It’s a pessimistic old world we live in.  You can’t help reading the news or watching TV and being filled with pity at all the horrible things going on.  Killings, hunger, natural disasters, even more near to our hearts, cases of injustice against people, animals and our environment continue to assail us daily with stories of cruelty and sadness.  It’s not too surprising that, in the face of this relentless negativity, many of us become apathetic and detached, perhaps giving a trivial sum to charity to offset that nagging feeling in our conscience that we ought to be doing more.

But there are people around the world in their millions actively working to make the world a better place.  Whether working alone or as part of organizations, they put their collective skills and abilities to use feeding the hungry, bringing clean water to distance villages or protecting precious wildlife habitat from destruction. All across the face of the Earth people can and are making a difference. 

The only difference between them and everyone who wishes they could do something is knowledge.  Knowledge is the difference between looking at a bad situation and despairing or understanding what can be done to put it right.  It’s the difference between seeing only tragedy in a village with children dying from malnutrition and thirst and knowing the technological and agricultural knowledge that could bring water and food to that community which would save lives. 

Education is the key to knowledge, and knowledge is the road to making a difference in the world.  Whether you’re building a well in Africa, helping vulnerable people with psychological issues or making a nesting box for birds in the garden, knowing how to do it is the first step to being able to do something to help. 

That’s why I’m proud to be in education.  I love hearing form former students who did a course with us and then were able to move on to take their new knowledge into the world and make it a better place.  From safari parks to counsellor couches, it’s a privlage to hear their stories and what they’ve gone on to do with the knowledge learned on our courses.

So, want the power to right wrongs?  Get educated! 

Until next time.

Daryl Tempest-Mogg

ADL Director of Studies