2022 is arriving in rather difficult circumstances, which reinforces the need to not give up hope and increase efforts to create a safer, happier world. This needs thoughtful study and reflection, together with efforts to reach out and mobilise. We need to create conditions of happiness and harmony in which we can work hard and contribute more over a long time without getting disheartened or depressed.

So, our immediate and close relationships are very important. These should not only be protected but also nurtured in such ways that they provide encouraging conditions for our ability to contribute, no matter in how modest a way, towards a better and more just, protective, safer world. Often, we take close relationships for granted; it may be more thoughtful to keep trying to improve them. A kind and helpful attitude towards all those who help and serve us in various ways should of course be an important aspect of our social relationships.

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In terms of our wider social role, it is very important to try to contribute to peace and non-violence. This was always very important, but at a time when the world is faced with increasing survival problems, it has become vitally important to improve conditions of peace and cooperation at all levels. Unfortunately, some forces continued to spread hatred and discriminative thinking in society. We should check this to the extent we can in our neighbourhoods, while at the same time putting forward ideas that contribute to non-discrimination, equality, and inter-faith harmony.

In the international context, spreading an understanding of seeking friendship with people of all countries while taking care to protect our essential interests will contribute much to preparing a base for peace. Many people say that these are policy matters and they as ordinary citizens do not have much of a role in these. But millions of small, quiet, continuing efforts for peace by ordinary people can contribute much more to preparing a strong base for peace than is commonly realized.

In the context of protection of environment and biodiversity, there are even bigger possibilities of millions of small, continuing efforts making a big contribution to making the world safer and healthier. These efforts will achieve even more if more attention is devoted to having a better understanding of how we can contribute best in our specific conditions and environs. We should be innovative and create linkages, but even those more amenable to working on their own can contribute by their lifestyle choices, by their housing arrangements, by how they nurture their small gardens.

Justice and equality are very important for reducing distress in the world on a sustainable basis and for bringing hope in the lives of millions of poor and deprived people. While promoting equality and justice in everyday life and supporting such an agenda, any direct interventions by people, no matter how small, are increasingly welcome in these times when many more people have been pushed towards poverty and unemployment. Selecting a village with high levels of poverty and donating a bulk amount of foodgrain plus some pulses, edible oil etc. will be helpful.

A  three-member committee of villagers can decide which households can take food from here during the lean season. An urban shelter for the homeless may not have any provision for food. One or more households can contribute to serve hot, cooked meals. There can be several such initiatives. A question foremost in the minds of many people is that of the pandemic. There is uncertainty and controversy. What can be asserted as a matter of common public interest and on which there can also be consensus is that the entire response should be based on truth and transparency.

Let all views be heard and let all decisions be taken in conditions of transparency in such ways that all facts, reasoning, and data are available for discussion. There can be some uncertainties and differences of opinions but at the end it should be clear that only evidence-based public interest has guided important decisions and no other narrow or selfish view has been allowed to prevail. This is in the larger interests of health but also in the larger interests of democracy.

Whether in health or in other important areas like food, agriculture or information technology, there is greater need for transparency and for taking people into confidence regarding the decisions being taken, providing more evidence and reasoning and justification for decisions. This may take some extra efforts, but at the same this will strengthen trust and thereby also create conditions for more cooperation and participation of people, strengthening democracy.

(The writer is a journalist who has been close to social movements. His recent books include Man Over Machine and Planet in Peril)