s a global society, we are at a crossroads. We have lost faith in institutions at a time when the challenges we face feel all but insurmountable. Having entered the new millennium with at least tempered hope for a better tomorrow, we have instead been subjected to a quarter century of chaos and catastrophe. The rise of terrorism, extremism, and ill–intentioned misinformation. The existential threat of climate change and increasingly ubiquitous extreme weather events. Displaced populations. Entrenched poverty and inequity. A global pandemic that has killed more than seven million people. All against a backdrop of intensified polarization.
Humankind might be forgiven for lapsing into despair. And yet, the trends taking shape as we move into 2025 tell a different story. People are exhausted from conflict and uncertainty. But rather than giving up, more of them appear resolved to do something about it. They’re no longer waiting for governments and multinationals to act. Some of the changes individuals are embracing are small and highly personal: getting serious about reducing their carbon footprints, investing in “climate–proofing” their homes and communities, rushing to preserve the world’s rapidly disappearing languages, cultures, and craft traditions, and actively seeking out moments of delight to do what they can to offset the angst that has blanketed so much of the world.
People are hungry for progress, and that is boosting support for pragmatism over ideology. Sure, we can still talk about lofty ideals and the utopian world to which many aspire (however they define that), but we’ve waited far too long for measurable progress—for some sort of deus ex machina to swoop in and save us from ourselves. We want to see positive change today, even if it’s incremental and falls far short of all we envision. In a world that feels to many as though it’s moving backward, even baby steps in the right direction are a welcome relief.
This raises questions for governments, multinational corporations, and NGOs. How can they support—and harness—this urgent push for change among the world’s peoples? What steps can they take in 2025 and beyond to empower people to contribute to solutions to our most pernicious challenges? Climate change, poverty, immigration, extremism, health care, and the trafficking of drugs and people are just some of the issues that require cooperation across institutions and borders. Citizens cannot hope to solve them alone.
An essential avenue for progress will involve improved transparency and open dialogue. What can Italy teach other parts of the world about preserving cultural heritage? What lessons can we take from Norway and Chile on implementing robust and effective climate policies? How can other nations adapt Japan’s early warning systems and resilient infrastructure to limit the risks of natural disasters? What can countries grappling with high rates of cigarette smoking learn from Sweden, which has managed to achieve one of the lowest smoking prevalences globally?
Real world solutions are out there. They’re just geographically limited and inadequate to meet current needs.
There is a way to solve this. What if more people—from all social strata and geographies—were empowered to participate directly in driving solutions? Current digital tools and rapid advances in artificial intelligence make this far more feasible today than at any other time in history. And after decades of frustration and uncertainty, people are primed to respond.
The challenge will be to flatten decision–making hierarchies and remove barriers restricting the free flow of information and ideas. Doing so will help supercharge our collective drive towards faster, more effective action—and ensure that this action involves people across political and socioeconomic spectrums. Do the existential threats we face as a global society require some sort of United Nations for citizen activism—an apolitical, transnational force that holds open dialogues, educates, and takes advantage of crowdsourcing to implement immediate solutions?
The world’s citizens are desperate for change and eager to feel they’re contributing to it. What can leaders in business and government do in 2025 and beyond to make this happen?
The world awaits.
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Embrace pragmatism to drive change
January 21, 2025
The world is exhausted from conflict and uncertainty. But rather than giving up, many people appear resolved to do something about it. They must be empowered, writes Marian Salzman.
A
s a global society, we are at a crossroads. We have lost faith in institutions at a time when the challenges we face feel all but insurmountable. Having entered the new millennium with at least tempered hope for a better tomorrow, we have instead been subjected to a quarter century of chaos and catastrophe. The rise of terrorism, extremism, and ill–intentioned misinformation. The existential threat of climate change and increasingly ubiquitous extreme weather events. Displaced populations. Entrenched poverty and inequity. A global pandemic that has killed more than seven million people. All against a backdrop of intensified polarization.
Humankind might be forgiven for lapsing into despair. And yet, the trends taking shape as we move into 2025 tell a different story. People are exhausted from conflict and uncertainty. But rather than giving up, more of them appear resolved to do something about it. They’re no longer waiting for governments and multinationals to act. Some of the changes individuals are embracing are small and highly personal: getting serious about reducing their carbon footprints, investing in “climate–proofing” their homes and communities, rushing to preserve the world’s rapidly disappearing languages, cultures, and craft traditions, and actively seeking out moments of delight to do what they can to offset the angst that has blanketed so much of the world.
People are hungry for progress, and that is boosting support for pragmatism over ideology. Sure, we can still talk about lofty ideals and the utopian world to which many aspire (however they define that), but we’ve waited far too long for measurable progress—for some sort of deus ex machina to swoop in and save us from ourselves. We want to see positive change today, even if it’s incremental and falls far short of all we envision. In a world that feels to many as though it’s moving backward, even baby steps in the right direction are a welcome relief.
This raises questions for governments, multinational corporations, and NGOs. How can they support—and harness—this urgent push for change among the world’s peoples? What steps can they take in 2025 and beyond to empower people to contribute to solutions to our most pernicious challenges? Climate change, poverty, immigration, extremism, health care, and the trafficking of drugs and people are just some of the issues that require cooperation across institutions and borders. Citizens cannot hope to solve them alone.
An essential avenue for progress will involve improved transparency and open dialogue. What can Italy teach other parts of the world about preserving cultural heritage? What lessons can we take from Norway and Chile on implementing robust and effective climate policies? How can other nations adapt Japan’s early warning systems and resilient infrastructure to limit the risks of natural disasters? What can countries grappling with high rates of cigarette smoking learn from Sweden, which has managed to achieve one of the lowest smoking prevalences globally?
Real world solutions are out there. They’re just geographically limited and inadequate to meet current needs.
There is a way to solve this. What if more people—from all social strata and geographies—were empowered to participate directly in driving solutions? Current digital tools and rapid advances in artificial intelligence make this far more feasible today than at any other time in history. And after decades of frustration and uncertainty, people are primed to respond.
The challenge will be to flatten decision–making hierarchies and remove barriers restricting the free flow of information and ideas. Doing so will help supercharge our collective drive towards faster, more effective action—and ensure that this action involves people across political and socioeconomic spectrums. Do the existential threats we face as a global society require some sort of United Nations for citizen activism—an apolitical, transnational force that holds open dialogues, educates, and takes advantage of crowdsourcing to implement immediate solutions?
The world’s citizens are desperate for change and eager to feel they’re contributing to it. What can leaders in business and government do in 2025 and beyond to make this happen?
The world awaits.
