Over the past thirty years, society has seen exponential development in technology, infrastructure, and quality of life. This has led to substantial improvement in some communities, but not in all communities, driving a wedge between socioeconomic classes and creating a significant difference in quality of life across the world, and even across the United States. This widening chasm has contributed greatly toward dissent and unhappiness among various communities, and a lack of understanding. When examining what a peaceful world looks like, the cliche answers revolve around a society without war where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. Though this can contribute to a peaceful world, there are other important aspects to consider, namely living conditions that can be found at the root of common problems.

Some communities are constantly struggling to achieve even basic necessities of life, causing undue stress and taking away from a peaceful world. According to the USDA, out of the 34 million people who are deemed food insecure, 9 million are children. Alongside, Feeding America shares a statistic claiming that 119 billion pounds of food are wasted yearly, translating to 130 billion meals1 that could be going to the 34 million people facing food insecurity. With the rapid development in the hands of innovators constantly creating remarkable solutions to various problems, there is a chance for a peaceful world. Refresh LA is a startup created by four students from USC to help reduce food waste by creating a platform for customers to buy restaurants’ leftover food at decreased prices.2 Not only does this help low-income families afford quality food at lower prices, but the food that would have been added to the 119 billion pounds of waste can now serve a purpose.

Crime rates are also often higher in lower-income communities where the price of committing a crime is far less risky than for those of higher-income communities. This is because the hope for a successful robbery is often worth the possibility of getting caught for those struggling for food, shelter, and other basic necessities. In other words, people in these communities often have a higher reward-to-risk ratio, thus creating a cycle of crime in lower-income communities. In developed countries, where a great majority of the population lives under such conditions, this creates an even bigger barrier to solving problems and general advancement. The famous mouse experiment summarized that mice don’t do drugs when they are in a happy place. However, when they are not in a comfortable position, they are tempted to take drugs to feel a temporary sense of happiness.4 Humans struggling with discomfort often also exhibit this behavior. Higher drug usage and thus crime rates in these communities then contribute to even great struggles.

Many affluent individuals have resources they will most likely never need in their lifetime - resources that could be used to improve the quality of life among lower-income communities to achieve greater stability. A quote from IMF shares, “The richest 10 percent today snap up 52 percent of all income. The poorest half get just 8.5 percent.”3 This needs to change for us to achieve a peaceful world, as current trends can only exacerbate alienation among communities. By achieving a stable balance among different communities, we can reduce strife. We could be break down social barriers, raise taxes for the rich, or raise the minimum wage. Miniziming this detrimental gap is the key to a peaceful world.

Many affluent individuals are not exposed to their disadvantaged counterparts, contributing to a lack of awareness and understanding. This keeps the human race from progressing together. Collaboration is what the human race is missing. A lack of unity and collaboration is increasing the atrocities that low-income individuals are dealing with on a daily basis. If the wealthy were more often exposed to the struggles of their disadvantaged counterparts, they might be more inclined to help resolve economic disparities. By coming together and learning about one anothers’ struggles, our communities could work collaboratively to solve critical challenges that will contribute to a peaceful world.

Work Cited:

feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20USDA%2C%20more,United%20States%20are%20food%20insecure. 
dailytrojan.com/2021/04/06/student-startup-aims-to-limit-food-waste-in-restaurants/ 
imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2022/03/Global-inequalities-Stanley#:~:text=Income%20inequalities%20are%20not%20much,at%20ecological%20and%20gender%20inequality.
psychiatrictimes.com/view/what-does-rat-park-teach-us-about-addiction