There is a gradual diffusion of
a spirit of world solidarity arising spontaneously out of our disorganised
and seemingly disintegrating society. It is fueled by the fundamental principle
of the oneness of humanity and whatever the country, politics, religion,
culture, gender or even age-old customs signs of this solidarity are emerging
around the world. It is worth examining these signs and understanding
each of their implications. However, even more, important is their interactions because although each is powerful in their own right as they begin to
show evidence of synchronicity their impact will grow exponentially. At a
time when despair is rampant and disunity strident these signs of a better
future give a new direction and hope.
- World Citizenship - What is it? A global citizen is someone who is aware of and understands the
wider world - and their place in it. What does it mean? They take an
active role in their community and work with others to make our planet
more equal, fair and sustainable.
This kind
of citizen forms their own understanding of world events.
They reflect
on their values and what's important to them.
Having
reflected they take the important step of acting in the real world around them.
They are ready
and prepared to challenge ignorance and intolerance in society.
Their
involvement in local, national and global communities means they help shape a
wider society than just their family.
They can
consult with others, voice their own opinions while also listening to others.
They are
convinced they have the power to act and influence the world around them.
“All of Creation is related.
And the hurt of one is the hurt of all.
And the honour of one is the honour of all.
And whatever we do affects everything in the universe.”
Passed down from White Buffalo Calf Woman
2. Environmental Awareness – What is it? Environmental awareness is an ideology that
evokes the necessity and
responsibility of humans to respect, protect, and preserve the natural world. What
does it entail? It involves working for environmental protection and
improvement of the health of the environment. It requires an understanding of
how the global earth system works and how the impact of major changes on that
environment impacts on the health of humans, animals, plants and even the
quality of our air, water and soil.
“Treat the earth well:
it was not given to you by your parents,
it was loaned to you by your children.
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,
we borrow it from our Children.”
– Tribe Unknown
3. Promotion
of public health – What is it? It means building a better, healthier future for
people all over the world. It will mean
working across all countries to contribute to achieving better health for
everyone, everywhere. How is it achieved?
It means working together worldwide, as never before, striving to combat
diseases – communicable diseases like influenza and HIV, and noncommunicable
diseases like cancer and heart disease. It will result in mothers and children not only surviving but
thriving so they can look forward to a healthy old age. Ensuring the safety of
the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink – and the medicines and
vaccines we may need.
One example of what can be achieved by
a unified public health initiative is smallpox. It was declared eradicated in
1980 following a global immunization campaign led by the World Health
Organization. Smallpox is transmitted from person to person via
infective droplets during close contact with infected symptomatic people. Because
of its highly infectious nature, smallpox was a devastating disease which
killed a third of those it infected. It
was wiped off the face of the earth through vaccination carried out in a global
campaign. We must not forget that an estimated 300 million people died from smallpox in
the 20th century alone. This was no
small accomplishment.
Smallpox is not the only success. Rinderpest,
a disease of livestock, has also been eradicated. This worldwide approach is now targeting more diseases with the same objective (poliomyelitis, yaws, dracunculiasis
and malaria). Knowing that such campaigns, which rely on cooperation
across the face of the planet, can be such game-changers is a bright light in a
dark world.
“We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.”
4. Concern
for human rights - Historians are strangely in agreement that one of the
great achievements of the twentieth century was the establishment of global
standards for human rights along with international machinery to monitor human
rights violations, to encourage compliance by governments with these standards,
and to ensure that there is no safe haven for criminals who commit the gravest
atrocities against their fellow human beings. The linchpins of this system are
the U.N. Charter, adopted on June 26, 1945, and the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on December 10, 1948. The
Universal Declaration affirms in its preamble that it is intended to serve as a
“common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.” Before the
adoption of the U.N. Charter and the Universal Declaration governments had been
tentative in recognizing that all human beings have certain inalienable rights;
instead, the rights of individuals were viewed as primarily a domestic
concern.
But these achievements,
although steps forward, are not without limitations. Perhaps the most important
drawback of the current system is how ineffective it has been in providing relief
to human rights victims – and preventing them from becoming victims in the
first place. The horrific truth is that every day countless human beings suffer
gross human rights violations. It
highlights the fact that even worldwide charters and declarations shorn of sufficient
power to implement protection of human rights will not suffice.
“For is it not your
clear duty to restrain the tyranny of the oppressor, and to deal equitably with
your subjects, that your high sense of justice may be fully demonstrated to all
mankind? God hath committed into your hands the reins of the government of the
people, that ye may rule with justice over them, safeguard the rights of the
down-trodden, and punish the wrong-doers.”
Bahá'í writings
5. Universal
Education – What does it mean? It seeks to ensure that all have equal access
to education, regardless of their social class, gender, ethnicity
background or physical and mental disabilities.
Progress has been made on this goal however universal primary education
has been a major problem for developing states as they do not have sufficient
financial resources to build schools, provide books and other materials, and
recruit, train, and pay teachers. The Sub-Saharan African region is the most
affected region as 32 million African children are still uneducated. However,
commentators noted that universal access to education remains an attainable goal
by 2030. It is heartening to know this important goal, with long term dividends
for us all and subsequent generations can be achieved.
“In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact
of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
6. Interfaith Activities - Means cooperative,
constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions, spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the
individual and institutional levels. One
early example of this was The Parliament of Religions opened on 11 September
1893 in Chicago. It included Faiths such
as Jain, Zen, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Bahá'í Faith among others. Despite these efforts to break down
barriers between religions just over two decades later World 1 would break
out. Along with the subsequent loss of life moral standards were severely
challenged by the atrocities perpetrated under the veil of warfare. If spiritual living is about trying to raise
standards of behaviour both in personal life and community living, war seems ever
to degrade the nobility of humanity.
Often
religious prejudices can fuel the differences between people, across nations and
inflame intolerance. Interfaith
education in schools has proven highly effective in engendering respect for all
religions (and for those with none) and if carried out properly can inoculate a
growing generation against the infection of “otherness” that permits injustice to
be perpetrated.
"There will be no
peace among the nations without peace among the religions. There will be no
peace among the religions without dialogue among the religions"
Hans Küng,
a Professor of Ecumenical Theology and President of the Global Ethic Foundation.
7. Social Activities in localities - There is a toxic mindset
that incapacitates positive tackling of problems facing local communities. Partly, it proceeds for the erroneous idea
that change should only happen from the top down. Governments, politicians, rulers, leaders of
industry/finance/social services etc. are delegated responsibility which bypasses
the individual initiative that could take action. It was not always so.
Community living, especially in villages, used
to be much more proactive. In such close-knit
communities’ personal connections meant the vulnerable were cared for, issues
facing the community were discussed and tackled with greater or less success. In a modern increasingly isolated way of life
more young, old, ill are falling through the gaps of overstretched government
services. Thankfully, for most people, there is still a mental memory of a different way of living from a generation or
so ago. When individuals are not just
allowed but encouraged to play their role in service to their local community a
new mindset emerges. Such empowerment
can even be lifesaving. It also inspires
others to follow suit.
It is important to recognize an unhealthy self-obsessed
mindset is as unhealthy to each individual as it is to the society around them. This habit of service to others is a recipe
for a healthier citizen. Every individual,
and more specifically the junior youth, when encouraged into acts of service to
their local community find their place both physically and mentally in a
distracted materialistic world. More
importantly, they find they can, impact positively to make real changes to the
community around them. Instead of being
caught up in the negative forces junior youth literally find their footing
in service and are transformed.
Local efforts
in the area of development seek to promote social and material well-being
of people of all walks of life, whatever their beliefs or background. Such
endeavours are motivated by the desire to serve humanity and contribute to
constructive social change. Together they represent a growing process of
learning concerned with the application of action along with knowledge
accumulated in different fields of human endeavour, to social reality. Social
action can be consolidated by the conviction that every population has the
right and responsibility to mark out the path of its own progress. Indeed,
every people and nation has to have a vital contribution to make in constructing
a new society characterized by principles such as harmony, justice, and
prosperity.
“And the honour and distinction of the individual
consist in this, that he among all the world’s multitudes should become a
source of social good. Is any larger bounty conceivable than this, that an
individual, looking within himself, should find that by the confirming grace of
God he has become the cause of peace and well-being, of happiness and advantage
to his fellow men? No, by the one true God, there is no greater bliss, no more
complete delight. . ..”
To be part of this wholesome transformation that is reflective of the oneness of humanity it is useful to contemplate your beginning, your life, your end and what you want your legacy will be. This American Indian saying nicely captures it.
When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.
Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. – Cherokee
