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There are eternal optimists who will lie in your face and tell you what you want to hear. Modern humans first appeared around 200,000 years ago. Much time is spent on discussing ways to ‘help’ the world but no real help is ever sent. Minorities groups like Native Americans, atheists, pygmies, albinos, San, Australian aborigines, homosexuals, women and children ( mostly girls) are still oppressed. Religious and political leaders are given right to preach hate, intolerance and the need to rid the world of non-believers. Why there is no public outrage? Simply because we use different strokes for different people. Nation against nation fighting, each other for dominance—on land, air and sea. Tribe against tribe. Widespread terrorism, mass rape, massacres and wars raging all around the globe. We are the only species that boasts about taking man to the space. Yet we cannot living peace in earth.
The species that boasts about an increase in the number of billionaires, we have yet to end extreme poverty and hunger that affects much of the world. We talk about space mining yet we cannot even share earth’s resources equally between ourselves. The species that goes around saying, “I’m civilized”, yet its fellow human beings are still in chains of bondage and slavery. We claim to know God yet our lives tell a different story. By assuming that we have learnt valuable lessons from history didn’t change the response of people. We are quick to kill, judge and enslave our fellow human beings in spite of the values we claim to cherish. We abandon the same values that made us the people we are today.
Of course, there are few rare individuals who are humanity’s hope for a brighter future. Men and women who are good in spite of their circumstances. People who know for good and justice to strive means comfort zones are disturbed. Changing the world is collective effort that requires all of us to take a stand against these horrors that we see every day. The walls we erect, thinking are meant to protect us, isolate us. Calm co-existence will only come when we come to our senses as global citizens; there is safety in numbers. Rediscovering the basic principles—the Golden rule and Ubuntu brings light and hope to this depressing picture. This universal code is embedded in every religion and humanistic institution. The Golden rule simply means: One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. Imagine what if we followed the rule. The short answer is peace and security. Ubuntu means humanity towards others. Now imagine if we showed humanity toward our fellow human being. The first answer is increased happiness and feeling good about ourselves. The second answer is a need for understanding, recognition and appreciation of human life -- a life that's sacred.
The world doesn’t need to be perfect in order to good. Perfect peace and health are pipeline dreams that should not be pursued. What we should fight for is goodness. In fact, life is too short to waste on unproductive goals that undermine the current achievements under our belt. We need to set aside these fantasies and use our minds to improve conditions in this world. We are not as powerless like a thousand of years ago because we now have the tools to start a revolution that will help guide us. The spirit of brotherhood should guide our thoughts and actions.
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