This message is to remind all you peaceniks out there that moving at a snail’s pace is still m-o-v-i-n-g.
I’d like to start off with the preface that I am a HUGE advocate of dreaming big. Yet as age sets in and I become more and more of a pragmatist, I’ve noticed that occasionally I dream so big I become paralyzed before taking my first step. Take saving Darfur for example.
How is it that 62 years after the Holocaust, we, so-called humanists, have stood by and watched 7 additional acts of systematic genocide occur? We said “Never again.” But we’ve never agained again and again and again and again and again and again and again – seven times over. By standing by in Bangladesh, East Timor and Cambodia, Guatemala, Bosnia, Rwanda, and in present day Darfur, we suffer, in the best of circumstances, from widespread dissociative amnesia and are found guilty of, in the worst of cases, being accessories to murder.
I want to save humanity from itself. I want to save Darfur. But before my graduate school course on the history of modern Africa, I didn’t know where to find Sudan, the largest country in Africa, on a world map (another confession: I still can’t locate East Timor).
In our quest to save the world it is imperative that we recognize change takes place one act at a time. Each respective act builds upon the last giving us greater courage to persevere with every micro movement taken.
This one is for the snails, the sloth, the tortoise, the whale and all other unhurried creatures. Because finishing anything, whether one’s migratory pattern or lifelong ambition, starts with one.micro.movement.
I’m not asking you to save the world today, but I am asking you take one step toward creating a more peaceful planet. Tomorrow is not promised and moving your finger along the map towards north east Africa to find Darfur, Sudan or further south west towards Australia to locate East Timor, is certainly an admirable start.
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7 comments:
Thank you! You helped me to laugh at myself, paralyzing myself with fear for doing "it" wrong, or not doing "it" enough to make an impact. Thank you for also making me not feel alone in that I, too, am not sure where Sudan is on the map exactly - even if I do want to stop the genocide.
Keep these posts coming! And I love reading the comments. The tutorial is very helpful. I was a bit confused before.
I agree. Until we know who, what, when and where we stay disengaged. Peace is a thought but not an action.
I have a Sister Circle in Kenya and am embarrassed to say how little of know of them and their lives. I am learning. As I learn. I learn to care.
It's easy to get overwhelmed. We see so much pain, suffering and indifference in the world and sometimes it feels unacceptable not to do more to help.
I don't want to be indifferent to what is happening to people. I care about what happens to them and want to help but don't always know what to do.
I've noticed that when I get fearful and overwhelmed with what's happening in the world it's usually because I'm focusing too much on what's going wrong and not seeing the other side.
There is so much compassion, love and generosity within each of us. I have been touched and inspired by some amazing acts of courage and compassion, some I've seen first hand and others I've read about.
Sometimes what you might think is a small and insignificant step could be bigger and more helpful than you could ever imagine.
I agree that all it takes is a step in your desired direction.
I thank you too! This is exactly what I needed to hear to move me out of despair and the inaction that comes with being overwhelmed by the immensity of pain and violence in our world. I feel less alone since discovering your blog and am working on forming a sister circle. Our first meeting was snowed out and slowed me to a pace slower than even a snail - hybernation was sounding good to me at that point. I was pleasantly surprised by the excitement the sister circle generated among others who also feel helpless to effect change.
Last Tuesday 6 of us met for our first time and spoke with Ethiopia. We found it most informative and interesting.
In your above articel about holocaust you start with the holocaust and do not mention the first genocide of the 20th century - the Armenian Genocide 1915-1923 where 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman Turks . You do not even mention Armenians when you list the nations that have been through or are going through genocides.
39 of our States have acknowledged the Armenian massacre. The State of Texas being the last one. Our US government that stands up for human rites has not yet acknowledged the Armenian massacre by the Turks because of our need of military and air bases in Turkey. Justice is yet to prevail.
Peace X Peace and One X One we need to speak for minorities and the forgotten.
Thank you, it's good to have the reassurance and contact of lots of people who feel the same way - often overwhelmed by the pain and suffering in the world, even while just doing our own little bit where we are. And there are lots of good things happening as well, wherever we care to look. It's just that they are not always newsworthy for the media. I felel so privileged to be linked to PeaceXPeace and valeu our contact with our sister circle.
God bless -
I think that the more we learn about other women's lives, putting a "face" to a group of women living in poverty or suffering the deprivations of war, we feel a sense of connection to them. Dining for Women, a national giving circle that promotes the connection of women in the developed world to women in the developing world, facilitates the kind of connection that can lead to peace as we all learn more about the geographic location of areas of unrest in the world but also about what the issues faced by those women are like.
When we educate ourselves about the challenges and issues faced by women living in poverty, we are inspired to create change and to create connections with other women who share the same desire to make a difference that we do. We give our financial resources and we also create connections with the women who want to experience the kind of change the power of collective giving can offer. When the gifts are directed toward creating self-sufficiency and self empowerment and self-esteem, lives change.
I love the comment posted by Kay...
"As I learn, I learn to care" I couldn't have said it better myself!
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