A Possible Dream

Written by Peter Glenn Rapiz

Photographs by Vince Cheong

     Every human being has the tendency to live within a four-walled boundary keeping in mind a fairy-tale fantasy of becoming the next Bill Gates or maybe the future Mark Zuckerberg. Means, method and money have become the mirrors of the famous phrase behind the theory of evolution – survival of the fittest.

    The moment a ray of light strikes the eyes of every individual, there is no escape from the upfront revelation of a colorful yet undeniable photograph of reality. 

     The world is bombarded with issues, be it social, economic, political, etc., which tend to increase the imbalance of the system of the major stakeholders of the universe – the people. Specifically, we cannot deny the fact that the most pressing issue of today is poverty within a majority of nations.

   Poverty is the core of a pessimistic view relative to security, stability and predictability of the continuous availability of the basic needs in order to survive. But it varies among nations due to the uniqueness of cultures, backgrounds, traditions and even geography. But can it be possible to achieve a world without poverty? Idealism and positivism would say nothing is impossible but when confronted with a reality, the answer would probably be hanging in between the lines.

     Dreams are implanted in every rational being regardless of whatever age bracket one represents. But dreams can only be achieved by way of SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound) goals and promising actions. 

     In the case of China, they did not totally eradicate poverty. However, they raised the living standards of the people by implementing an odd mixture in the form of market socialism. The objective is not the actual policy but for a government to lift its people out of poverty by means of a comprehensive overhauling of its current political and economic platforms. 

    The logic behind this method is to eradicate the same recurring policies which have not elevated the living conditions of the people. Consistency and tradition are very much embraced by the majority, but if change is for the betterment of the present and future times, then this is where we should let go of the old habits and warmly welcome a more innovative era of radical change. Leaders must have the political will to disregard policies proven ineffective and start drafting new ones that would benefit the larger general public. 

    There is no universal policy that would fit all nations to solve poverty immediately due to the diversity among nations. Also, change does not happen overnight; rather it takes time and much effort. But how exactly can we formulate the right change? This draws down to the next big leap. There should be a gathering of the best minds of the country in order to channel their energy towards an economic program which realizes the eradication of poverty. The stereotyping of who the good ones are must end and explore all the possibilities. The guy sitting next to you or the lady walking behind you might have the best solution in mind and might be just waiting for an opportunity to share

     The Philippines, for instance, is a third world country trying hard to smooth out the dark past in the course of history that pushed its people to contain fear, inferiority complex, deformed identity, etc. for more than a century. The effect of being under the wings of foreign invaders led to the dependency of the evolving leaders upon the system introduced or maybe existing already regardless of the fact whether it would fit the missing piece of the puzzle.

     Moreover, China has the highest and most stable GDP growth in the whole world for the past years. Greece as a whole is in great debt pushing the majority of its people into poverty. Philippines having many positive predictions in our economy does not reflect any significant improvements.

   The major dilemma of third world countries is that due to lack of independence, knowledge or experience, they tend to adapt the policies from IMF, WB and WTO without considering the efficacy of its framework in the country. Being effective in the United States does not follow that it would be effective in the Philippines or any other country for that matter.

    Einstein once said that you cannot solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that created it. Thus, we have to find a new framework or else the problem will just thrive in circles. 

    Dreaming a world without poverty is to dream of an economic system that does not tolerate, let alone reproduce poverty. It is time when countries or nations must work interdependently and start caring for each other. Also, the reality behind the obvious, where the rich becomes richer while the poor becomes poorer, must be taken into a different level. 

    The rich people or nations who have all the means could engage in social entrepreneurship wherein they could start an innovation in a form of business for a cause where the poor will be very much involved. This could not only help elevate the economic status of the poor but also develop a sense of camaraderie and fellowship among the members of society. Also, this method could slowly break the wall that divides the nation with respect to the economic standing. 

    A world without poverty is the majority’s dream. No more people shivering when the cold wind touches their bare skin due to lack of clothes and shelter. No more children crying continuously due to severe hunger or due to undetermined and uncured sickness. No more people fighting due to insufficient wages or unjustifiable distribution of goods and benefits.

    With the essential changes in society nowadays and those yet to come, there is more to see and to hope for. Leadership comes with responsibility; innovation comes with initiation; and eradication of poverty comes with evolution of equality. Don’t wait for the crow to turn white before you move, so better act now.

Blogger Profile 

Leader, Versatile, Talented, Humble, Sensitive, Humorous, Kind and Cheerful. These are the words that best describe who I am.

Hi there! My name is Peter Glenn, 22 years old, SINGLE but still heart broken. You may call me “Pete” or “Peter” but not “PET”. I’m a 4th year BA Community Development and Management student in the University of the Philippines Visayas. I live in the CITY OF LOVE, where all of you will visit soon. I love acting, cooking, dancing, debating, diving, hosting, teaching, painting, playing volleyball and performing martial arts. Having a golden voice is my dream but sadly, it will remain a dream. I hate people who are arrogant, pretentious and dishonest. My greatest FEARS are SPIDERS and SNAKES. Seeing them will make me go crazy. If you want to know more about me, please don’t hesitate to spend time with me.

On the other hand, I expect to learn something NEW from all of you. At the end of the day, what matters to me most is that we’ll be able to build a strong, mutual, understanding and long lasting friendship.

My idea of a GOOD TIME is just simply talking and eating with SOMEONE who loves me in a place where HAPPINESS is a guarantee.