As I dive into my assigned readings for both my MSW program and my delegation for Human Rights in Rwanda's first conference call, I am being inundated with messages about the White Savior Industrial Complex and how the western people (of whom I suppose I am identified but I would rather just be identified as human even though the political atmosphere of the planet requires that I call myself United Statesian AKA "American") make movies like Kony 2012, etc trying to rally ourselves to go out and Save the World! Of course I am aware of how wonderful Colonialism was for creating mass genocide, unequal wealth, racial/class tensions that have led to wars and struggles for power, etc...
I found this video especially enlightening as far as showing the complexity of the situation in Uganda and how slogans may be viral on the internet, they do not reflect the reality what is happening.
Each place that has been inhabited by humans on Earth has a long, rich history that most likely includes wars, colonialism, love, happiness, family, community, struggle, poverty, unequal wealth distribution, conflict, disagreements, pain... Westerners and/or foreigners running into places like Uganda or any other "developing" countries to "save people" needs to be seriously evaluated. Sometimes we do not want to see a situation in light of it's true complexity and we just want a quick fix to end our pain at seeing others in pain. This may mean we run and give to charity (which I do too... I am not saying anything is wrong) or we vote for policies that call for us to bring our military and intervene somewhere. I cannot say if anything is right or wrong because I have only lived my own life and the only things I know of the world have been through the filter of my own eyes, bias, education, experience, illusion. What I can say is putting our entire attention and consciousness at each step of our action will most likely keep us from doing harm to others. I read a Buddhist story once that truly brought this concept home for me:
There was a great Buddhist master, Nagarjuna. Once a thief saw him and experienced his infinite grace, so the thief asked Nagarjuna, “Is there any possibility of my growth? I am a thief and I cannot leave my profession, so please don’t ask me to leave it. I will do whatsoever you ask me to do, but I cannot leave my profession. I have tried to stop it many times, but it never worked. Now, I have accepted my destiny.”
Nagarjuna said, “Why are you afraid? Who is going to talk about your being a thief?”
The thief said, “But whenever I have gone to any teacher or a priest, they always ask me first to stop stealing.”
Nagarjuna laughed and said, “Then you must have gone to thieves; otherwise, why should they be concerned?”
The thief said, “Then it is okay. You are the right master for me!”
Nagarjuna accepted him as his disciple and said, “Now you go and do whatsoever you like. Only one thing has to be followed…. Be aware! Break into houses, steal, do whatsoever you like, but do it with full awareness.”
The thief couldn’t understand that, he has already fallen into the trap. He bowed down and left.
After three weeks the thief returned saying, “Now, I am in problem. If I am aware, I just cannot steal and if I steal, my awareness disappears. I am in a fix.”
Nagarjuna said, “No more discussion about your being a thief and stealing. I am not concerned. Now you decide whether you want awareness or stealing.”
The thief said, “Now it is difficult. I have tasted the flavor of awareness and I am ready to leave anything for it.” The thief further said, “Last night, for the first time, I was able to break in to the king’s palace. But when I became aware, suddenly there was no motivation, no desire. The diamonds looked like ordinary stones. When I lost awareness again the treasure was there. This happened many times. But finally I realized that the whole treasure was not worth it…now I can never be a thief again…”
I can only speak for myself. This is a concept I am becoming more and more at peace with. Also I can only comprehend bits and piece of the complexity of the world from the sub-atomic to the universal. In fact, I have never seen an atom, I have trusted my teachers, family, news broadcasters, to tell me atoms exist and an atom was split to kill over 100,000 people at Nagasaki and Hiroshima. A lot of information I have in my brain, I think is true because I have trusted people, scientists, reporters, politicians even though I know much of the world is a struggle for power and people lie all the time to get it. I can only think of Buddha's words that we must rid ourselves of desire to attain peace and I can't think of one conflict that hasn't had something to with resources (including territory) and power. Why would you want power if you are just at peace with the flow of the Tao?
Life is so impermanent and we are pressured by this large mass of people organized by a government. Our experience as an individual is much different than a group of people. With one person, when we want to walk we walk, when we want to change something about ourselves, we only have to convince ourselves to change. A government and society operates on a much different level and complexity -- what motivates groups to make collective decisions and elect this politician but not that one is hugely a mystery to me. Sure I know a lot about Social Psychology and how we are influenced but I truly only know my own experience of life as an individual. Good and bad, right and wrong are subjective to a large degree and even if there was some universality to it, there are so many competing interests and influences, in my experience I think the most effective way to work towards what you believe in is by working on the local, individual level. We are all individuals, let us work with the people right in front of us. Let us learn from each other, treat each person like a unique, amazing, beautiful individual that is just another manifestation of the life that has sprouted us into being as well.
I remember watching this TED talk a while ago and it opened my eyes to the uniqueness of our individual ideas of what reality is. I have gained so much wisdom from my partner but one piece that has really stood out for me after all these years together is his idea that "Cada cabesa es su propio universo, cada cabesa es su mundo" or in English, everybody has a different universe in their head. Obviously I can't prove this is true and I am sure many "scientific" studies could prove everyone sees the "same thing", I can tell you that I feel it is true. To base a view on a feeling is highly taboo but please think about all the times you have adverted horrible danger because of a simple feeling. There is wisdom in feeling, in our ability to sense something beyond words and mind chatter. Please enjoy Chimamanda Adichie's The danger of a single story:
Also if you want to keep up with the readings for the Human Rights Delegation to Rwanda: This week we were assigned two very interesting articles:
Peace and Love to you!
Danielle
