Today, the world is witnessing the most explosive situation since World War II, all too visible in conflicts such as the Iran war.
"The world is upside down," a key UN official said recently. The suffering of the innocent should prompt not only a sense of indignation but also a motivation to alleviate the traumas lacerating the human panorama.
Could there humbly be an upturn somehow?
The desperate situation cannot be denied. There are at least eight key quagmires. First, there has been an amplification of warfare, witnessed by over 100 wars currently, both internal and international.
Second, the post-World War II system has been overturned by upheaval, where previously dependable superpowers have become more capricious.
Age-old alliances are now ruptured; previous friends are seen as opportunists who need to pay their way in the face of a solipsistic, transactional warrior syndrome.
Third, the multilateralism represented by the UN is now fractured, with the human rights framework of treaties and mechanisms fraying at the seams, especially with the withdrawal of a key superpower from the setting, while some other superpowers are embroiled in key violations.
Fourth, the global consensus to tackle climate change has been broken partly by filibustering of a rambunctious kind, with chronic discombobulation.
The worst fear is that global temperatures will climb above 2 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. The planet might not be habitable by then.
Fifth, ironically, the democracy deficit among authoritarian governments is now taking a strange turn.
In the country previously viewed as the democratic archetype, the independence of the judiciary and the transparency of the executive and legislative branches are being eroded by fiat emanating from the top, aligning with despotic elements and ushering in an era of reactionary and illiberal bedfellows.
This impacts especially the rights and liberties of the people at large, particularly members of the opposition, minorities and non-nationals who are demonised as profiteering from national development; the civic space has shrunk drastically.
Sixth, there is the cohort of big business, the oligarchs of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), which, in concert with some political leaders, prefer few or no guardrails.
The dangers of unruly technology represented by these mega-adventurers are already menacing humanity, especially if lethal autonomous weapons and AI can trigger their own decisions without human control or restraint.
Seventh, the conflagration over resources, bottlenecks in energy flows, and monopolisation of critical minerals and fuels destabilise access to the basics of life for communities that have little or no say in international power play.
Aid depletion also takes its toll today in the reduction of assistance for a huge number of development programmes, non-governmental organisations and the UN.
Eighth, most regrettably, the depredation and degradation of the human condition and well-being are self-evident in the lives of more than 200 million people now affected by warfare. Peace, safety and security underpinning humanity are disparaged by proliferating hate speech, distorting realities and fabricating narratives that augment fear and deprivation.
Yet in the face of such negativities, there is a window to explore as a possible gateway to mitigate the pain and suffering. First, on warfare, the International Committee of the Red Cross has rightly called for the following: sustain principled humanitarian action; uphold international humanitarian law (such as shunning attacks on civilians and assisting the sick and wounded); urge allies to do the same; counter dehumanisation; protect humanitarian workers; and work for peace while restoring global solidarity.
Second, it is undeniable that parts of the international system are wasteful and dysfunctional; they can be downsized. The more sedentary, office-oriented branches of the UN can be reduced to cope with the financial crisis. The best parts of the UN remain those at the field level, offering protection and assistance to people in need.
Third, with the rise of middle powers, strategic hedging is key to avoiding being subsumed under the influence of one or another superpower. This group can also identify its niche input pragmatically and undertake bridge-building and coalition-building as a counterweight to other nodes of power.
Fourth, especially as multilateralism weakens, there is all the more reason for democratic and open systems at the national level to set good examples and assist others to follow the preferred pathway. Free and fair elections and the presence of multiparty systems remain the backbone of democracy, and national settings can support one another while respecting state sovereignty.
Fifth, with the decline of aid, civil society organisations and programmes now have to downsize. They should be assisted to generate income rather than remain mere recipients of aid. This requires planning and action to make equitable and diversify access to funding, aid and resource generation.
Sixth, the presence of a vigilant civil society and responsible stakeholders, including the business sector, is essential. This is closely linked with the need to respect political rights such as freedom of expression and association, while the business sector should undertake due diligence to mitigate harm, contribute to environmental protection, ensure transparency against corruption, protect labour and remain subject to monitoring by human rights defenders.
Seventh, wise regulation and deregulation are needed to address the full spectrum of concerns. A key area for regulatory guardrails is safeguarding children from addiction to digitalisation and AI, and related abuse, while deregulation is needed to remove laws that inhibit the enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The right to a sustainable environment encourages a justice-based approach. A variety of transparent, fair and independent mechanisms and personnel serve as checks and balances to rein in abuses of power.
Eighth and finally, the spiritual element should not be overlooked. The strength of prayer -- not necessarily based on religion -- may help nurture a spark of empathy that can ripple gradually from the personal to the institutional level. This is invigorated by cross-cultural engagement among different communities. At a time of ageing populations and declining birth rates, intergenerational relationships can be strengthened to be mutually caring and humanising. That is, humbly, the trajectory of hope despite all the travails of the world.
