As human beings we are tribal by nature. It was by working together in tribes that helped us survive and conquer the world. Now as countries we share core common values that define us as nations, we try to work together for the collective good and ensure a good standard of living for our citizens. Problems have occurred throughout history when one nations interests conflicted with anothers. This has led to some of the worlds most terrible wars.
Thankfully, most of the worlds nations now work together internationally in organisations like the United Nations and World Health Organisation. In this technological age we are interdependent like never before. An economic or terrorist event can send vibrations if not earthquakes through the worlds financial system in a matter of hours. The Euro crises and September 11th are two examples.
When Irish people emigrated to Canada, the USA and Australia in centuries gone by, their farewell was usually final, family members and friends would never see each other again. Today these occasions are still emotional but with communication platforms like Skype, Facetime and Google hangout you can keep in touch and see one another in real time. Also with cheaper international air travel you can get home quickly if need be.
Today we have a greater awareness of political, social and cultural developments from around the globe. The Oscar Pistorius trial, the Ferguson riots and atrocities committed by ISIS are but a few examples. Platforms like twitter can be used to follow any situation using a hashtag, updating you on events as they happen. Satellite and digital TV beam stories from across the earth.
The issue of global warming is a pressing one that affects us all. The worlds most respected scientists are warning us of the danger to our environment. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution the worlds most advanced nations have been pumping large quantities of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. Now countries like China and India with massive populations and developing economies pose great challenges for controlling global warming. Although progress has been made with recycling and renewable energy, we still have a long way to go.
Tourism is now a huge industry. People travel the world over and this has created great opportunities. Tourists spent 3.5 billion euro in Ireland in 2014. The global spend is estimated to be 2.2 trillion U.S. dollars. These numbers will undoubtedly grow in the years to come, for example 100 million Chinese are forecast to travel overseas this year and this number is set to double by 2020.
There are many challenges for us to face as a global community. Poverty is rampant throughout the third world. Radical interpretations of religion and the potential threat of a global pandemic due to modern travel are issues that have to be dealt with. However with the right leadership and collective responsibility, we can make our global community work for all of us.
shane mckeever 