Globally, 620 million children lack basic education, math and reading skills, due to a lack of structured education programs and government funding. Of the two billion children globally, about a third cannot compute or read adequately. This is a measure of advancement and development in our global civilization.
Some 95% of children live in developing nations, leaving only about 100 million in developed states. This statistic signals unrecognized rights to adequate education, lack of security in developing countries, and unsupportive migration laws beyond home countries.
What is the true purpose of the UN and programs such as UNICEF? UNICEF joined the UN permanently in the early 1950s. In about 70 years of its existence as part of the UN, obstacles facing 95% of children globally have yet to diminish significantly. If a program is unable to support progress, we should restructure or replace it with another system that, at the very least, shows promise.
The truth is that these organizations, not only concerning the UN but many NGOs and charities, are not resolving problems. Over the last century, we have not been able to improve the future of children by upholding specific global rights and ensuring some form of adequate protection. Every five seconds, somewhere, a child dies. We can seriously reduce this tragedy by activating care and performing compassionately.
Child participation in global planning is nonexistent. The ones who are most affected by decisions made today do not have any say in their future. We have elderly ministers deciding global future plans. There are things we should do to save the planet for a sustainable future and there are things we must do to support healthy child development. More importantly, we should shrink inequality gaps and fight poverty. We can begin by mandating national equality to social services and natural resources for people in poorer countries. We need equitable management to ensure equal access to clean water and education, among other such resources and services.
Realistically, to ensure a better future, we must empower adults and children in developing and poorer regions. To plan for better infrastructure and provide technological improvement, we must implement the necessary tools within such areas to allow for this manifestation. Infrastructure cannot be developed by poorer nations oblivious to such information and knowledge. Education is not guaranteed by simply donating used books to children in refugee camps. All aspects of life must align to the harmonious environment for a child to be motivated to pursue education. The primary goal of life is self-preservation. Nobody is born with an innate desire to die. Our behavior is mostly influenced by fear, which is directed by a specific logic to keep us alive longer. A child’s first instinct is to seek a safer future in which they remain alive longer. Receiving an education while not being ensured of another meal is not exactly supportive of a logical assessment to promote life. And what is the point of education if there is no clean water?
Therefore, if we want to educate children to divert them away from the cycle of poverty, we must first provide an environment suitable for learning. Primary social systems that must be implemented are those that provide a safer environment. We must ensure a viable sustainability program that will provide even a basic agricultural economy to feed children in poverty. This will create jobs and an identity for members of communities, and allow them to restore healthy and natural socioeconomic ecosystems. In such a manner, we remove obstacles to free and equal access to services and resources such as healthcare and trade.
