The Significant Individual, Values and Social Evolution

Great achievements of the past hold invaluable lessons for the future. Often we deify the leader and celebrate the outcome, but overlook the underlying principles they reflect. The American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s is a testimony to the combined power of an idea, the catalytic role of dedicated individuals and the power of token actions in extreme circumstances. The idea of non-violence and civil disobedience propounded by Thoreau and successfully implemented by Mahatma Gandhi showed that it is possible for an unarmed, untrained and loosely organized group to take on a powerful, well armed, well trained force, with minimum casualties on either side and maximum chances of reconciliation in the future. An idea acquires power when it touches the emotions. Martin Luther King Jr. imparted those emotions and inspired them in other people. In rising to be the leader of the movement, he represented the peak of the mountain or the tip of the iceberg composed of millions of African Americans who aspired for a better life and the millions more around the world who supported his cause formed the base that held up the peak. It was their aspiration that gave power to his words and actions. King identified with the conscious, and often subconscious aspiration of African Americans and channelized their energy into a force, organized it as the Civil Rights Movement, and transformed it into an irresistible power. Insightfully, he realized that a violent solution to the problem of discrimination would only deepen the fissures in American society and lengthen the healing process. Every single act that was undertaken in the movement by individuals and groups—Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a bus, the Little Rock Nine courageously attending school though the Arkansas state National Guards blocked the entrance, everyone of the 250,000 people assembling in Washington DC to hear King’s dream—exhausted whatever significant or insignificant resources were available and in that sense became a perfect token act. A strong individual inspired by a powerful idea led people in well planned and perfectly organized sit-ins, stand-ins, marches, speeches, prayers and protests. The movement generated such power as to alter the legislation of the land, and more significantly, the mindset that tolerated or approved of racism. Although many contributed to this remarkable achievement, King’s actions testify to that fact that one man’s commitment can change the world. But it equally reveals the power of a mass movement directed to advance social progress. This accomplishment continues to inspire activists all over the world and confirms the inevitability of the success of movements that strive for universal human rights. It illustrates the process and defines the strategy needed for the future evolution of global society and human unity

Contextual Education

When the knowledge gained over centuries has to be presented to students through a 12-15 year study, it has to be abridged and organized elaborately. This process of encapsulating all knowledge into an educational course often results in fragmentation of knowledge and a mental divorce from life. Life knowledge that is reduced to objective principles may be intelligible to the intellect, but is incomprehensible to the imagination, creativity and emotional intelligence, all of which are important to the full development of personality. A study of Economics without the human and social dimensions, industrialization detached from ecology, or science devoid of moral accountability results in problems. Education of each part must be in the context of the whole. Knowing the whole context helps one get the right perspective to address the issue effectively. In the education of the future, the gap between abstract concept and social relevance must be bridged. The following article explores the need for contextual education and the ways in which it can be implemented

Mind, Thinking and Creativity

Global civilization is the product of diverse cultures, each contributing a unique perspective arising from the development of different mental faculties and powers of mind. The momentous achievements of modern science are the result of the cumulative development of mind’s capacity for analytic thinking, mathematical rendering and experimental validation. The near-exclusive preoccupation with analysis, universal laws, mechanism, materialism, and objective experience over the past two centuries has shaped the world we live in today, accounting both for its accomplishments and its insoluble problems. Today humanity confronts complex challenges that defy solution by piecemeal analysis, unidimensional theories, and fragmented strategies. Poverty, unemployment, economic crisis, fundamentalism, violence, climate change, war, refugees, reflect the limitations and blindspots that have resulted from a partial, one-sided application of the diverse capacities of the human mind. Human monocultures suffer from all the limitations as their biological counterparts. There is urgent need to revive the legitimacy of synthetic, organic and integrated modes of thinking, to restore the credibility of subjective self-experience in science, to reaffirm the place of symbol, analogy and metaphor as valid ways of knowing and communication in education, to recognize the unique role of the individual in social processes, to recognize the central role of insight and intuition in science as in art. This article examines themes presented at the WAAS-WUC course on Mind, Thinking and Creativity, conducted at Dubrovnik in April 2016

Human Connectivity: The Key to Progress

Progress results from human interaction. Advances in knowledge, transportation, communication, technology and industry have aided in social development only to the extent that they have brought greater numbers of people closer. It is only human ingenuity that has achieved. Historically, every event that marks a step forward in social evolution coincides with a discovery, invention or organizational innovation that brings people closer in contact. When two people meet, the knowledge, resourcefulness and capacity that they bring together grow not cumulatively but exponentially. Thus every additional connection made to the human network adds to its depth and richness. When this is done at a larger scale, between entire cultures and civilizations, the result is an explosion of creativity. Urbanization and advances in technology have accelerated this interchange between people and cultures. Unlike all other resources, human capital is inexhaustible, self-replenishing and has the potential to meet and overcome every challenge the world faces today. The logistics of bringing human minds together effectively holds the key to consciously accelerating human progress

Leadership for a New Paradigm in Human Development

Everyone takes decisions and initiatives. Leaders take charge and initiate changes. Transformational leaders take responsibility for all and, guided by positive values, lead society into the future. These men and women of profound vision give expression to the subconscious aspirations of society that are striving to awaken, and act as a catalyst for their realization. Empathy, compassion, humility, emotional and social intelligence, and effective decision-making skills are characteristics of the transformational leader. Power, wealth and glory hold little value for them, they are above ego and have no thought of personal gain. They take consciousness responsibility for all, far greater than their authority warrants or requires. Espousing the collective cause, they forge ahead with great courage and conviction. Any setback or hurdle is faced with equanimity. Their original and creative thinking converts challenges into opportunities. They know that the unrealized is not unrealizable. They are able to inspire others to realize more of their potential, channelize the collective social energy and organize it into a power that accomplishes. Transformational leadership defines accomplishment in the broadest sense. One country cannot prosper at the cost of the rest of the world, one group of people cannot be secure when there are others somewhere on the planet who are insecure. No problem is isolated from all else, and a comprehensive solution is possible only for those who have overcome dualistic thinking and can reconcile apparent opposites. Transformational leaders have such an integrated view of every issue and situation, and can usher in a new paradigm of human development that ensures peace, security and well-being for all. This article analyzes the various facets of transformational leadership

Report on Future Education Symposium

Higher education has continuously evolved in its purpose and methods. As the demands on education have become increasingly complex today, it becomes essential to determine the needs of the future, and evolve a system of education that equips youth to face the challenges that the 21st century will bring, and scale its yet unseen peaks. The following paper draws its inspiration from the recent WAAS-WUC course on ‘Future Education’ in Dubrovnik, Croatia that sought to explore key issues in teaching and learning, and the means for ushering in a new paradigm in education

Systematic review fracture resistance of endodontically treated posterior teeth restored with fiber reinforced composites- a systematic review

Abstract Background Large cavity designs and access cavities impair endodontically treated tooth fracture resistance. As the tooth’s strength is known to reduce significantly after the root canal treatment, occlusal loading as a result of functions such as chewing, biting and certain parafunctional tendencies makes the endodontically treated tooth vulnerable to fracture. Hence, after endodontic treatment, it is vital to give adequate and appropriate restorative material to avoid tooth fractures. Accordingly, the choice of such restorative material should be dictated by the property of fracture resistance. Objective The goal of this study was to conduct a systematic review and critical analysis of available data from in vitro studies examining the fracture resistance of endodontically treated posterior teeth restored with fiber-reinforced composites. Methodology The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRIS-MA) Statement was used to guide the reporting of this systematic review A comprehensive literature search was performed using MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and LILACS. A manual search of the reference lists of the articles was also performed. The databases provided a total of 796 studies from the electronic systematic search. The databases provided a total of 796 studies from the electronic systematic search. Two reviewers scrutinized the papers for eligibility based on inclusion/exclusion criteria and extracted data. The studies were assessed for their potential risk of bias. Based on modified JBI & CRIS (checklist for reporting in vitro studies) guidelines, along with the methodology and treatment objective, we have formulated 13 parameters specifically to assess the risk of bias. A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included for qualitative analysis. Considering the high heterogeneity of the studies included, a meta-analysis could not be performed. Results The majority of the included studies had a moderate or high risk of bias. When compared to traditional hybrid composites, fiber-reinforced composites showed increased fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth in the majority of investigations. On the other hand, limited evidence was found for the bulk fill composites. Moreover, moderate evidence was found for the fracture resistance of inlays and fiber posts with fiber-reinforced composites for core build-up in endodontically treated teeth. No evidence could be found comparing the fracture resistance of endo crowns and fiber-reinforced composites in endodontically treated teeth. Conclusion According to the research, using fiber-reinforced composites instead of conventional hybrid composites improves the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth. However, there was a high risk of bias in the research considered. No judgments could be reached about the superiority of one material over another based-on comparisons between other core restorations