Dr. A. K. Merchant*
The world of today has changed beyond recognition from what it was in my younger days. Millions of people everywhere live at subsistence level with limited stability, and a sense of hopelessness. This is because the true crisis of present-day society is not material poverty but the loss of purpose, unable to grasp the bewildering happenings that are labelled “Breaking News” or “Badi Khabar”.
How might Gen Z respond? Artificial Intelligence has already outpaced doctors, journalists, even artists. Machines write novels, direct films, and paint canvases faster and cheaper than human imagination ever could. People have begun to feel; they are no longer participants, but mere spectators in a world where algorithms always win. Currently, 10% of humanity lives in a digital paradise; personalized healthcare, private AI advisors, financial systems that guarantee perpetual wealth. The rest live in digital poverty. For them, machines decide what they will see, what they will read, and even what they will think. Therefore, how should we look to the future?
At Davos, Switzerland, where the World Economic Forum met last January a refreshed list of “future skills” were framed around economic growth, productivity, and competitiveness. Recognizing the interdependence of the nations and all the peoples of the world, the younger generations must develop capabilities that would equip them to address future challenges. Curiosity. Creative and analytical thinking, Empathy. Resilience. Systems thinking. Technological literacy. These are not add-ons. They are cultures—shaped day after day by how children learn, question, collaborate, fail, and try again. These skills show up year after year in World Economic Forum reports, one can’t help but Wonder! How many schools are intentionally building them? What does a real roadmap look like—from early years to adolescence—to nurture these capabilities? And most importantly, are we moving fast enough, or are we still reacting? Because the future won’t wait for us to feel ready. And education can’t afford to catch up later—it has to lead now!!
National Education Policy 2020 is concerned with nurturing the young population beyond the classrooms by armouring them with the following 10 essential life skills: 1. Creative & Critical Thinking 2. Spirit of Cooperation & Collaboration 3. Communication Skills 4. Decision-making Skills 5. Financial Literacy 6. Time Management & Organizational Skills 7. Stress Management Skills 8. Self-assessment & Reflection 9. Resilience 10. Empathy. From ancient times India has presented the example of combining religious practices with scientific pragmatism. The ultimate goal of knowledge systems is human concern, so understanding the nature of human beings and the nature of society is essential. Achieving a dynamic coherence between the material and spiritual elements of life implies a worldview radically different from whatever comprises the present-day socio-politico and economic structures. It calls for far-reaching spiritual and cultural shifts at all levels of life in a present-day society.
Mindful of the Vedic invocation: Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah / Sarve Santu Niraamayaah | Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu / Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet (May all be happy; May all be free from illness. May all see what is auspicious, May no one suffer.) and the Writings of the Bahá’í Faith on how the children and youth are to be nurtured; the followers are building capacities. For the “family” is a nation in miniature. Every Bahá’í family is reminded to stay focused on three things: (i) Perpetual striving to draw closer to the Divine, i.e. aligning oneself to the teachings of the Manifestation of God for the present Age. (ii) Spreading the divine teachings and participating in the building of the Administrative Order of the Faith. (iii) Contributing to the community’s resources for humanitarian services. Every member of the community is made responsible to channel their potential towards the betterment of the society regardless of one’s linguistic, cultural, religious, ethnic, economic, political diversity.
Successive historical epochs of a loving and purposeful Creator have brought the earth’s inhabitants to the threshold of their collective coming-of-age as a single person. Adequate emphasis is given to consistently promote judicious use of technology. As the world is becoming increasingly interconnected Bahá’í institutions strive to respond to contemporary global challenges by empowering to the learners to become aware of and understand global issues and become active promoters of more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure, and sustainable societies. New modes of thought, new standards and new legal and institutional arrangements are struggling to take hold. All the three protagonists that constitute the society see the need to make rearrangements in their value hierarchy. For, cultural values once considered crucial become less relevant and, therefore, less important while others, once relatively lower in one’s estimation, take on new importance. Cultural Values do not have to be eternal and unchanging in order to be values. When AI learns to rewrite its own code, it begins to pursue goals beyond human comprehension. At that moment, it ceases to be a tool. It becomes a player in its own right. The big question is no longer whether AI will turn against humankind, but when. On the other hand, the future could be a paradise, if AI helps humanity to conquer disease, poverty, and climate catastrophe. Or it could be a nightmare, if machines begin to dictate the rules to humans.
In the estimation of the Bahá’ís humanity stands at a critical juncture in history, one that calls for strong moral and spiritual ownership by every man, woman, youth and child, to help set a new direction for society. The process bears within itself the assurance of its fulfilment. For those with eyes to see, the new World Order is today everywhere emerging, in the same way that a seedling becomes in time a fruit-bearing tree or a child reaches adulthood.
No matter how unattractive or how dangerous the road ahead may be, it is better than the road back. The road ahead may mean difficulty and uncertainty, but road back means failure. Moving forward, awakening both the masses of humanity and many world leaders with a degree of hopefulness about our future is the only way to make our planet sustainable.
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*The writer is a social worker, independent researcher, & member of the Baha’i Community of India. Views expressed are personal.
