Is There Still Hope?

Or is the world on a dangerous rail towards destruction?

I would answer that second question quickly by saying NO! Clearly not! The world is not on a dangerous rail towards destruction. Of course not!

I am confident. Although it can sometimes be felt like that. Like the world is on a wrong rail.

Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one’s life or the world at large.

I feel clearly that there is hope. There is still much hope for a positive development of the humanity on this planet Earth.

The world has recently experienced lots of negative events, right!

The world population has suffered wars, terrorist attacks performed by confused individuals as well as fanatic terror groups. There has been bombing, mass murderings. For decades we have lived with a meaningless arms race, we worry about climate changes, a world wide pollution of the soil, the waters and the air.

We live on a planet Earth that is threatened in many fields, and we see people everywhere who let themselves nourish intellectually and emotionally with this negative nurture.

It is so easy today to think like a pessimist!

But are we really leaving to our children a world that is in a worse shape than when we started our journey?

I mean — is there hope for the world, is there hope for us?

I am certain, there is hope!

There is hope as long as we, the human beings on Earth, stand up for ourselves and for each other. As long as we believe in our abilities to meet with and resolve the challenges, such as social and economic injustice, peace/war issues, famine, lack of drinking water, climate change, pollution, etc., etc.

There is always hope, as long as we believe in our abilities to cope with disagreements with our closest, neighbor conflicts, differences of opinions in politics, disagreements regarding all the small and big issues we daily have to deal with.

There is always hope, as long as there is space for dialogue, for two way communication!

With hope on board I believe that we will again feel optimism and confidence in the future.

The actual political evolution in many countries does not inspire confidence and optimism. Not at a first glance. I feel sad when I observe the characters of persons who get access to the power in many countries. These individuals are power-seeking, self-centered and selfish men, self-established nation and world savers who present themselves as the nation’s best option for leadership in the years to come.

Of course they are not. Everyone knows that basic fact. Every human being, every political leader, every state leader can be replaced, and as a fact: In very many cases these leaders should. Be replaced!

I admit that we recently have seen many negative signs in the political development in many countries all over the world. The lowest point is of course watching the rise of the man who was elected president of the USA from 2017, a man who does not have the generally appreciated qualities of a leader at that level. A man whose ability to persuade and collect supporters tricked the voters and the Establishment to a degree that the latter still has not recovered from the shock, one and a half years later!

I await with curiosity, from competent people, the complete and clarifying analysis of how it was possible for Mr. T. to be elected president of the USA. As far as I know this analysis has not yet been published. — A relevant challenge for a team of very competent writing women and men, I suppose?

We can choose to look upon this recent development in the world as a transition. A period of hard times before we reach better times.

The reason I say this is that I can see positive signs, positive developments in so many fields.

There are competent voices who speak. Voices who tell about what it’s like to be where they are. People. Individuals. Mothers and fathers, who have daughters and sons, young couples who have small children — our future.

These people speak in a broad variety of channels. Medium is one of them. In fact Medium is one of the most interesting, because of it’s structure and it’s openness. The fact that Medium lets all writers write and publish without any intermediary link, makes it the most democratic general communication channel I know of.

Medium lets me write what I write, and I believe that as long as I in my writing respect normal content and expression guidelines, I can publish whatever I want on Medium. And I can know that I will be read by readers. Not necessary many readers, but although readers all over the world, readers who sometimes let me know that they have read by «clapping» one or more times, and through writing a comment. I appreciate both kinds of feedbacks very much!

On Medium I can read any writer from all over the world, and I can easily connect with her or him and show my interest and support.

What is so good on Medium is also the absence of rubbish, like harsh comments, insults and empty flattering phrases. Medium is a conversation room for normal people who talk with each other on whatever subject they want.

Medium can be seen as a gigantesque education and communication project.

Worldwide individuals can read and express themselves through discussing the issues of their choice on Medium. And everyone can contribute writing on topics of their own choice, speaking with their own voice.

Medium is a low-threshold, easy accessible place for me as world citizen to find important information, relevant ideas and thoughts. And Medium is a low-threshold, easy accessible place to publish my writings. The same goes for you.

I see Medium as one of several important channels to express, share and spread ideas.

Medium’s world wide extension makes it interesting in our common, never stopping project to build and leave behind us a better world.

Call to action:

Write!

Speak up and write.

Speak with anyone who is near you — or far away.

Write in the contexts where your words are seen and read.

Write and speak in the situations where your voice is heard and listened to!

There is so much space for dialogue and for action!

No one has to sit isolated and think negative thoughts.

There is space for all of us!

There are readers for all of us!

What are our most important challenges today and tomorrow?

Do you see other priorities? Write. Discuss.

Do you want more? Follow me. Read more from the list below.

Want to reach me? Write me at [email protected]

May 2018 Øivind

Thank you for reading!

Feel free to share.

“Make Your Dream Be Your Future​”

Recent posts, poems and prose fiction

March and April 2018

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Be still. Yin yoga Published on Apr 10

Where is empathy now? Published on Apr 8

Remember to love Published on Apr 3

What If You Were Told It’s Game Over Tomorrow? Published on Mar 31

The dream will always live on … Published on Mar 23

Alone, yes — but lonely? Published on Mar 16

Oceans of time Published on Mar 15

A bridge Published on Mar 7

On the Edge Published on Feb 18

Age Published on Oct 11, 2017

We will not forget Published on Sep 6, 2017

No one knows— a poem for Christmas Published on Dec 26, 2016