Comments which we got along with the questions:

The questions:
1. What is the most disturbing thing mankind possesses?
2. What would you do to make a change?

Below are the answers. Some of them are masterpieces so we decided to share them with You. Enjoy !
We invite You to do the same. Please send an answer to  i.earn@guest.arnes.si as well. Thank you for your contribution!

Here you may check some thoughts of our students (Slovenian language only):

1. I believe the most disturbing thing mankind posesses is "a little bit" of knowledge. To change it (and why I am a teacher I guess :) is to help people know more ). The danger in knowing too little is that we tend to act when we don't know enough to act.  We have had a number of examples recently where people do act on what he/she knows at the time only to change later on.
2. This is life - we must continually educate ourselves to be knowledgable and have the wisdom to act accordingly.
Cara Ava Bisse

1. I feel that the worst virtue mankind possesses is hatred. Of course this hatred can have numerous sources but ultimately when man hates someone or something, he can turn into a horrible savage.
2. I try and spread my word of friendship whenever I can, and strongly discourage any kind of racial, religious and gender rancour.
Sridevi,Roman

1. I think that the most disturbing thing mankind possesses is unwillingness to admit that we are the part of nature, and as a part we are to help and defence the whole mechanism, but not to destroy it, because in that case we are destroying ourselves.
2. We can't stop the progress. But we can control it. We can stop to produce the atomic bombs and start to explore new technologies which will be more friendly to nature and us - people.
A Khan

1. In my opinion, the most important reason is that the people of today are facing so many tensions. Everyone is busy with his/her life and they don't care for other people.
2. What can we do is, not to increase in the tensions andhardship of the people. We should care for the people and try to be as honest and courteous as possible.
Rehman Khan,Ait_Bella, Moroco

1. EVIL: EVIL,,EVIL,EVIL The world is HE WORLD IS FULL OF EVIL EVERYTHING IN OUR LIFE IS EVIL (almost)
2. NOT ME, BUT LOVE AND GOD WILL MAKE A CHANGE....
IIva Rieksta

1. I guess that most disturbing thing right now is corruption. That is what doesn't let countries to develop and people to be honest. Just few people are very rich therefore, while 1/2 of world population is starving.
2. Only thing I can do myself is to be honest to me and my friends, to keep only good emotions in my heart.... Dicis

1. Violence/hatred
2. Educate people, maybe bring them together with music!
Phivos Papadopoulos, greece

1. Mankind possesses intelligence that unfortunately causes him to think toomuch. This leads into desires for things and greed. Then he ultimately wantspower. Once these vices are in place, we are in trouble.
2. Keep trying to accentuate the positive. Reinforce all the good thatmankind does in the hope that by example others will follow.
Jim Wurster, USA

1. Disturbing thing mankind posses, i believe to be are weapons that can destroy a vast part of the Earth, i love this Earth and don't want it to be harmed. I would let Superman throw them into the sun, so they can eradicate themselvs and not us.
2. :Keep the telecommunication flowing,
Micahel Gonzalez

1.  It’s selfishness. I think that life in the world has changed in the last few years, got worse and harder. People are interested only in their own problems, on their own career and own money! In fact, maybe they do not know, that people around them can help them to be better, to improve their characters. They won’t have money of it (of getting better), but it’s so important as whatever else. If we look around us, we will find many examples of people who need our help. Sometimes it’s enough if we only overhear them (because people need to talk about their sorrows and they maybe do not have anybody to overhear them), sometimes we have to do more for them. But we don’t know, when we will be in a situation where everybody (and also we) need help. And maybe our neighbour will save our life, because we helped him in past with shopping! Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
2. In my life I always try to help people around me. Just to say something nice if they need it, or to help them to solve their problems when I know how. It is so easy! But we are different and each one of us is able to help in different ways. Therefore there are doctors, nurses, clerks..., they help us and we need them! In fact, every person in the world can help, and it doesn’t matter if we are scientists or only common people, our help is so important as help of president of U.S. We can try to be in a similar profession and find every day one people who need us, and help him! It’s enough and it’s easy. Try to change our world...

1. It seems that the world is less friendl y each day. Mostly people don´t appreciate their lives. They live a self-destroying life, -drugs, alcohol cigarettes. They don´t like other people. Many times they don´t care about others an d sometimes they want to hurt each other . Generally, they see money in as power and keep this power in money.
2. What´s the solution? Help and take care of other people. Save our natural treasures. Everybody in his own surroundings has to try to do a little bit more for others, support the morals of the people and help out financially. One person can"t change these things, everybody has to make our relationships better. I can"t make a change or make people care because everybody must always has his own way. I can only ask questions about why they feel that this is the right way. Because this way is the way to our destruction.
MOLNAROVA ANTONIA, Slovakia

1. We don’ t care about people’s feelings. This is not the biggest problem. Problem is that people act like they care, but in fact they don’t. Our main problem is to get a good job to have lot of money and to be successful. Many times we hurt others but we don’t see it. People enter our life, then they go, and we even don’t know how and when. When they leave we notice that there was somebody who loved us and we loved him but he is gone. And what do we do? We go on and we don’t think about it because it is comfortable and then it doesn’t hurt us. I think that it isn’t big problem right now. But how it will look like in the future? Your friend will lose his/her lover. He will tell you that he want to die and you will tell her/him: „OK.
2. I would like people to think about this. Help a friend when she/he has got some kind of problem, listen him and don’t just say „yes, yes“ and in your mind be in another place. Listen, listen, listen, and look around you with open eyes and arms. Try to think about my previous words. Start right know. And please remember that you can change the world too!!! Just try!
Viera Birkušová

1. I think, that the worse thing, which humanity has ever had is combination of the disregard and greediness. Both are bad, but when they are in one person, than it is very bad. For example in our country, there are a few rich people, who are so greedy... And because of them 18% of the population is unemployed. All over the world there are thousand and thousand people who don't care about anybody excepting them. Even sometimes they incite wars. Because during the war they can sell weapons or oil and after the war they can sell new expensive instruments to new factories. They always earn a lot of money. That is their only reason for living. But I can give you a better example. Drugs. In the past drugs were used only for medicine or sometimes for rituals. Now everybody who wants to get rich, and is gardless enough and has enough friends begins to sell or produce drugs. He doesn't mind, that his drugs will kill ONLY A FEW PEOPLE. He doesn't mind that his clients have to steal because they need a dose. He cares only abut himselves because he doesn't want to go to the prison or to be killed. And he can make a lot of money.But nobody is only bad. Most of those bad people are not as bad as they seems to be. Most of them are only a product of society. Maybe in the future, when the society will change, there will be no disregard. But because of disregard, maybe there will be no future.
Michal Kohoutek

1.  It’s selfishness. I think that life in the world has changed in the last few years, got worse and harder. People are interested only in their own problems, on their ow n career and own money! In fact, maybe they do not know, that people around them can help them to be better, to improve their characters. They won’t have money of it (of getting better), but it’s so important as whatever else. If we look around us, we will find many examples of people who need our help. Sometimes it’s enough if we only overhear them (because people need to talk about their sorrows and they maybe do not have anybody to overhear them), sometimes we have to do more for them. But we don’t know, when we will be in a situation where everybody (and also we) need help. And maybe our neighbour will save our life, because we helped him in past with shopping! Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
2. What would I do to make a change? In my life I always try to help people around me. Just to say something nice if they need it, or to help them to solve their problems when I know how. It is so easy! But we are different and each one of us is able to help in different ways. Therefore there are doctors, nurses, clerks..., they help us and we need them! In fact, every person in the world can help, and it doesn’t matter if we are scientists or only common people, our help is so important as help of president of U.S. We can try to be in a similar profession and find every day one people who need us, and help him! It’s enough and it’s easy. Try to change our world...
Jana Petríková, Slovakia

1. Well, I think that the mos t disturbing thing, may be attitude or quality that mankind possesses is indifference. Nowadays people are so selffish and loveless with each other that this is affecting in a great way our society and our planet.
2. I think that love is the key. We must learn how to love each other. If we learn to find love inside of us we can easily share and in return we will receive more love. It's a neverending reaction betterthan that of a nuclear explosion. Don't you think?
Viviana Cuello, Argentina

1. What is the most disturbing thing mankind possesses? Weapons.
2. What would you do to make a change? Become a Great Leader and prohibit them.
Whitney Denton

1. I think that the most disturbing thing man posess is jealousy and an unquenchable thirst for more and more.
2. The cure.... the solution lies deep in your hearts. THINK
Ali

1. What is the most disturbing thing mankind possesses? I think it is the power to hate and destroy. We do not realize the power of our thoughts and emotions. From the thoughts and emotions of hate - we create weapons, both physical and nuclear as well as emotional and psychic. If people could literally experience the immediate effects of these types of negative thoughts and energy on themselves (sort of a speeded up boomerang effect), it might make a difference. Also, training people to tap their power to create more positivity and greater harmony in their own lives and the larger world through proper use of body, mind and spirit. What would make a change? I think it has to be a combination of things.
2.
1) Reinstill or reinforce the possibility of living in a world of harmony, abundance and peace. In other words, a clear and compelling vision.
2) Give people or develop practical tools on multiple levels for dealing with hatred and negativity - meditation and mind development tools, expressive arts therapy, dialogue.
3) Empower people to take actions on a local and global level to start creating the kind of world they would like to see. Being able to make a positive contribution not only has a wonderfully tonic effect - but it also reminds people how very much they have to contribute. Most people have tremendous resources - skills, experience, humor, talent - that they are not using or often not aware of. Having an outlet for using them in a positive way is a tremendous way of reinforcing a person's self-esteem as well as making a contribution.
4) Encourage a balance between communication and self-reflection. Some things you can change or shift by communication, other things one needs to shift within oneself. Encourage people to discern which is needed, and encourage people to be active on both fronts.
5) Focus on solutions. Have the media broadcast constructive actions and solutions. Barbara Marx Hubbard once referred to the media as the "planetary nervous system." Using this analogy, it's the media's job to broadcast messages of hope, solution, harmony - to keep our planet in a state of health and well-being. It makes sense. Bombarding ourselves with constant messages of destruction, chaos, violence and illness only makes it increase and leads to feelings of despair, overwhelm and more rage.It's critical that people get messages that there ARE places, people and situations where positive solutions are being implemented.
Jan Stoltman, US

1.  We are a unique big family living on the Globe.We can express our feelings to each other in various ways by reacting both in space and time. The most disturbing thing mankind possesses is the intolerance and unfortunately, it tends to spread among the members of the World Family.
2. We hope the intolerance of mankind can be overcome even in case if we are offended, we must not offend the other. If we live on that principle of tolerance, thus, mankind will eliminate the evil nature of intolerance as time goes by.
Cemal ARDIL, TURKEY

1. Constant closed mindedness, prejudice, implicit or explicit racism, distrust of the other, deeply embedded in the "enculturation" process, rampant nationalism that leads beyond reasonable love of country to killing and terrorizing the "other" because they are different. It has been so since the dawning of our current history. Yet, have we NOT progressed or evolved on this earth even a little since the beginning of time? Do each us of really need to "be in control," to say "our way" is the only way? I think not!
2. I am first a global citizen on Planet Friendship. I wish to affirm my sisters and brother of other lands in order for them to feel accepted and acceptable, thereby freeing them to respect me and my "different" ways of doing things. How can this begin? I believe in the power of music. I believe that through learning YOUR music, I can learn how your feel! Then perhaps you will want to learn about MY music, and then you may understand how I feel. We can then exchange some cultural information which may lead to breaking down our feelings of being different and we can explore what we have in common, as well as continuing to respect our differences. Viva la Musica!
Carolyn J. Fulton, USA

1. There are more that one things that are disturbing to human peace and love. Here are two which are to me the biggest reasons. One major problem is ignorance: we know so little about each other that we think we are better than others. Another thing that most of us are still raising our childeren and students with bias, prejudice, selfpraisal, and competition.
2. We should start having respect for ourselves, so that we can give that to and win from others. We must stop believing that we are better than our human fellows. We must teach our children and students that Peace and Love starts within you, and that we can only find peace and love when we have found in in own heart and mind first.
Andy S. Danoe 

1. Yes, indifference is a major problem. And it can result in the unfriendliness and self-centeredness that Kiganda from Uganda wrote about. I see this indifference leading to an acceptance of violence as a way of like. Violence is becoming more and more common in my country, as I believe it is in many places, and here I see young people learning to accept it as part of life (older people too!). More and more often, individuals, groups and countries respond to conflict in violent ways without first attempting to reach more peaceful resolutions.
2. We must all continue to educate ourselves and our students in peaceful means of communication and conflict resolution. Thework that you and your students do contributes much to creating a more peaceful way of thinking and being. Thanks for you efforts. Keep up the work of peace!
Charly Bullock, USA

1. Poverty, rampant conflicts, the increasing rate of crime and exploitation is making people around the world less friendly. Nobody smiles when he/she is hungry. How can one be happy to associate when he/she is being exploited or leaving in a refugee camp as a result of conflicts or when crime rate is on the ascendancy in his/her environment?
2. The rich must whole-heartedly support the poor rather than exploiting them for more wealth. Thank you.
Edward Tetteh (Accra Academy), Accra-Ghana.

1. For me, the most disturbing thing is our *propensity for violence* - either against other people, the environment or ourselves. To me, this is a function of our current level of evolution. What I mean is that our brain is still functioning from a fight or flight response to perceived threats (either real or imagined). In short, we need to evolve, so that we can destroy the illusion (where it exists) of our fear of threat and our reptilian brain response to it and learn to choose Understanding, Compas
2. a) WANT TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM - BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM:
We must have the motivation to resolve this problem or else nothing can be done.
b) BECOME CONSCIOUSLY AWARE OF YOURSELF AND HOW YOU RESPOND TO THE WORLD:
By that I mean, *notice* when you are reacting to percieved threats with a tendency towards violence, anger, rage, selfishness, apathy (yes, apathy, or doing nothing can encourage violence and, therefore, be a form of it) etc.
c) BE WILLING TO TRY TO ACT IN NEW WAYS:
For example, if you are angry with your friend, try to listen and understand the reason for their behavior. You don't have to agree. Just understand their reality is different than yours. Or...if you are apathetic about the environment, so some small action that you never did before such as picking up some trash, recycling, etc. Or... if you are putting yourself down, making yourself bad, or hurting yourself in some way, you might think of 10 things you are thankful for in your life, as for assistance from a friend, etc. Some people find that meditation, prayer or spiritual practice of some kind can help them access Love and Compassion in their hearts. The idea here is to *retrain* our minds to respond positively, with compassion and understanding, to situations where we have responded negatively in the past (including apathy). Bottom line, as the Nike ad says: JUST DO IT! ;-)
I have made a commitment in my life to do all of the above.
Peter Copen, California, USA

1. There are many reasons why people are becoming more unfriendly each day that passes. We are becoming as selfish as it has never been before. And this starts right from our homes. People think about themselves only. They do whatever it takes to get what they want no matter how many people are affected. So in my opinion, selfishness is one of the major reasons.
Kignasi, Uganda

1. In my eyes, the most disturbing thing mankind possesses is greed, and the potential to do harm of any kind. whether it be by hurting someone else physically, emotionally, or psychologically. or by hurting themselves through jealousy....a lot of people these days have become very caught up in this web, and it is has lead to 'selfishnous' and furthermore, to violence...
csahhar@sympac.com.au

1. The problem, I think, is that we are slaves of the industrial society, of the machine that we ourselves created, and this machine is gradually destroying our planet. The "offenders" are those who derive most profit from it - that is us, living in industrial, "developed" countries, us, who make this machine work. And the biggest problem, I think, is that we do not know how to free ourselves from that industrial machine, and that for many of us life under this machine is so convenient (or we expect it to be convenient in the nearest future, or it was convenient and we expect it to return) that we really do not want to be free. We are just waiting for a catastrophe to happen, and it actually happens all the time: wars, "natural" dusasters, crises. Briefly, the biggest problem is that we do not ask ourselves the question that Branko asked.
It would be great to hear from the other people what they think is the biggest trouble in our world. We are going to make a difference, yet what kind of difference?
Yuri Romanenkov, Lithuania

1. This is a great question which requires a lot of thought. In my view, the biggest problem on our planet is a result of the severly reduced ability to experience and express Love - oneself and others. I would try to define Love as the ability and willingness to act in a way that reduces suffering for people (including oneself) and the environment. However, the reasons for this reduced ability are complex and manifold. I also do not propose that I am an expert on this matter. Nevertheless, I think I can identify some areas: Poverty, greed, power, ego, pride, the grossly unbalanced distribution of wealth, for starters. Perhaps the most important area - the area that can help heal the other problem areas - is what Mother Teresa called "spiritual depravation". What I mean by that is being able to access the experience of Love (which some call "G_d" , etc.) and then act on that experience in the world (which some call "service" and "compassionate action").
2. Perhaps just "living in this question" may be more powerful than having the answer.
Peter Copen

Wow, This is a great question, and Yuri what an enlightening answer. I've got a solution. The year 2000 problem is likely to cause global disruption on an economic and industrial level. The problem is so complex that no one knows what is going to happen but there is sufficient evidence to suggest that it is going to be serious and that you should have some canned food and other resources available for some time to support yourself on January 1st if things are not available in stores. (This is at least the best advice for us here in the states.)
Here is the solution to solve the problem Yuri described. Use the Year 2000 problem as an excuse to create community. The best response to the problem is not to hide and avoid humanity but to prepare humanity for the potential disruption. Creating community and planning for disruption is the best way to prepare people. And it solves many of societies other problems in the process. Creating community allows people who are neighbors to meet each other for the first time. It also opens many other forms of dialogue that can lead to the healing that is necessary to steer our society back in the right direction, that is the direction of the heart. Interesting ideas aren't they?
Jonah Wittkamper, USA

1.  The biggest trouble is indifference.
2.  I think than nowdays this problem is even bigger than it was before. It could be avoided if all people will become kinder (like in I*EARN).
Maksim Bratuhin, Kyrgyzstan

1.  This question is really very interesting, but it is one of the most philosophical questions. It hasn't an unequivocal answer. The reason of all troubles on uor planet, in our countries, in our own life is ¸¸. People have many defects. But we think the main of them are greed, envy, feeling of superiority one man on others. That is why Branko was right when he said "...it could be avoid by not beeing human any more". Our great enemy lives in us. Different mashines can do our life better or worse, but only we ourselves can annihilate ourselves.
2.  But everybody should try to make youself better. Only that the whole World will become better too.
Svetlana Khavanova and Svetlana Rudaja,Volkovysk, Belarus.

 1. The worst thing that exists is for me discrimination. This hate comes from the bottom of peoples´ hearts. Some people can´t comprehend that everyone is different. Everybody can choose his own religion because it satisfys his spirit and his heart. Maybe I don´t agree with ideas in some religions but I don´t loathe people who choose those religions. Everyone can choose what he thinks is the best for him. There are many kinds of discrimination. In some places there is men or women face discrimination, somewhere there is poor face discrimination. We find it everywhere. And what about racism ? It doesn´t matter if you are white, black, red or yellow. What is important is the soul of a person. Mankind is more interesting because of these differences.
1.  We have to care about each other. Everyone has a right to live.
Lenka Ferencakova, Slovakia

1. Mankind doesn't realise that with destroying the nature and each others countries, nations he will destroy himself in the end. Human beings somehow don't know that the WORLD is not something outside of us. We mustn't think like this: "it's not my problem - it's the whole world's one". WE ARE THE WORLD, everyone who lives on the Earth.
2.  We must convince the parents, teachers and governments all over the world about the importance of these problems, the danger of not changing the human thinking generally. My fear is: CAN IT BE CHANGED? DO PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO CHANGE IT?  I'm trying all that I can do as a teacher, and art helps me and my students a lot in it. And also that's what I*EARN a nd Planet Friendship is about - I HOPE SO...
Wishing us a better world:
Zsuzsa Tubakos from Baja, Hungary

1. But still we compete who will destroy it more efficently.What will it take for people to start thinking the right way and to reunite ourselves in one nation? Will nature really need to destroy us before that happens? Short summary:Trouble:Polution and interference in natures way of workin1. .Let's say that you have two houses and a lot of money. Then something happens and you lose your money but you still have houses. You rent one too ther people in exchange for money for your own survival, but the residents stop paying you. Now let's say that we are the residents in one of the natures homes, Earth.We stopped respecting her and we are no longer paying by keeping it clean.Instead we try to destroy it. It gave us the mind of our own to help it, but we use it against it. According to this, the main problem of this planet are we. And we will be until we unite not only as nations but also in the same way of thinking.I am not completely sure about what I am going to say now. I think it was in the bible, but I am not sure.So...A bible says that in Babylon people tried to turn themselves against the god and therefore he made people speakdifferent languages in order to be harmless and could not comunicate to finish their goal. Here is where the line between nations was drawn. Maybe a lession of this action was for new groups of people to start compeeting each other who will take care for earth more efficently.g Offender:
2. Whole mankind Solution: We should all start thinking in the same way, that is to prevent causing permenant damadgeto the planet. One man is simply not enough.
Uros Kotolenko, Slovenija

1. Money
2. Be mindful of the (finacial) needs of (diadvantaged) others and reach out to them where(humanly)possible.
Samuel

1. The ability to harm others!
2. As a teacher one of my primary goals is to help create a more peaceful world. In the classroom that means learning how to  resolve conflicts without insults or violence.
Charly Bullock, US

1. The ability to be prejudice against people who are different (racially, socially, etc)
2. Use my role as a teacher to counteract this.
Virginia King, Australia

1.  I think the most disturbing thing mankind possesses is envy. When people envy someone, they want to have everything. When they have everything, they do not have anyone to envy. They do not wish anything good to anyone and they often complain a lot. Ifsomeone wants everything, it does not have to be the envy, which causes it. It can also be rational ambition. But as Slovaks say: Everything has its limits.
2.  I would tell people that they should not be judged by their clothes, bank accounts, cars, or occupations. People should judge each other by their hearts.
Slovakia

1. The most disturbing thing mankind possesses, in my opinion, is ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of all the environmental problems we are encountering today.
2. As an educationist, I will like to appeal to all educators to put their hands together to get rid of this hydra-headed problem of ignorance.
Edward A.K. Tetteh, USA

1 . What is most disturbing to me is the lack of trust we have in each other. There is no love for each other, the color of skin; the religion of each person, and the way we live are lacking understanding . There result is war.
2. Ask all governments to learn to love one another, trust and pray.
Leonard Campbell