It’s no longer a secret that the world is obsessed with climate change. As torrential rains and heat waves hit many parts of the world, people are worried that climate change will unleash a force so destructive that entire communities could be wiped out.
The most vulnerable are those living in low-lying coastal areas and small island countries. If sea level rise continues unchecked, as it is now, many of the islands in the Pacific will be completely submerged. This explains why, at every meeting of the UN Climate Change Conference, representatives from threatened islands will press world governments to take appropriate action to mitigate global warming by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.
Renewable energies are beginning to gain favor among businesses as they strive to reduce their carbon footprints. Those who do not comply will be less favored by investors and customers.
As the world grapples with the challenges posed by climate change, it risks missing another threat to humanity – the rise of a culture of hate.
Experts who have been monitoring global concerns and threats have recently raised the red flag for hate.
They have assessed the many forms of hatred, which include hatred based on ethnicity, religion, skin color and ethnic differences, and have unanimously concluded that the culture of hatred is an even greater threat to humanity than the change of climate.
Some have even suggested that reducing hate be made another sustainable development goal (SDG).
Hate based on skin color is still on the rise in the United States. In fact, as the number of new immigrants entering the US, especially from Latin American countries, has increased, the level of hatred based on skin color has increased.
Some of this has also been reported in European countries, as more refugees from Africa and the Middle East enter the continent. If left unchecked, localized conflicts that have erupted can escalate into a larger-scale war.
Religious hatred is also escalating in many parts of the world. Years ago, we saw how religious divisions between ethnic groups culminated in the breakup of Yugoslavia into smaller states. Closer to home, the Rohingya conflict, which arose largely from religious and social differentiation between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, is now being discussed at the International Court of Justice.
India is also witnessing a disturbing trend in religious hatred.
There are many other examples around the world. The question before us is why is this culture of hate allowed to develop? Why is the international community not taking proactive actions to prevent such developments?
Although many believe that education can be the tonic that can rid the world of a culture of hate, no serious action has been taken to include the study of hate in the curriculum. If anything, the way education is practiced and organized is quite the opposite.
Now we talk a lot about education for sustainable development, but it is time to create a curriculum in education for increasing tolerance and eradicating the culture of hatred.
PROFESSOR DATUK DR AHMAD IBRAHIM
Tan Sri Omar Center for STI Policy
UCSI University
