Global Issues: Humanity at Risk

From global pandemic to war and mass immigration – to economic crisis and disproportionate toll on women, children, and other marginalized communities; humanity seems at risk. We are witnessing a growing polarization, surging mistrust and lack of confidence in governments and public institutions and leaders.

To discuss the current crisis and share a few recommendations, we asked Dr. Mosi Dorbayani, the executive adviser and economist at Orenda Enterprises Inc. to join us. Dr. Dorbayani is also an expert member of The Academic Council on the United Nations System, and is an award-winning author and scholar in the field of Cultural Diplomacy.

How close is humanity to the edge?

Humanity is in distress, and our social fabric is being torn apart by some callous politicians, lobbyists, and corporate greed.  Facing instability and uncertainties – people are suffering, worrying, and anxious about their future. Looking at it broadly, disruptions to society are having a profound negative impact on many. People’s lives are disturbed, turned upside down, and isolated.

Man-made conflict, unnecessary war, natural disasters and of course pandemics, resulted in human rights concerns – crises that put the vast majority of people not only at physical and mental health risks, but also socioeconomic vulnerabilities. The number of people affected, the length, scale and complexity of crises across the glob, as well as projections of upcoming emergencies and even a very possible recession are all alarming. Having said that, often turbulent times can energize actors, movers and shakers to come up with ideas that can lead to new and even better cooperation and collaborative models and solutions.

Moreover, personally, I am touched by spirited generosity and incredible solidarity across countries, communities, and sectors during such trying times.

Is the current inflation the side effects of corporate greed? Can macroeconomic policies or measures like increase in interest rates easy the situation before it gets worse?

The problem with global supply chain, and rising corporate profit are the two major contributors in rising prices. With corporate profits at record high, major corporations could simply absorb the cost increases, but they decided not to do so – because they could. And they could, because they do not face serious competition. Political economy and trade war aside, a significant factor behind today’s inflation is that the major corporations in non-competitive markets are taking advantage of their market place and market power to raise prices to increase their profit margins. And to answer the second part of your question, well, a typical raise in interest rates may not be enough. In my view, easing up supply chain restrictions, agile solutions, some antitrust interventions and price control may better cool down the overheated economy. Moreover, perhaps we need to re-think Sanctions and their use as a weapon of economic warfare. Globalization requires us to be more sensitive about the Sanctions’ domino effect and impacts on other countries and the entire world economy.  

Earlier, you mentioned there are some “human rights concerns”. Do you mean for specific demographics?

Yes, especially women and children.

For example, as a result of the Russian invasion, Ukraine is in a human rights and humanitarian crisis. The UN Refugee Agency’s report of May 2022 shows that more than 6.6 million people have fled Ukraine, becoming refugees.¹ The vast majority of refugees are women and children, who are at particular risk of trafficking, sexual exploitation, and gender-based violence.

Furthermore, according to the United Nations, the world’s women are disproportionally carrying the burden at home and in the wider economy. Children are also paying a heavy price. More than 800 million children are out of school right now — many of whom rely on school to provide their only meal.²

And those are not the only concerns. For example, here in Canada, violence against Indigenous women and girls, assaults and bullying at schools are still among pressing issues.

In your view, what else is severely threatening our social fabric in North America?

The gun violence in the United States is yet another devastating and heart-breaking crisis. Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms – as the US Constitution allows it. This is while, the Second Amendment threatens another right: ‘The right to life’.

‘The right to life’, is the 3^rd article in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights – UDHR, which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948. ⁴

How many more school and public mass shootings should occur, till proper legislations are made to keep public and children at schools safe? For sure legislators can do better.

My country is also increasingly facing gun violence. According to Public Safety Canada: “Firearm-related homicides in Canada have been steadily increasing. Gang-related homicides involving guns are no exception. Since 2013, gang-related homicides in Canada’s largest cities have almost doubled” ⁴ Of course the new gun control legislation that the federal government tabled very recently, which includes a national freeze on the purchase, sale, importation and transfer of handguns in Canada will certainly help. I hope Canada fully bans handguns soon.

The opioid overdose crisis in Canada, and homelessness in my city, Vancouver, are other pressing issues that I can name. The latest Metro Vancouver homeless counts (2020) by trained volunteers shows: 2,095 residents identified as homeless. 547 people were living on the street. 1,548 people were living in sheltered locations, including emergency shelters, detox centres, safe houses, and hospitals, with no fixed or registered address ⁵. Canada is among the top ten economies in the world, takes up about two-fifths of the North American continent, and it is ranked number 1 in global ranking of 2021 as the best country in the world ⁶. And of course in my view, it is one of the most progressive countries on earth; therefore, implementing preventative measures and addressing socioeconomic issues should not take us this long. So, it seems to me, what we are facing is lack of strategic measures, and absence of concrete policy decisions.

How communities should tackle the social issues, where to start?

Talk. Start by talking. Raise your voice, express yourself and your concerns. If we talk, we may go somewhere and achieve something. People and small communities should not hush and cope. They need to talk to their elected officials and representatives, write to authorities, hold group and communal discussions. Through responsible citizenship, they should try to find peaceful, constructive, and actionable ways to contribute to solutions. My advice is, never underestimate the power of dialogue for understanding, change, and social impact.

In your opinion, what is the best strategy to address inclusion, injustice & social inequalities?

In order to address social inequality, injustice, inclusion, and diversity, we need to act generationally and address it at grassroots. It should be discussed from childhood both at homes and at schools without politically or religiously indoctrinating children. It should be part of mental and behavioral parenting and schooling – from birth to eighteen or even beyond with emphasis on social, individual and human values. That is, from homes to schools – to work places and expand outward.

Can social media play a positive role in raising bars for understanding such social issues?

It could, but regretfully, in the midst of all these, social media has made users live in an increasingly virtual reality. Based on what we watch, read, consume, and support, users within groups (i.e. people with the same interest, system of belief and political stand) grow more and more isolated and polarized from those with contrasting views – almost like living in completely different worlds. It seems, the more connected we are on social media, the less common ground we share with the rest outside our group, and this has already proven to be dangerously divisive, especially during major crisis and human rights issues.

How human rights can be best served or promoted?

In my view, human rights are better promoted by three equally important actions:

1. Emotional appeals to identify with the unnecessary suffering of others.
2. Discussions over the correct determination of reason.
3. Classroom and public education.

To achieve that, perhaps we need to provoke human capabilities such as: sympathy, compassion, trust, meaningful purpose, imagination, understanding, collaboration and collective cooperation. These capabilities can be tapped into through establishing dialogue, and for that, cultural or artistic institutions, creative industries, artists and writers should play active roles.

For example, by producing meaningful artistic productions – especially through audio/visual arts, we can appeal to human emotions, and by establishing dialogue around those productions, the creative industry can reason and raise the bars for social understanding. Such mediums can also equip educators with props and supplementary materials to forge discussions to increase awareness on social issues and responsibilities.

Speaking of artistic and cultural contribution, you are a multitalented individual in various domains, who among other things, is also known for his eloquent song writing talent and socially conscious message songs. Is there any new project in the pipeline that is going to address our current social issues?

Yes, I wrote a new message song, titled: ‘End of Rope’, which is voiced by talented rising star, Mary Protopapa from Greece, and it is arranged by award-winning arranger, Alex Filippetti, from Italy.  This song asks a few thought-provoking questions. Questions that perhaps we all need to ask ourselves, think, and answer honestly. And hopefully, reflecting on those answers would lead us to take some affirmative actions benefiting mankind. ‘End of Rope’, is in Funk-Rock genre, and it will be officially released in July 2022.

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References:

1. https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine
2. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/9/feature-covid-19-economic-impacts-on-women3.
3. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
4. https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca
5. https://bit.ly/3m9hDhs
6. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/rankings