If I could talk about all the problems with our current society in this last Girl Talk article, I wouldn’t.
There are too many issues: gender inequality, misogyny, extremist groups, Tinder – but I don’t want to talk about Tinder. I don’t want to focus on the terrible things happening in this world, but the good ones. Letting negative people and groups take up space in our heads, let alone our society, is not how good things of the future will come about.
Good things will come from teaching the youth of today who will rule tomorrow and learning from them and how they see the world as it is now. Good things will come from treating each other with kindness and equality. We’ve all heard it time and time again – treat others the way you want to be treated. I believe in kindness and the two simplest words to live by in order to create a positive change are “be nice.”
I’ve already written about Skateistan, not only one of my favorite organizations but one I believe to be quite important in the building blocks of political futures as well. Not just girls, but children in general, are the most important investments on this earth. Among many other organizations similar to bringing about positive change, my other favorites are Lumos and HeForShe.
These are the people identifying the problems and providing an option as to the solutions. The basis of all problems, however, is the average member of society’s lack of enthusiasm and failure to shift his or her focus enough to actually make a difference. We cannot make a change until we want to. We cannot have that desire unless we commit.
No one wants to talk about the bad stuff or anything that makes them uncomfortable. We don’t want to talk about the fact that there are over 8 million children across the globe living in dreadful institutions. Not in orphanages, but facilities in which they are placed because they are poor, disabled or discriminated against. Lumos is working to reunite institutionalized children with families in order to make the lives of future generations better.
HeForShe brings equality to the next level – or rather brings awareness to the level it should be at. The views of men are often forgotten when mentioning women’s rights, but equality can only be equal when everyone has voice. This foundation gives men who support gender equality the support they need to have their voices heard as well. It’s in the name: men who support women. He for she. We cannot have one without the other.
It’s time to see where the changes need to happen in the world in order to make a brighter future for the next generations, because that is where the changes will happen. We were brought up to think differently than our grandparents before us, and the children we raise will see the world differently than we do.
Let us show them a world that has the potential to be beautiful. Let us help them see the greatness in each other, not the hate or negativity. Bad things happen, but they can be fixed. We can see the problem, and we can be the solution, if only we shift our focus to teach and lead in the right direction.
But we cannot do that if we are not brave enough to speak up.
