Good will: The catalyst for social transformation

We hear daily about one or the other major problem causing grave suffering to a large segment of society or to mankind as a whole. These problems are classified as economic, social, political, racial, administrative, etc., and attempts are made to find solutionss from the respective area of human knowledge.

Unjust treatment to industrial or farm-labour, torture of political opponents, unfair treatment meted out to undertrials, bride-burning, abuse and abject poverty are only a few problems on the long list. The top of the list is the problem of arms race that threatens the very existence of humankind.

Economic and social reforms, diplomatic negotiations, political declarations and legal enactments are only some of the measures that have been adopted to solve these and other problems over the years.

Though all these efforts have borne some fruit, the core of the problems remains unsolved and there has been no satisfactory and lasting solution. The question, therefore, remains: “What are these problems due to and how can these be solved or eliminated?”

A thorough analysis would lead us to the conclusion that all these problems are directly and indirectly caused by the absence or lack of good-will or good motive.

People generally lay emphasis on creative intelligence, scientific development, courage and life full of pleasures but, it is often forgotten that, if there is no good motive, science and intelligence promote mutual destruction, courage may be employed for killing and pleasures may be gained in evil ways.

Without good-will, conferences end in bickerings, assemblies achieve nothing, resolutions are considered mere scraps of paper, and legal acts or social reforms cannot bring the desired change.

Trillions of dollars are spent every year by various governments and non-governmental agencies on solving social, economic, political, administrative and other problems without achieving the goal of ending exploitation and conflicts of all sorts.

This is mainly because we only talk of conflict-resolution without real and practical moral and spiritual education. It’s high time that the governments and the people in power realise this and seriously do something about it & save our future generations from devastation.