Effective Sharing of World Responsibility
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 29 Oct 2012
Charles Mercieca, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service
The real secret to the solution of all problems on a global scale lies in our ability to procure means that are beneficial to all people across every continent without exception. From the early days of human existence, people soon found out that they are fully interdependent for the better or the worse. In view of this, we need to make sure that in everything we do we always prove to be fully beneficial to each other. This way we will have everything to gain and nothing to lose. All of us would experience inner joy and satisfaction.
Constructive Use of Our Uniqueness
In spite of the fact that we are very different individuals, we still could see the enrichment of our unique character and personality as a result. Considering that we were all imbued with different qualities, the sharing of our diverse experiences will enable us to develop a greater sense of responsibility toward each other. Some ascetical writers tell us that the greatness of God is revealed in the fact that He was capable of creating millions and billions of people making each one of them so unique that no one could ever be duplicated.
Besides, some theologians, speaking on the greatness of God, contend that God, in His infinite power, gave to each human being at least one talent that makes each one of us superior to the rest of all people that ever existed and will ever exist. In view of this, our wisdom may be revealed in our ability to seek and find our unique talent as to develop it to the maximum possible to help make the lives of others considerable better. The shortest cut to this end will be for all of us to share with each other anything positive and constructive.
Unfortunately, for many centuries human beings tended to form cliques whose real purpose was to stick together against others and most often ended up waging wars against each other. In doing so, many have soon discovered that in wars everyone ends up to be a loser and no one a winner. And to turn an insult into injury, wars tend to destroy the talents of each one of us instead of safeguarding them. They also tend to sow the seed of hatred instead of love.
Talking of universal love, St. Augustine often told people around him: Ama et fac quod vis – Love and do anything you like. This great saint firmly believed that love proves to be the secret of success in all of our endeavors. Besides, love is viewed as the best instrument to develop great responsibility not only for each one of us but for the entire world as well. This would eventually give us what people have desired for many centuries: peace, which starts with our environment and is then extended to the whole world.
Governmental Responsibility at Work
Needless to say, the governments of nations everywhere bear the greatest share of world responsibility. Their actions may prove often to be beneficial or detrimental. Usually when they tend to be beneficial we are bound to experience peace for an extended period of time. A good environment is generally created where people enjoy the same necessities of life relative to good housing facilities, health care, and education. These qualities cannot be taken lightly since the strength of a nation can be best measured not in terms of military capabilities but by the strength and constructive productivity of the nation’s people.
For quite a few centuries now, nations grew, developed and spread in accordance with cliques they managed to form up. This was, from the outset, what gave rise to traditional conventional wars. In this process, altruism was replaced by egoism, generosity by selfishness, humility by pride, and prudence by arrogance. In other words, all the elements that are vital for us to share world responsibility and live at peace with each other were suffocated mostly by the actions we chose to perform toward each other.
It is certainly never late for us to learn, especially from the mistakes of our past. Confronted by this reality we should not feel discouraged especially when we keep in mind that to err is human and to forgive is divine. Quite often, mistakes enable us to mature fast and to do things considerably better afterwards. The most effective way to share world responsibility is for us to realize that whatever one nation does for the better or the worse, it is bound to affect the nearby nations radically by all means.
For example, if one nation pollutes its air and water the nearby nations may share the same type of pollution to the detriment of their health, whether they like it or not. Of course, the other way round is equally true. We learn from a rapid glance at history, that when nations do things right that are beneficial to all people, everyone ends up benefitting immensely. We always end up having what may be termed a win-win situation. Last but not least, this effective sharing of world responsibility often starts by each one of us individually.
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Charles Mercieca, Ph.D. – President, International Association of Educators for World Peace, Dedicated to United Nations Goals of Peace Education, Environmental Protection, Human Rights & Disarmament.
-Professor Emeritus, Alabama A&M University.
-Hon President & Professor, SBS Swiss Business School, Zurich.
-Member, TRANSCEND-A Network for Peace, Development and Environment.
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 29 Oct 2012.
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