I really came into being

The day I no longer cared about

What the world thought of me,

Only on my thoughts for

Changing the world.”

― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun

We’ve all talked about being able to change the world. We’ve all deliberated on how. We’ve all somehow been a part of the world issues. Have we all tried to understand why?

What are these global or world issues in the first place?

Informally, a world issue describes any social, economic, political or environmental problem that affects the global community, possibly in a catastrophic way.

These issues are what affects millions of people around the world pertaining to Lack of economic opportunity and unemployment, Food and water security, Lack of political freedom and political instability, Lack of education, Safety, security and well-being,  Government accountability and transparency, Corruption, Poverty,Religious conflicts, Large scale conflict and wars and Climate change and destruction of natural resources.

What can be done about it?

Solution to world issues requires huge cooperation among nations. This does not mean that it is a job of one international organisation to eradicate these issues. Nations are made of people. When we come together in cooperation is when we will actually be able to bring a change.

But what will bring us together?

Well, despite the dire state of the world today where the stereotypical thought goes around the millennials’ being selfish and apathetic, statistics show that the generation aged 18-35 cares deeply about world issues and we’re determined to find solutions.

These insights come from the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual Global Shapers survey which surveyed more than 26,000 millennials from 181 countries to gauge the priorities, concerns, and attitudes of millennials around the globe.

And why is this important, you ask?

It is important because the world has you and me involved. The stemming of a world citizen begins from being interested in world issues, in understanding what’s going on around the world, what are we contributing towards it, how are we making a difference and why we need to bring about that change.

It is important because being a world citizen as a young person does not just mean you’re doing your part, but it means that we’re providing the world a basis of how better leaders are made. Leaders that know stuff and want to be able to take the leap of faith in changing the world.

And this won’t happen just like that..

It all starts from understanding that world issues isn’t just THEIR problem, it’s OUR problem. So let’s be interested, ascertain what’s going on before we start thinking solutions. Let’s be world citizens, let’s be leaders!