Humanity has evolved over millennia on its own unequally and naturally. Until Renaissance, Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution people all over the world were pretty helpless and clueless to address the natural calamities, more so when the diseases stuck. Since then, we have made great strides till date on health side. Formation of UN, WHO ... held us in good stead. Especially, UN has been highly successful in ensuring reduction of avoidable conflicts. WHO also has done commendable job till date, though it could have done better, more proactively and comprehensively, in the present crisis.
The present crisis throws far more challenges than the institutions can handle. But that also has thrown far greater challenges to necessitate the initiation of new institutions.
Far greater threat has been 'benightment', which in my view, is diametrically opposite to Enlightenment! Even after centuries, the Enlightenment hasn't been the core foundation of everybody's thought process, though we all enjoy the fruits of it, especially the more downtrodden have been impacted the most. That said, many of the topmost beneficiaries, of the Enlightenment through out the centuries, are vociferous and highly effective preachers & practitioners of the most malignant benightment!
There is a serious need of building the institutions to ensure the Enhancement of Enlightenment amongst the masses all over the world. The far greater objective of such institutions is to eradicate benightment completely! This may sound too ambitious and idealistic. The ground realities are way too clear that the time has come to have such institutions, and those institutions should start delivering the results from the word go!
I have shared the above graph to show that even after centuries, we don't have a word which is diametrically opposed to Enlightenment. In addition, 'benighted' word itself has lost its way! Though benighted was used more before and after the emergence of the Enlightenment, the usage has gone down drastically. This could be because the Enlightenment really addressed benightment effectively, at least in the early days. But benightment wasn't eradicated completely! ... And benightment has reared its evil head ferociously, viciously and virulently!
The benightment needs to be recognized as The Disease of the day and should be eradicated altogether and banished from humanity; thus paving the way for the enabling environment for Enhancement of Enlightenment, Eternally!
