Late last year, Time Magazine broke with an 80-year tradition of singling out one individual for its traditional end-of-year honor, declaring that the Person of the Year is YOU, "for seizing the reins of the global media." So much for pretentious award shows, exclusive interviews, featured artists and magazine centerfolds. You are the chosen one, celebrated for living your ordinary life in extraordinary ways and sharing it with the world.
PeaceXPeace, YouTube, Wikipedia, Flickr, blogs, and social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, are making your stories, home movies, expertise, photographs, and relationships the equivalent of headline news. YOUR voice, not that of media conglomerates or powerful politicians is now recognized as the most accurate barometer for the human condition. In the past we relied on such traditional media to inform and guide us, but now, we now rely on one another to get… the truth.
There is power in our stories. We birth worlds with our words. We demonstrate peace through our dialogues, share resources by way of open source technology, tear down walls of mistrust and hatred through building up Global Network relationships. As equally important as our actions themselves are our convictions that we have something to say. We fear not our voices, but the outcomes we’ve witnessed when we’ve chosen not to use them.
Our hunger for peace cannot be sated by a policy of isolationism. Our thirst for knowledge is not quenched in solitude. Building peace, like breaking bread, is best achieved in the company of others.
Welcome to the table. It doesn’t matter what fork you use to eat your salad, what is important is that you showed up. Whether in person or virtually let’s dine together and make financial equity, restorative justice, equal access to education, democracy, communication, and health realities for us all.
And until that is achieved, we’re always ready to pull up another seat.
