indian IITs, Ashoka and Washington. We have created a roundtable of 13 such universities with 20 top scholars to discuss this idea of compassion quotient, and have launched a global academy of compassionate leadership at the UNESCO headquarters. This is my new movement, and we are currently analysing data, information, research material, using everything, including AI.”

Maintaining that “silent spectators do not change history, as history is created by those who have the courage to jump inside the ring and solve problems,” he invited Rotarians to join his movement to find solutions for a better and conflict-free world.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

Numbers speak

*2 billion people living in war zones, of which 468 million are children, living in danger and fear.

* 2 new billionaires created every week; same week 10,000 children drop out of school and fall prey to child labour, slavery.

* 200 million children who are out of school can go to school just with 7 days of the global military expenditure.

* 160 million children are working at the cost of their education, freedom and future to produce wealth for you and me.

* By 2023-end, one per cent of the richest people in the world held two- thirds of the world’s wealth, while 50 per cent of the poorest people held only 2 per cent of this wealth.

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