Daily Nebraskan

Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Opinion

Each year since 1971, world political and economic leaders have met in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum. In the first few years of its existence, the Forum focused mainly on improving and promoting European business firms.

However, it has since changed its emphasis. It now takes a more global perspective by focusing on resolving international conflicts and examining how individuals, businesses and whole nations could work to make the world a better place to live.

This year, YouTube has launched a special project in which they have asked those attending the Forum as well as the rest of the world what has been termed the "Davos Question."

Individuals are asked to submit videos responding to the question, "What one thing do you think that countries, companies or individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008?"

There have been literally thousands of responses in the last week or so, and people have given a vast array of answers, ranging from changing leadership in this country, to reducing global carbon emissions, to increasing aid to impoverished nations.

I can hardly pass up the chance to weigh in on this question.

I am reminded of a story I read about G.K. Chesterton, one of my favorite authors. According to the story, The Times in London once asked several prominent writers of the early 20th century to respond to the question, "What's wrong with the world?"

Several well thought out and highly insightful answers were submitted, but Chesterton's was perhaps the most profound. He wrote simply:

"Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G. K. Chesterton."

What was he getting at with such an odd answer?

He certainly did not just think that there was very little wrong with the world. When he wrote, the world was literally on edge of chaos. Germany was ruled by an inept and power hungry monarch, and the nations of Europe were entangled in a messy and dangerous alliance system. War was essentially no longer a possibility but a matter of time.

Rather, it seems that Chesterton realized something that never really occurs to most people but is vital to our answer to the present issue, namely that we have very little control over the world around us.

Our society is very external and very superficial. We are constantly looking to change the world around us. We are relentlessly told to go out and vote, donate to this organization or join that cause - or Facebook group - if we want to bring about change in the world. But how much of an impact do these things really have?

While I don't want to diminish the importance of voting, donating and supporting good causes, if our idea of having an impact on the world is casting a ballot for a presidential candidate every four years and signing up for a monthly e-mail about reducing carbon emissions, we are in a lot of trouble.

You see, there is also a flip side to what Chesterton was getting at, which is that we do have a great deal of power over our own lives and our own situations. Sure, we might not end poverty immediately or stop all religious conflicts on command, but we can have a profound impact on the world around us simply by being the most loving people we can.

We can smile at people on the street, hold doors open, drive more courteously. We can spend more time with our families, and we can buy the homeless guy on the corner a hamburger.

We can change ourselves so that we are doing the very best we can, regardless of the state of the rest of the world. In doing so we actually better our own lives in addition to the lives of those around us we change the world one small step at a time.

It has been said that the world is not changed by those who set out to do so, but rather, it is changed when individuals turn their backs on the world and the world follows. The people who change the world don't do so by setting up huge Internet campaigns to get millions of people to support their cause, nor do they do so by having colossal concerts or massive charity funds.

The people who change the world do it by being the best they can in their own situations, without worrying about what the rest of the world does or thinks. They do it by going out themselves and helping one person at a time by fighting against injustice when it presents itself and by simply loving those around them.

In 50 years, people will have forgotten about Bono, Al Gore and Oprah. They will, however, always remember people like Mother Teresa or Rosa Parks - the people who never talked about changing the world, but who just went out and did it.

My answer to the question concerning what must be done in 2008 to make the world a better place is that I, Luke Fischer, must be the best, most kind and loving person I can be. If you want, you can plug in your own name and do the same, but the choice is up to you.

Luke Fischer is a sophomore history and philosophy major. Reach him at lukefischer@dailynebraskan.com.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools