WEC Articles

Exploring the Pros and Cons Artificial Intelligence is changing our world in ways we could only imagine a few years ago. But is it making life better, or are there hidden dangers? Let’s look at both sides and see how AI affects everyone, including minorities and people who often feel left out. The Pros: How AI Is Helping Us Efficiency and Convenience: AI can make daily tasks faster and easier. For example, smart assistants help us manage schedules, and AI-powered translation apps break down language barriers. Reducing Human Error: Machines don’t get tired or distracted, so AI can perform calculations and repetitive work with fewer mistakes, very important in healthcare or engineering. Creativity and Innovation: By automating boring tasks, AI gives people more time for creative or meaningful work. It also helps scientists solve big problems, like predicting diseases or fighting climate change. Accessibility: AI-powered tools can help people with disabilities, such as voice recognition f...

From 'creepy' to awesome: 'Old guy rental' service in Japan changes lives It has been 13 years since Takanobu Nishimoto launched an “old guy rental” service in Japan, aiming to improve the social image of middle-aged men, often called “ossan.” Nishimoto, now 57, believes, “Old guys are actually amazing!” The service rents out middle-aged men to people who need someone to talk to or a helping hand with daily tasks.  On the website, each “ossan” is introduced with unique selling points, such as “a former politician ossan,” “an IT ossan who can play the violin,” or “an ossan who listens with a smile.” For 1,000 yen per hour, clients can hire an ossan for various activities - going to an izakaya, cleaning, or just chatting. Nishimoto, a fashion stylist from Kansai, was inspired to start the service after hearing young people criticize middle-aged men as “creepy” or boring. He wanted to change these negative stereotypes. At first, Nishimoto was the only ossan, and most requ...

The modern history of Iran, from the aftermath of World War II to the present, is marked by dramatic shifts in governance, ideology, and regional influence. The country’s trajectory has been shaped by both internal dynamics and persistent foreign intervention, with consequences that continue to reverberate across the Middle East and beyond. In the immediate postwar years, Iran became a stage for Cold War rivalry. One lesser-known episode was the 1946 crisis in Azerbaijan and Mahabad, where Soviet-backed separatist states briefly emerged in northern Iran. With American diplomatic pressure, the Soviets withdrew, and Iranian forces reasserted control, but the incident underscored Iran’s vulnerability to foreign interference. This vulnerability was exploited again in 1953, when the CIA and British intelligence orchestrated a coup to remove Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh after he nationalized Iran’s oil industry. The coup restored the Shah’s autocratic rule and left a legacy of deep mist...

SDG`s The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. Learn more and take action. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ We can break these down into three main challenges–  instability, implementation, governance . Increasing global instability, including the recent financial crisis, the political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa and around the world, and the problems caused by changing climate conditions has brought about growing insecurity. These key challenges are: Instability, such as conflict between nations Implementation, such as ensuring programmes fit the local context Governance, such as political will to transform development programmes into sustainable long-term practices Sustainable Development: A Win-Win Situation for Every...