Two of the leading issues needing urgent attention in our world are the environment and proper communication between two major opposing cultures. From these dual problems stem many other concerns.
The other issue is more complex and is based largely on the economics and power games of man's ambitions.
Just three weeks ago the actor, Mr. George Clooney addressed the United Nations Assembly on the tragedy in Darfur, which is growing into a runaway catastrophe. As ever, this is a man made disaster made from different tribal/religious/power factions reminiscent of Nazi Germany, determined by a better equipped, more powerful section of the region to annihilate a weaker group, who have the same human rights to live peaceful lives without fear or hunger, as their oppressors.
Mr. Clooney warned the UN that this tragedy "would be on their watch"; this is a very powerful phrase and I wondered how it translated into the other languages of the listeners. Would it lose some or much of its strength in its interpretation by the very detached and unemotional renditions by the UN interpreters? If only we spoke the same language, would we be able to communicate as powerfully as is often necessary to get the message across?
Two weeks ago US President George Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad each individually addressed the UN, regarding Iran's position on nuclear development. What if President Bush spoke Farsi and President Ahmadinejad could or would speak English and they sat down together and communicated with each other properly. Naïve, you may say. But maybe not, after all they are only men, human beings like the rest of us and if they could communicate and speak each other's language, maybe they would find the humanity in each other.
The more we speak to each other, in the other's language and acknowledge and respect each other's culture, the safer our little planet will be.
Chinese for Nannies
China is likely to be a world economic leader for the foreseeable future and it's unlikely that the entire population of China will learn English.Equality and Diversity
There are many misunderstandings for employers and employees with regards to equality and diversity and new laws that have been adopted in the UK recently.Language A Barrier
There is a current news item that language is the single greatest barrier to communication in the community in the UK today.