The world was not the same for everyone. People did not have equal access to opportunities. The gap between the rich and the poor was extravagant. Equality was unimaginable. Traveling was a luxury for the rich only. Life was the definition of injustice. This was a world in which the rich continued to enrich themselves and the poor survived on less than a dollar per day. An era where less powerful countries suffered because the powerful wanted only more power. Populations continued to flee because it was not safe in their home countries. This was a world where democracy was just another term in the dictionary but did not play its intended role of protecting the human rights of all citizens. This world was a reflection of the one we live in today.
Thousands of years went by. One day, five anthropology students (three males and two females) were reading a story about this world and realized that everything in the history book represented what the majority of the world population was living generations later. They gathered every week in a private fancy library (you could find any book there) to read and discuss the great human diversity of social existence. They realized that trends were changing from bad to worse. There was no sense of fulfillment because happiness was missing. No one was talking about change for good because the world’s citizens did not know what good looked like for they had never experienced it. What can we do about this? The students asked themselves.
These students were so passionate about their field of study that they took it upon themselves to be defenders of human life. As they put it, human life is the most important gift from Mother Earth. They wanted to join forces to create a better world than the one they inherited. The mission began by spreading their findings across the globe to overcome injustice so that everyone could be happy and have access to what they needed in life.
These five students had considerable credibility because they originated from some of the most powerful families in the world. But when they sat down to begin planning, they realized that they did not have enough resources to tackle the issue. They spent a year trying to work on the plan but nothing was realistic. When they were about to give up, one of them proposed the idea of dividing the world into five portions so that each could focus on their portion. They created a movement called Wake-Up Movement to raise awareness. These students became the pioneers of the movement and they went separate ways to convince the world population that it was possible to overcome oppression and the major issues impacting humankind. Millions of people joined the movement in each corner of the world. Peaceful demonstrations went on for eighteen months but nothing changed.
The five pioneers came together to talk about what they could do differently. They had already moved out of the fancy life so that they could fully understand what life tasted like for those who did not belong to the wealthy 1%. They agreed to meet in a rusty old public convention center.
They decided to organize a Table Ronde to host the world’s most influential individuals (the rich and the politicians) so that they could pitch their idea of the ideal world. The Table Ronde was colorful since the space was covered by bat nests and spider webs rather than shining with fancy chandeliers, luxurious from expensive air conditioners, or filled with breathtaking artifacts. Many people were happy as the world’s leaders and rich individuals entered a blemished place. They pitched their plans to tackle poverty, restore peace, open borders, restore the healthcare systems, and respond to other major issues. The audience was impressed, but they had one question. What are we going to get in return?
The anthropology pioneers sat down and came up with an answer. They suggested that the best form of government for this new world would be a plutocracy whereby only the wealthy could keep power. To avoid abuse of power, there was one condition: unlike previous models of plutocracy, this system had to be built on social responsibility wherein the ruling party’s civic duty was to ensure balance in economic growth and welfare of the world population. All the parties agreed to this because there was nothing to lose. The pioneers became the project’s leads and had to request resources from the plutocracy.
The first thing they did was create a database where people around the world could enter their wants and needs to get them fulfilled faster than ever before. They also created programs where people could get loans if they didn’t have money saved up or if they needed help paying off debts or bills. They made sure that everyone could afford health insurance, even the millions of people around the world who currently do not have any kind of health insurance whatsoever. Traveling became simple as there was no need to pay for a visa; public airlines were implemented for the poor to travel easily and freely. Beggars and homeless individuals were able to leave the streets as more jobs were created and financial support to meet basic needs became accessible. This took five years to implement but it was worth it because stability was restored.
After five years, so much had already changed and more was being done as the defenders of human life were busy in different corners of the world overseeing the various projects. One of them suggested another team symposium. The team met in the same public convention center, which was already beautifully refurbished. During this reunion, the pioneers celebrated by looking back at what they accomplished. They were overjoyed.
The anthropology pioneer who suggested a reunion proposed the following toast:
We are here today to commemorate an amazing milestone that not many thought we would accomplish. Our children will grow up in a safe world thanks to our initiative. The journey doesn’t end here because we have built a legacy. It is the responsibility of the rest of the world to expand the road we have paved. There is an old saying that “a house is only beautiful when everyone recognizes their part of the work.” We have turned this house into a place where everyone gets their hands dirty. May our individual and collective efforts help to restore smiles to the world and the people who inhabit it forever. Cheers!!
The team members all raised their glasses, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment for the work they had done as they clinked their glasses. As they were drinking, guests commented on how they had not only helped to improve the lives of countless individuals but had also created a model for how society could function as just and equitable. One member commented that there was still much work to be done. She was confident that their efforts would continue to inspire and empower others to join in the mission of creating a better world for all. This was her closing statement:
What we have done is remarkable and it would be disappointing if one thousand years from now our efforts are not multiplied. I challenge everyone (people in this place, those around the world, and the ones that will live after we are gone) to ask themselves this question: what does the world need from me to be better than it is right now?
As the event closed, the five change-makers walked out of the convention center. They were greeted outside by millions of people in the streets cheering and applauding. People on both edges of the street had left a path in the middle for the pioneers to walk through. The pioneers were amazed by this gesture as they were not expecting this level of appreciation. They waved as people chanted and cheered until they got to their rides. This happiness had not been observed in thousands of years and it made the pioneers even prouder of what they were accomplishing.
2 February, 2023
