Bharat Dogra

The year that dawns on January 1 2020 is no ordinary year. Several leading scientists and scientist groups have repeatedly said that the life-nurturing conditions of our planet are badly threatened. Due to a number of factors this year is going to be a very important year if time-bound solutions of this survival crisis are to be found.

This day also heralds the beginning of the decade 2020–29 and there is even stronger scientific evidence that this decade is the most important decade ever in human history. This is based on the understanding that  nothing less than a survival crisis exists on our planet and as time is running out for resolving this crisis (which has tipping points), the decade 2020–29 has acquired a very special significance from the point of view of finding effective ways of resolving this survival crisis within the framework of justice, peace and democracy.

It is essential that forces of justice, peace and environment protection should come together and work  with unity and firm resolve to bring important international governance reforms and accompanying changes in value systems at ground level which are essential to find a way out of the most critical survival crisis before it is too late.

This critical realization should set the agenda for the new year and decade and this realization should be an important part of our wishes for a happy and purposeful new year.

(Bharat Dogra is a journalist and author.)