It’s a term of terms this one is, progress. What does it mean? And is that what it should mean? Rising GDP? Lowering of health-spending? More technology to help us cope with our increasingly fast-paced environments?

At times, the average Gen-Y/Millennial/Digital Native might feel somewhat lost with regards to what is happening in the world and how we can find our piece of that world to truly make our own. We live in a world where we all have our own respective podiums in social media. Our connectedness is -historically seen; unprecedented, while our know-how on world-affairs and ability to deal with information surpasses that of the average computer from the year we were born. (This is an aesthetic argument, don’t quote me on that)

But do we still have the context necessary to put ‘life’ into perspective?

Our education focuses all it’s effort on helping us become valued contributors in a (semi-)liberal market economy. It, unfortunately, doesn’t give us any scope or insight in how this market-driven world works and what it’s consequences are on the larger reality of life. And, increasingly, we see our education become irrelevant in what we end up doing, how we do it -and most importantly; why we do it.

But how is that related to progress?

My question exactly. When I hear talk of progress and I watch the news, and see it related only to economical/financial news, hardly any mention of health, the state of nature, bio-diversity, quality of food, or -dare I say; quality of life. But what of the increasing inequality both abroad and at home? What of cuts on education-budgets? (Which could prove to be a push towards out-of-school education in relation with the ever increasing amount of stored knowledge in 1′s and 0′s and alternative platforms for education arising.) Then I haven’t mentioned the increasing amount of people on either uppers or downers, increasing obesity in kids, rising prices of food, increase in gen-modified foods which haven’t been very extensively researched, (Don’t mind me, I am aware of the possibility of genmod’s ending up as the only option to feed the world at some point, I don’t know, but I find the code-of-conduct of -for instance, Monsanto, not very heart-winning.) What about the rising nationalistic sentiment in countries all over the world? (Most visibly in the ‘developed western world’.) How do these elements tie into what we have coined progress?

The negativity that is projected on society, is taking its toll on people’s imagination, creativity, hope and even love. I feel we are wasting human potential. Might it be an idea to use the second wave of the Information Era in order to self-organise? To try; city by city, community by community, school by school, market by market, brand by brand, push towards a frame-work for society that re-institutes a societal-fabric that allows for an engaged and responsible paradigm for policy-making, business ethics, educational models and media-platforms.

I feel the current ‘trend’ around sustainability might allow us to renew the frame-works and incentives in which we work and live. It can function to re-trace the current consumption/waste model (in every aspect of society). I also feel (and some might perceive this to be ignorant, but the belief is fueled by the people I keep on meeting even as I have now moved to the boiler-room of capitalism that is Shanghai) that business (brands) can (and must?) take a leading role in the development of these systems and enable people to articulate their ideas and suggestions for code-of-conduct, policy and different ways of consumption.

Talk about stuff like this with your friends or random strangers you meet on the street of cities you have never before visited or with trees or your grandmother or your colleague and your sister and mother too. Or not. Suit yourself.

I’m just saying that if the rest of the world is doing well, chances are likely you will be too.

Happy hunting.

Love, L