I want to open this newsletter by sending a thought to Afghanistan, where an earthquake killed at least 1000 people. Because of the war in Ukraine, inflation, and other issues, sometimes it’s easy to forget that the country is now firmly in the hand of the Taliban, that women have seen their rights vastly curtailed, and a humanitarian crisis is unfolding across the country. All but the latest earthquake would have been preventable if only the US and Nato allies did not conduct one of the most unsuccessful military campaigns in history.
This tragedy in Afghanistan made me reflect on how we consume media and “live life” today. Attracted by the latest trends or frenzies, we are quick to forget critical events that marked our recent history - science proves it. Hence, we are prone to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Where will the next “Taliban” spring up? When will the next big thing - a new COVID wave, another poisoned trial between celebrities, a political crisis in the US after November 2022 elections - swipe away the remaining attention from Ukraine? Soon, probably sooner than we expect.
In trying to build a new mindset and culture to fix injustices and give new momentum to progress, we must free ourselves from this inability to focus on what truly matters and see beyond the fog of hyper-information. Exactly as in our professional life, we know we need to focus on essential milestones and keep the noise out, the same must happen in our personal life: the world works in a simple way, money & power still drive most decisions and interests, and to create a global political party that can tame climate change, eradicate poverty, and help democracy prevail we cannot allow ourselves to lose focus.
Onwards,
Andrea
Andrea Venzon (he/him)
Co-Founder
Atlas
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