Ten Most Important Facts about the World Today

• In the present world, as in the past, at least one basic continuity is maintained which is relevant to all times—namely, that the distress and dangers to human beings, as well as other forms of life, are best reduced when there is a commitment to justice and equality, peace and nonviolence, and the protection of environment and all forms of life.
• While this remains the most basic precept, it must now be significantly extended to ensure that the planet’s basic life-nurturing conditions can be protected within this framework.
• Our living planet, once beautiful and bountiful, now badly ravaged and threatened, faces nothing less than a survival crisis and an existential crisis, caused by at least three major factors and their interactions: firstly, about a dozen or so environmental problems led by but certainly not confined to climate change; secondly, weapons of mass destruction presently led by but not confined to nuclear weapons; and thirdly, several highly disruptive technologies led by but not confined to AI. which is caused by at least three big factors and their interactions— firstly about a dozen or so environmental problems led by but certainly not confined to climate change, secondly weapons of mass destruction presently led by but not confined to nuclear weapons and thirdly, several highly disruptive technologies led by but not confined to AI.
• While this issue of the survival crisis or the existential crisis is the biggest issue facing humanity today, the response of world leadership has been amazingly inadequate or, at the level of some top leaders, even negative, as they deny basic scientifically proven facts and loudly proclaim policies that will further worsen the existential crisis. During the first quarter of the 21st century (2000-25), the situation with respect to all the three factors of the existential crisis listed above has worsened further, ignoring warnings (and the year 2026 so far has been even more dangerous in some contexts).
• Among people, the realization of the biggest dangers and risks has not spread adequately at all, at least not in ways that can elicit their high-level commitment to work for reducing these very high risks for the present and future generations, for children and grandchildren. While highly frivolous matters get mass attention and involvement, the most urgent issues get neglected, a tendency that is actually encouraged by powerful forces. The focus regarding matters of prolonged attention at present is mostly on acquiring more wealth, advancing career interests or joining resourceful groups and lobbies.
• Human values and value systems that are dominant today are not in keeping with resolving the many-sided existential crisis situations. These must change significantly to become more protective, rather than being based on dominance.
• The world’s present governance systems are proving highly inadequate to resolve the existential crisis issues, despite the great urgency of this task. In fact it has not even been possible for present international systems to resolve relatively smaller issues which are not even complex (one example being the inability to implement the two state solution in a fair and effective way to resolve the Palestinian crisis).
• These failures, as seen in distorted governance or in the perpetuation and worsening of adverse value systems, are caused to a substantial extent by small numbers of persons who have concentrated huge powers and use them for highly selfish purposes which ultimately often prove to be highly destructive.
• Under the present situation, highly catastrophic destruction in the near future caused by nuclear, AI, and space-based weapons, climate change, and other serious environmental problems, which come with tipping points, is becoming more and more likely. In the worst-case scenario, the destruction of almost all of humanity and of several other life forms, including death in very painful ways, cannot be ruled out, and in fact, the probability of this is rising.
• Hence, there is a need to think beyond the present framework of seeking solutions, towards much greater international cooperation. This includes solutions based on value systems where people worldwide are considered equal global citizens with deep concern for each other’s safety and well-being. This could involve establishing some form of additional world government for at least a few limited objectives, such as eliminating weapons of mass destruction. It also calls for declaring the next decade as the universal decade for protecting Earth, with a wide range of activities planned to bring about a worldwide change in value systems, making them more protective. The essential protective role of humanity must be emphasized, pursued, and firmly established.

Before concluding, I would like to say that as an independent writer, I would like to note that I have been making modest efforts over the years to increasingly write on the basis of this understanding, and the numerous articles and books I have written may be of some help.