Dear Readers ,
‘ What are the basic needs for living well ?’ If anybody had asked you this question 20 years ago , your answer would probably have been , ‘ Health , security , shelter , sufficient food ’.
This is very true . However , when the same question is asked today , your answer would almost certainly make reference to technology , which has undoubtedly become one of the most basic of human life needs .
Although the rapid development of technology has made our lives easier in many respects , it has , at the same time , led to an erosion of some of the values we hold dear . Principle among these are the dimunition of ‘ ethical values ’.
When our unlimited use of technology in our daily lives , we should pause to ask ourselves the question , ‘ Am I using technology in a useful , responsible way ? Does it actual help benefit both me and others ?’
There are now no borders in our world . This reality puts a huge obligation on us to exercise self-control in order to preserve our most cherished values . response to the climate emergency . The most striking instance of this was the one-person strike organised by 16 year-old Greta Thurnberg outside the Swedish Parliament to raise awareness of the discontent the youth of the world feel towards our leaders ’ failure to address the biggest calamity of our age . Inspired by the Greta Thurnberg ’ s direct action , the world ’ s youth are clearly demonstrating a desire to help change the current reality by activating the channels of civil society .
TED schools gave full support to Greta Thurnberg ’ s initiative . I am proud to say that through our students , our teachers , our administrative staff , our alumni , even our parents , we orchestrated the broadest response to the ‘ school strike for the climate ’ in Turkey .
To get to a better place , the best time to start is right now … today .
With my very best wishes ,
Selçuk PEHLİVANOĞLU Turkish Education Association President
Rapid developments in Artificial Intelligence , the aspiration to colonise other planets , the prospect of designer babies , advances in genetic engineering …
Science fiction is no longer just ‘ fiction ’, it has become reality . We now live inside what was previously a science fictional world . In this ever-shifting reality , we now need to strive even harder to maintain our values and the moral sensibility which underpins them .
Over the last two years , we have witnessed passionate protests in schools around the world against the lack of