March for Quality Education - for men and women.

Since its publication, book Many Many Beginnings' readers have provided feedback on its sweeping survey of socio-economic history offering a new understanding of the key challenge of our time.

Even though the book offers a positive message of hope for a sustainable and just future and a practical strategy for getting there in Many Many Beginnings readers found something different.

This is their willingness to be part of change that is cross borders, cultures, religion, and geography - to share what they think is relevant in their environment and how they see a better world.

But before continuing with their contribution, - a young activist Mohamed MANSARAY from Sierra Leone and Melody OKIRI, a young woman, an environmentalist from Kenya. here is the progress of the echoes of many other readers of the book in a nutshell.

Some readers argue that the lack of quality education for the masses, thus ending in the organization of society through hierarchy (and violence like Socrates predicted) has always resulted in misery for the many and fortune for the few. Today many, including Prof Noam Chomsky fear that linear thinking threatens the very future of humanity as most of the current ways of the societal organization have become unsustainable even destructive.

Book Many Many Beginnings as a timely reminder traced the roots of ill-development and charted the evolution of its instruments of disconnection - such as gender inequality, harming the environment, undermining quality education thus killing democracy, or maybe most importantly disrespecting human genuine soul, from absolute monarchies of the past to the modern multinational institutions of the global economy. On the positive side, it opened new ways of looking to the world, for mostly to-become-art and literature lovers to come together to appreciate the efforts to develop democratic alternatives to such discriminatory and self-pain-inflicting outcomes.

Hiring more women and abolishing discriminatory laws would significantly boost the world economy, according to Christine Lagarde.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, the head of the International Monetary Fund argues that countries ranked in the bottom 50 percent for gender equality — such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon — would experience economic gains of as much as 35 percent.

But this is more about the human dignity and psychology than it is about the economy. And how much growth we can obtain?

Book Many Many Beginnings highlights that there are forces, such as the founding of the United States that once reflected values for all. As James Adams put it in 1931:

“The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

Many Many Beginnings today shows how egocentric views with an imperial agenda and no room for art and literature, thus with a lack of understanding of the soul - tit-for-tat as the economists call it- have undermined the "American experiment."

From 1931 to date, why were so many of the dreams dashed? Working together, having faith, trust, and doing lots of good things? Some blame linear thinking, others call it The Empire. Surely the list is long. Yet today, March 8th there is a major argument not to ignore:

For long centuries women were evitable for philosophers. Yet today we know that "Masculinity, Egocentric Behavior - or The Empire if you prefer- be it small or big" is not inevitable.

Former President Barack Obama spoke a few weeks ago about how to “be a man” and the need to combat stereotypes of masculinity that “trap” young men, specifically young men of color.

“All of us have to recognize that being a man is first and foremost being a good human. That means being responsible, working hard, being kind, respectful, compassionate,” Obama said at a conference for his My Brother’s Keeper initiative in Oakland.

“The notion that somehow defining yourself as a man is dependent on, are you able to put somebody else down… able to dominate… that is an old view,” the former president added.

What would have happened if we had adopted this view in world economics? Geopolitics? Well -to come back to daily life- in work or our private relationships?

For anyone who thinks is too small to make a change - well there is good news. Just listen to the voices of women today and you will hear that globally; yes; we can turn away from it.

And there are some changes already starting:

The S.E.C., the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is a large independent agency of the United States federal government that was created following the stock market crash in the 1920s to protect investors and the national banking system makes history with a major new rule on human capital.

Thanks to a groundbreaking new rule, there is a chance to elevate employee well-being, and to continue widening the idea of what sustainable growth means. In addition to disclosing their total number of employees, companies are now required to include not only a description of a company’s “human capital resources,” but also “any human capital measures or objectives that management focuses on in managing the business.” And according to the rule this should include any measures that address three areas: “attraction, development, and retention of personnel."

This is a first step in the US forward in codifying the primacy of human capital — and therefore employee well-being — as a driver of business outcomes. But is there a common understanding, a link between what sustainable growth means for companies with the concerns about our environement? And who is deciding?

As one of the co-founders of She Changes Climate, Antoinette Vermilye argues

"...that half the planet has not been included in the decision-making for our future that will affect us all.

This year's Climate Conference (COP26) is hosted by the UK. At the moment the top of the COP26 leadership team comprises 3 women out of 12 positions.

This is the bottleneck that affects the framing and narrative of the agenda (When Poland hosted, the agenda focused on agriculture and deftly minimized renewables due to its coal production and employment).

The outcome of COP26 has to be the best it possibly can be so that downstream its agreements have optimal uptake.

Without the perspectives of ALL parties, we do ourselves, the planet, and our future a huge disservice. Time to make the change.

We are partnering with Women's Virtual “March” today Sunday 7 March."

Like Antoinette, I also believe that increasing the number of women in key decision-making is essential. Yet, even if we had equal number of women and men, what still needs to be remembered is that this is not only about numbers but about quality education for all. We need men just like women who have a quality education for quality-decision making.

“We have forgotten this distinction between an intellectual democracy and a democracy by birthright. We have given the vote to all without connecting it to wisdom.” says Alain de Botton.

I believe that this shall be the key message to world leaders that quality education is and must be regarded as a public good.

And as a man, how do I feel so confident about change on March 8th?

Just a few weeks after the book was out, I met many new souls engaged for change - women and men - from all over the world. And here in the link are the pages by Mohamed and here in the link by Melody - who never met - as a true reconnection happening voluntarily. A communication not depending on anything; natural enough, causing mutual sympathy in a belief.

A belief that can unite us all.