One thing I have always believed, as an advocate of nonviolence and a citizen of the world, is that to grapple with tough problems such as international aid and conflict on the global scale, we must begin at the local level. Violence has its cause, and solution, within each of us. The attitude we bring to our lives, and the way we face the world at the beginning of each day has a tremendous effect on those around us, and the repercussions of each word we utter can be felt far and wide.
So, the question remains, how do we combat violence? One of the facilitators in the workshop expressed a general concern that we tend to remain focused on "superficial" means of spreading nonviolence, while ignoring the greater causes at stake.
Violence, on the inter- and intra-national level, is enormous and overwhelming only because it is connected to every other issue the world faces. Violence is the manifestation of deep and often trivial conditions that are difficult to grapple with because of the structure of our world economy and global politics. Never is this more apparent than when true tragedy strikes, and we find ourselves immobilized because of previous dismissal and long held ignorance. Jim Wallis, the editor of Sojourners magazine, expressed it eloquently in a recent editorial on the earthquake in Haiti:
"In this kind of natural disaster, it is almost always the poorest who suffer the most -- those who have the least to lose are often those who lose the most. Life is always hard for poor people -- living on the edge is insecure and full of risk. Natural disasters make it worse....Tragic moments like this bring out the best in global citizens, as we put aside our differences and unite in support of the victims and their families. Haiti is no stranger to hardship, poverty, or sorrow. As Katrina revealed in New Orleans, this earthquake will once again unmask the unbelievable poverty that exists in countries like Haiti. Nearly 80 percent of Haiti’s population lives in abject poverty. I pray that this is not simply another tragic event we see on TV as we channel surf, but I hope it reminds us of our brothers and sisters around the world and down the street, who suffer not only from tragic events -- but who suffer every day."
Poverty is an enormous issue, difficult to grapple with. So we often find ourselves focusing on what my Friend called "superficial" means--feeding the poor; giving a man a fish instead of teaching him to fish for himself. These actions are vital and necessary, when they serve their purpose--providing another chance for those to whom every day is a struggle for survival. But too often, they create a vicious cycle of dependence and stagnation. Little has altered in our global system over the past century or so, except that the rich countries have become richer, and the poor ever more destitute, often falling into political chaos and ultimate violence.
For violence is the ultimate outcome of every conflict, provided we do not root out the conflicts while they are developing.At this point, our global pattern has evolved and cemented itself to the point that alterations now seem daunting and impossible.
So it is no wonder that, while we all feel a concern when we witness the hardships of others, we go on with our daily lives, feeling insignificant and overwhelmed by the ocean of trouble waiting at our doors. I know, believe me, that personal problems can often grow and multiply until they seem insurmountable and all important, out of proportion to their intended place in the order of things. It is easy--far too easy--to fall back into that pre-prescribed pattern of inaction. None of us, or very few, can cure the common cold within a day, let alone save the thousands perishing from AIDS. So where to begin?
I have no definitive answers, only questions and directions. But it seems that that is as good a place to begin as any. By being conscious. By not allowing our own concerns to multiply like a cancerous cell until they build up a door first between family and friends, and finally, between the world and ourselves. Take time to observe the patterns of the earth and the movement of nature. Notice that there is no pattern, only the persistance of change. Birds migrate and seasons turn, but there is no vicious cycle, no inescapable barrier, except those that we create for ourselves. The world order is likewise nothing but our own creation, a picture of collective folly, of apathy towards our fellow human beings. The first step is recognition. Recognizing not only that there is a problem, but that it is a deep seated and indescribable mountain of sorrow and worry, nothing more than our own creation. As the Indigo Girls so eloquently put it in their song Hammer and a Nail:
"My life is part of the global life
I'd found myself becoming more immobile
When I'd think a little girl in the world can't do anything.
A distant nation my community
A street person my responsibility
If I have a care in the world I have a gift to bring."
That, I think, is they key to the solution: recognizing that the world's problems are not seperated from, but integrally linked to our own. We are all citizens of the world, and change starts not in some far and distant spot, but right here within us. Rise and face the day.
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