Week 4: Top 5 World Problems

Problems

1. International Terrorism
• Through current events, people all around the world are aware of ISIS and the dangerous threats they send out. ISIS, a radical Islamic terrorist group, has carried out some of these threats in a surprising, violent, and horrific nature. The most recent has been the Paris bombings, which devastated and stunned people around the globe. In addition, people were horrified to learn the details of the gruesome beheadings of international hostages, such as journalists and aid workers, as well as civilians and soldiers.
2. A majority of Americans do not live a sustainable lifestyle
• In traveling parts of Europe and Asia, I've noticed a drastic difference in the way that the residents of these countries conserve. They definitely are more environmentally conscious with strict recyling laws, and the every day energy conserving habits that they have. Dorms in universities in Korea have key cards that you have to insert in an outlet in the wall for all electricity in the dorm to work. It is also the key to your door, so once you leave the room, everything gets shut down, which saves a lot of energy.
3. Access to healthcare in poor countries
• A problem that poverty-stricken countries face is that many of the population do not have access to proper healthcare. This may especially be a problem for the women and children in the country in terms of getting the proper medical treatment for pre-natal, birth, and post-natal care, as well as virus prevention and vaccine access that could be incredibly beneficial to children.
4. Increasing reliance on technology
• With the rapid technological changes, product innovation, and rise in the usage of technology overall, it's clear that the new generation will grow up accustomed to being constantly surrounded by technology. As part of the generation who is growing up being introduced to all these new technologies, we are constantly aware of how much it has become involved in our lives.
5. Nuclear power in North Korea
• It's unsettling to know that North Korea has nuclear power. This is so because the country is so volatile and unstable. Although they make ridiculous threats all the time, the new leader of the dictatorship, Kim Jong Un, has proved to have an unstable mindset. They have access to nuclear weapons that can cause geat amounts of destruction.

Solutions

1. International terrorism
• ISIS has made numerous threats to the United States and many other countries in the European Union as well. The best thing, as of now, is to have a tireless effort in surveying ISIS through counter-terrorism intelligence efforts, in order to intercept their messages and figure out their members.
2. Increasing reliance on technology
• As a personal goal that everyone should keep for themselves, there should be certain parts of the day and week where there is a technology detox, so that more meaningful time can be spent for interpersonal communication.
3. A majority of Americans do not live a sustainable lifestyle
• It is a social responsibility of everyone inhabiting this Earth to live a ecologically conscious lifestyle. Each little thing can make a difference, such as turning off the water in the shower while you shampoo and use soap and American dorms should develop similar outlets like Korean dorms.
4. Access to healthcare in poor countries
• There are currently many international organizations that tirelessly work to provide healthcare aid to these countires, such as the American Red Cross, as well as other nonprofit organizations. The best solution to these would be to provide donations to these organizations to fund their efforts.
5. Nuclear power in North Korea
• It's important for powerful countries, such as China, to put significant amounts of pressure on North Korea, in order to prevent them from doing harmful things.

I selected my top problem of international terrorism, specifically the devastating actions by ISIS, because of their power, following, and swift movements. Although it's easy to live our daily lives, unaffected by terror, but closely observing from the news, it's easy profound to know that the next attack can come out of nowhere, in the most unexpected of places. Paris, a city associated with beauty, love, glamour, art - a historic city that everyone dreams of visiting, fell victim to bombings and mass casualty. It's scary to think that an attack like that can come to the unexpecting and unsuspecting. Additionally, with ISIS's adept social media skills and presence, they have the ability to make their following greater, which they are doing so right now, curating the minds of radical citizens in every part of the world. This technology, however, is another reason that the solution for ISIS was also ranked at the top. ISIS may have their own tech geniuses, operating on evil notions, but intelligence and tech officials in law enforcements and special intelligence agencies of the United States, Europe, and Asia are more than well-eqipped with counter-intelligence to intercept, decode, and track.