Today’s world is at risk. This is more apparent to all its inhabitants today than it has ever been in our known history. They say knowledge is power and the truth sets you free. But what exactly is the use of such knowledge if we can’t use it to improve lives, societies, businesses and nations?

The COVID-19 crisis has ushered in the most dangerous variant of the VUCA world onto us. We all already understand a bit about the corona virus mutations. But the entire world is mutating into a more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous place - in short VUCA. 

Allow me to present 2 scenarios to explain this.

Our education is at risk - online learning, lack of schools, the uncertainty of entrance exams, lack of updated curricula, non-existent college campuses, and very little skill-building. This means that the demographic dividend India enjoys right now is going to dust. 

Punjab is one of the 3 regions of the world with an existential risk of vanishing groundwater. The other 2 regions being California and a few provinces in Northern China. 

So, firstly, if our youth is in crisis because of lack of skills and lack of industries to employ them and secondly, our natural aquifers are dying out a rapid and tragic death - why are we not connecting the 2 and solving these problems? 

Did you ever think of these things before? What if you wanted to open an amusement park in Punjab? Do you think it would make the right environment for your venture? How will you make sure things move in the right direction?

These are just some of the critically important aspects that one needs to think about. As you go deeper into the challenges, more risks manifest themselves. And if you are able to identify these challenges in any scenario thrown at you, then you are what is needed by the world today. Risk is everywhere but no one is there to assess it. It needs to be seen objectively and completely so that it becomes a priority for others while making decisions.

Audio by: Saurabh Nanda, International Youth Mentor | Director, SN Mentoring