MY WORLD, MY FUTURE, MY CONCERNS

In this Clued Up section, young people discuss what worries them most in their daily lives and in the world around them. In this issue, in which we look at life in the Middle East, Maria Hertz, aged 12, living in Kuwait, challenges us to take a look at what kind of world we are bequeathing to her and future generations

“It disturbs me to think that there are people in this world who have such vastly different ideas of how animals should be treated.”

Dear Ancestors

I am really concerned about the number of poor people in the world. Why are there still shanty towns, why are there children eating mud cakes and why do these children not receive even a basic education?

Why is the Earth in crisis? We appear to be having more natural disasters than ever before; hurricanes terrorising North America, fierce floods in India, droughts in Africa, bush fires in Australia and it seems to be getting worse and worse. I would like to know for how long you have been polluting the earth. Why did you start cutting down the rainforests? Did you not think about the consequences?

How come there are so many wars? It seems to me everyone wants the earth's precious natural resources. I think you and I should sit down and discuss what you have done to make me so concerned about my future.

Why is there still racism? Wasn't that supposed to have stopped years before I was born? I thought the world was becoming safer so why am I worried about gang warfare and knife crimes?

Disease, overpopulation, global warming, tiny children working in sweat shops . . . you seem to have achieved so much but the big issues aren't going away. Do you understand why I worry about my future and the future of my children and their children? Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but someday, the earth might melt away.

And if there is a World War III that will definitely destroy the whole world.

Please think about this letter. Think about the mistakes you have made and the problems your generations created that my generation and the next will have to solve.

Yours sincerely

Maria Hertz

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