Summer School in Environmental Impact Assessment

IIITM-K announces its Summer School in Environmental Impact Assessment
For details, pl visit www.iiitmk.ac.in/summerschool

Pervasive Opportunities

Knowledge has revolutionized human societies and taken it to the threshold of transition into an era of virtual social cohesion. The coalescing power of open knowledge, without face or icon is a manifestation of this contemporary force.

Individuals as icons and leaders will soon be relegated to the annals of history. Albeit with different objectives, the jasmine revolution in Tunisia and December demonstrations in New Delhi, represents two instances of knowledge enabled virtual social cohesion. These phenomena, taking place at the cross-roads of social, technological and biological evolution are bound to gather more strength and be more frequent.

However, it is too premature to predict the way human societies will react, when faced with issues fundamental to their existence; like sharing a dwindling natural resource flowing across dialectical, geo-political boundaries. Not far from present, social evolution is destined to choose either of the two distinct, mutually exclusive courses. The options of which will depend on whether preference be exerted to benefit own dialect or a show of egalitarian respect for fellow beings, sans frontiers.

The latter, undoubtedly is ideal. Erased boundaries will help create decent living conditions in all human habitations. Knowledge facilitated social coalescing, for a cause across linguistic, administrative or geographic boundaries; is a precursor and primer to steer mankind to the ideal course of action. Let me try to exemplify the above statement:

Tourism, a source of revenue for Governments, provides a neutral case to experiment with.

Despite being a means of livelihood for local populace, many tourist destinations world over are losing their charm. Persistent epidemics stemming from piling waste mounds, crumbling infrastructure and sinking social attitudes are only a few probable causal reasons listed.  Potential tourists, coalescing in a virtual platform, can exert required decibel to demand clean and safe tourism. Doesn’t it sound like ex-situ social engineering?