Poverty eradication

I came across this essay of mine while digging in to my old files today. I wrote this article for recruitment of some workshop(I don't remember which) when I was in USA 2-3 years ago. I think it still holds the same significance. 

I wrote: "Modernity has meant the end of empires and the rise of nationalism-and that’s a good thing, isn't it? Well, to a point. Nationalism is an impulse which is tied to the need for a new social and political identity. Pakistan acquired this identity back in 1947 when there was a clash of nationalism that exploded in 20^th century.

Like every other society, Pakistan has always been trying to be stable but it never actually succeeded. Although Pakistan is third largest agricultural country of the world and has 60% natural resources of its own but today, 64 years after independence, it is still considered as an under-developing country. This is because of the social and political issues which my country is facing.

The most important social issue for me among all is poverty. Poverty in a nut shell is lack of money. It is disease which harms every countenance of a society. In my opinion, poverty is mother of all social and political issues that rise in any society including health, educational and other problems.

The literacy rate of Pakistan is only 57%. This low rate doesn't show that we Pakistanis don’t desire to be educational or we are not able to pursue education. It is because many of us cannot afford educational expenses cause of poverty. Parents send their kids to work at the age when they should be going to school just because one person doesn’t earn enough to nourish one whole family. This gives birth to another social issue that is child-labor and I am sorry to admit that Pakistan is incredulously filled with children labors.

Let’s have a look at health factor. In Pakistan millions of individuals are dying every day of minor curable diseases because of not having the financial means for treatment. Many kids experience deep sleep before they open their eyes in this world. Even if they survive, they just get to spend few more years, just because of unhealthy environment around them. Again it comes back to poverty. People who don’t have enough money to eat twice a day, how come they can head toward high profile medical centers?

Social issues on one side and increasing inflation on other, make poor feel that this world is made for riches. Due to this reason, they suffer with depression and stress. This is the point where good-ness of nationalism ends when people of a national society are depressed and underestimated.

 I have been researching on this issue before and I came up with some possible long-range strategic solutions for poverty eradication which are:

1.    Man and women both should work for the nourishment of a family, which is very uncommon in Pakistan.
2.    Everybody should tend to find some way of earning, work hard and try to be a producer rather than consumer of resources in society.
3.   Wealth should be equally distributed among people so that the trend of “rich is becoming richer and poor, poorer” could be eliminated from society.
4.  Young generation should voluntarily serve society and spend quality of time in community service.

I had been an active participant in many youth groups as a key person back in Pakistan. I am contemplating to continue my services once I go back and this time it would be for a particular cause; poverty! I will get help of my youth group to work on the mission of “poverty obliteration” and try to encounter all above-listed solutions by spreading awareness among poor population. I am also planning to raise funds and collect donations to help needy people.

Though I have my goals set but I need motivation and ideas to promote my plan and make it act-able  I wish to join this workshop because I am a glass full of wine; somebody needs to jiggle it a bit and I’ll spill out dramatically.  I need a platform to express my thoughts and built-up my leadership skills. I am courageous but I still need appreciation and guidance before taking this huge step so that I don’t fall at first place.

No society can afford to sit on its laurels or claim to have found a magic key. It’s its young generation’s spirit and services which bring a magical change in society and fetch it to its stability point. Stability point, where nationalism is good and life too. Country is developed and people are happy. This will only happen if poverty rate is decreased and hopefully, I will bring this phenomenal change one day. J"