It was brought to my attention recently that whereas before, the variety of my interests as reflected by blog posts was rather broad, it has somewhat been narrowed down to only two or three at the most. I took the time to scroll through my recent blog posts and yes, there definitely seems to be a downward trend towards a couple of specific themes.

This is directly related to yet another one of my constant concerns: that there is so much going on in the world one cannot possibly be kept abreast of it all. This might seems discouraging a thought at first to all those who are intent on helping bettering the world; however, when one realises that all these little details are but symptoms of one general problem, it becomes relatively easier to focus on advancing human civilization.

Let me reiterate: RELATIVELY easier 😉

What I mean to say is that while there are thousands upon thousands of important causes one could back up, there is always just one problem at its base: a lack of justice. This incredible variety of causes, combined with the fact that the best-beloved of all things in God’s sight is justice, makes me think that our approach, to be efficient, must needs change.

Perhaps one way of being more efficient is to adopt a dual approach. On the one hand, focusing on a cause that is near and dear to us will allow us to contribute positively and systematically to the discourse in society surrounding said cause. But on the other hand, focusing on one thing can blind us to the context within which it is placed; therefore, trying to understand the relationship between other causes and ours, as well as the relationship between the lack of justice and all of these causes, will allow us to always remain relevant. The way I understand it, doing so will allow us to start a conversation about justice in general while learning to apply it in specific areas that we are dedicated to.

So with this in mind, I thought I’d start trying to link in as rigorous a way as I can various news headlines to the concept of justice, as well as to that of gender equity, education and health, the causes that most inspire me. If said headline is amongst one of your areas of expertise, I’d greatly appreciate corrections and clarifications wherever I sound ridiculous.

Here are a couple of news items I found this week, as well as my reflections on how they are related to gender inequality, education and health. It was harder than I thought, putting it all together – which means that it’s going to be all the more fun.

David Suzuki targets ‘dirty dozen’ toxic ingredients

What is the price women are paying while trying to attain an unattainable form of beauty? The consequences of the use of these toxic ingredients isn’t only restricted to the women who use them. The production of these ingredients as well as their disposal – be it in the garbage or in the drainage water when women wash their faces – affects the environment in ways we are only beginning to understand. And usually, places where individuals with less financial means live are the ones that suffer the most from the production and disposal of these toxic ingredients (think Erin Brockovich).

So by targeting the use of these toxic ingredients, David Suzuki is helping increase awareness of the ridiculousness of the situation created by society where women put such ingredients on their face in the name of beauty.

Facebook Apps may face privacy probe

Social boundaries are becoming more and more porous, especially with the advent of social networking and digital cameras. What with the dizzying speed with which technology has advanced in the last 5 to 10 years, making it easier and easier to post one’s life online and, by the same token, making one’s life more and more available to various disturbed individuals, it’s really great that various agencies and governments are putting up protections. After all, we want to protect our children and junior youth from said disturbed individuals lurking on the internet.

However, setting up barriers isn’t the only answer, since the younger generations want to post their lives online. In a celebrity-obsessed era, combined with the reality-show craze that makes shows such a Jersey Shore hits, privacy is becoming a hindrance to what seems to be the American dream: achieving one’s 15 minutes of fame.

It’s of course a very complex topic, one that I am hardly able to explain. But it seems that one of the reasons for the existence of privacy issues is related to the fact that people willingly give their privacy up for their claim to 15 minutes of fame, be it at the price of a lifelong stain on their reputation which could negatively impact their future prospects. With regards to teenage girls, the internet provides for a platform in which their sexuality, something they are told they should barter for their claim to fame. And so, while well-intentioned, these privacy laws won’t in the end curb the problem as long as raging consumerism, women’s sexuality as a bartering chip and the over importance placed on fame aren’t addressed.

In such a context, it hardly seems fair to use such a potent media as the internet to exploit insecurities of youngsters in such a way as to convince them to put their entire lives online, and then punish them for that very same reason. It’s also interesting that the only voices deemed important or interesting enough to be listened to are the ones that are most shocking; all the more that said shock wearing off after awhile, those wanting to be heard feel compelled to exploit increasingly higher levels of shock. It makes one wonder how far this cycle can go.

So what do you think about the two above-mentioned news articles in relation to your preferred cause?