Sunday, October 17, 2010
at 6:48 AM Posted by Jason Wee Comments: (0)To Joannuh Wong :)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
at 11:22 PM Posted by Jason Wee Comments: (0)Potential
I am part of a lost generation
and I refuse to believe that
I can change the world
I realize this may be a shock but
“Happiness comes from within.”
is a lie, and
“Money will make me happy.”
So in 30 years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work is more important than family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.
And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.
In 2007, Jonathan Reed posted a video poem that inspired the world. First thought to be the admittance of lost, ended up with 15 million touched viewers on Youtube. Many promised themselves, "I will be the change!” 3 years later, not much difference. Nobody can blame anyone.
Dear First Ladies of the world,
I could have filled this short message to you with statistics and figures that would make anybody cringe in their seat, but would probably go back with nothing much in mind. In 1992, Severn Suzuki made an impact on the world with her stunning speech at the UN Earth Summit in Brazil. Her speech was emphasized on changing your, world leaders' ways.
Deciding to do something and doing it are two very different things. If you were to walk away today saying "I'm going to make children leaders" and not doing anything, this whole summit would be useless, no?
Every child is born with potential. The question is, will he fulfil his or her potential before death? The current status quo as anyone would see it would be that people end up getting trapped in the rat race, ending up with a desk job and die never accomplishing their dream, and more importantly what they could become. I believe that everyone has a skill and a school is meant for a child to discover it.
This is obviously not happening today. Education is the key to success. Not just any parrot teaching, one-way education, but an education that taps the potential in every child. Can you put a price on education? The rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer as the rich have the right education.
There IS a generation of the next Leonardo Da Vinci’s, Albert Einstien’s and more importantly, the new generation of leaders of this world. We the children of the 21st century are not your regular bunch. Give us the medium of voice, we will give you with things we ourselves would never expect. Ideas that could change the world, revolutionize the marketplace, saving the environment, could all happen right here, right now.
What I am pleading to you today, grow the potential in us before we get caught in the rat race. Thousands of children wish to voice out on things happening around them, but are condemned for being rebelious. Ladies and gentlemen, these children have the potential to lead the world into a better place.
Don’t look further, start something today that will allow children to rise up. Something that will inspire marginalized children that there is hope, something to make children leaders today. Start improving the education in your own countries. Everybody has a right to be happy, give us the chance to do so. Start now, before it’s too late.