Leave behind Catch-22 and move forward with Angel 23

Catch-22 is defined as a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules or limitations. An example of a catch-22 is a thought: 'How can one get any experience without getting a job that gives one experience'. We had a such situation in the year 2022. While humanity was succeeding in the war against COVID-19, another war (or crisis as some countries would like to call it) started in Europe between Russia and Ukraine. But that's not all, our civilization's war against nature continued unabashed and without any sign of slowing the missiles loaded with human-induced greed and disrespect for the planet's ecosystem.

As against this, Angel number-23 is a term known to bring luck. It represents good fortune and positivity. Angel inherently means heavenly and kind. Two months into 2023, do we get the feeling of positivity?

My top message after a new beginning as Founder and Director of Green TERRE Foundation is no other than that given by the Secretary-General of the United Nations where I spent 2 decades in its Paris office. He said in his new year message 2023, and I repeat:

"Every New Year is a moment of rebirth. We sweep out the ashes of the old year and prepare for a brighter day."

In 2022, millions of people around the world literally swept out of ashes. From Ukraine to Syria, to Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond, people left their homes in ruins and either hoped for a better future or migrate to safer places. Around the world, one hundred million people were on the move, fleeing wars, wildfires, droughts, natural disasters, poverty and hunger.

The planet did not spare them and many of us in the last two months of 2023 either. In 2023, we hoped to experience positivity. We need peace, now more than ever. Peace with one another, through dialogue to end the conflict and more than that peace with nature. We need to build a more sustainable world. Peace at home so that women and children can live in dignity and safety. Peace on the streets and in our communities, with the full protection of all human rights. Peace in our places of worship, with respect for each other's beliefs. And peace online, free from hate speech and abuse. Above all, peace in the university campuses where youth mould their minds, aspire for actions and get future-ready.

The world is fortunate to have youth at the core of positivity, resilience and sustainability. Though 2023 has begun with major calamities like the continuation of the war, earthquakes, economic slowdowns, disturbing political tensions and disrupting unilateralism, let's put peace and sustainability at the heart of our words and actions. Together, let's in 2023 help the youth in universities to take action to localise SDGs in their campus and transform their campus to net zero for carbon neutrality.

2023 would be the year of realisation that at the root of every calamity and suffering is the unsustainable and unequal world that disrespects nature. The movement of the Smart Campus Cloud Network (see sccnhub.com) of Green TERRE Foundation is the hope for a planet to be full of positivity. END 

 Dr Rajendra Shende

Former Director UNEP, IIT Alumni,

Prime Mover Smart Campus Cloud Network 

Coordinating lead author of IPCC.