Is creating a utopian society on Earth a possibility? This has been a question that I have pondered for quite some time now. The responses I receive from people I pose this question to, have been diverse. Some tend to completely reject the mere notion. Their argument is mainly based on the common belief that a utopian society is akin to the fantasies of idealism and perfection, therefore the thought of entertaining such a question borders on ludicrousness. To be fair, I agree that perfection within a society is a far-fetched dream.

However, if we accept that nothing is and can be perfect; what about the process of pursuing perfection in every aspect of society? Can’t that qualify at least to the creation of a sort of utopia on Earth? One example that comes to mind is the Kaizen ideology of continuous improvement. It was born out of Japan in its quest to become more competitive and successful in the global arena after the Second World War.

I believe that instead of completely eliminating the quest of creating our own utopia, because it is unimaginable, we should instead accept that society can achieve a utopian status with a change in definition: a society where the standards are so high in specific areas that it is now in pursuit of perfection. It might not attain perfection. However, perfection is a continuous process that is pursued with rigour by governments, corporations, societies and our own selves.

Here in the Middle East, we are confronted by growing geo-political uncertainties combined with the challenges that face today’s youth. For me, harnessing the potential of people and particularly the youth, and empowering them to play an active role in the future is where the pursuit of utopia begins. I believe it has to start with ourselves.

Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell once said: “The visionary starts with a clean sheet of paper, and re-imagines the world”.

My question to you — is the goal of pursuing a utopian society worth considering? And, what needs to happen in order to pursue such an ambitious dream?

- The reader is a managing director of a consulting firm based in Dubai