One World One Team

One World One Team

Those who don’t follow the rules can sometimes be seen as having a free spirit. A leader.

But for those who claim to follow the rules but only when it suits them, we have a whole bunch of other words to describe them… rebel, outlaw, unruly, stubborn and anarchist. Such people don’t play fair. I have come to see their lack of fair play as a reflection of their own poor view of themselves, and their own lack of self-confidence.

They don’t have a heart for others. They are self-centered and believe rules are for everyone else, but not for them. Simply put, they don’t have the confidence to compete fairly with others, brave people who have often put everything on the line. They are cowards. Their modus operandi is to rob, steal and burn.

During the Second World War between 1939 to 1945, we saw an alliance emerge against those who would plunder, steal and burn. The league or coalition of like-minded world leaders included Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin. Mao Zedong stood alongside them too as did others. They fought against fascist aggression in a world war that finally ended with a victory against fascism.

There is no doubt the Second World War profoundly changed history, and humanity paid a heavy price. The war spread from Europe to the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. About 3% of the total world died. That’s somewhere between 70 and 85 million people and a further 130 million were injured. Most know that the Soviet Union suffered the highest number of fatalities with 22 to 27 million deaths. China suffered the second greatest with about 20 million dead.

The economic loss was more than US$5 trillion. Hidden behind these figures is the loss of lives and livelihoods. That can never be measured. What a disaster. I must add though, the three-year pandemic we all know as COVID-19 has caused the death of more than 7 million around the world—which has been as cruel as any war.

As adults, we all want our children to learn how to draw, paint and play in kindergarten. Not to dodge bullets. There are still too many having to live in such a world, even in supposedly civilized, modern countries.

The great masters, Picasso and Van Gogh used colors to reveal to us all we do not live in a one-color world; Beethoven and Mozart used melodies to teach us there is not only one sound in the world; every day, mothers around the world use food to share with us there is not only one taste in the world.

In my view, that is why we have many nations, cultures, and peoples in the world. The diversity this offers gives us beauty, teaches us tolerance and we grow in wisdom as a result. Those who would be masters of the earth, learn it comes with the responsibility to be kind and hospitable.

A reading and study of the history of our world should teach us all that tough times create brave people. The brave create easy times for the next generation. But alas, the easy times also create the cowards. And what do the cowards create? Yes, the hard times.

I admire the “brave” in our industry too. Take Ninestar, for example, which was founded in 2000. It currently hires about 22,000 employees worldwide. Back in 2007, the company established the “Ninestar Angel Love Fund” to help children suffering from leukemia. At the same time, the company’s leaders sought to join hands with the Alxa SEE (Society of Entrepreneurs & Ecology) organization to devote itself to the cause of “green technology, extending life for the earth”.

As humans, we only have one Earth we can call home. Every nation must coexist in one world. There is me and you, and you and me. We are the community of a “shared future for mankind”. In the face of a complex world economy, no country can stand alone. We must be in “community” together. It is the only way we can solve climate change, pandemics, hunger and societal collapse. Peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win results are the big goals we should strive for.

In business, we have competitors, but we should not have enemies. Do you agree? Should this be one of the rules of the game? If this is to be a fair boxing match, then the fighter who has a hidden knife or gun should reveal it and put it down. The only way to exhibit bravery and power is to walk into the ring and play by the rules.

Will you join me?

Ben T Chen is the owner of SINO PRINT, a company with 20 years of experience in manufacturing. SINO PRINT is a quality copier imaging supplies provider focussing on Kyocera, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Canon, Xerox, Sharp, Utax, Olivetti and Triumph Adler devices for buyers across the globe. Ben’s experience includes marketing, shipping, supply and manufacturing chains.

Email Ben at ben@sp-copier.com

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