towards a better world
Hello dearest comrades,
This past week had left me feeling overwhelmed. The wave of events, one tragedy after another, has been a lot to process and has even left me feeling a sense of grief. I thought I'd use this month's post to reflect on everything currently happening in the world.
I think it would be incredibly naïve to say that everything was fine prior to the pandemic, prior to climate change becoming a magnified problem, prior to social justice issues taking the front seat. It wasn't. If anything, everything happening now seems to be a culmination of everything else that was burning in the background. Now, I just feel an incredible amount of despair and anguish. I find myself grieving the current state of our world. Uncertain if there will be a world left for us to live in.
From the COVID-19 pandemic that has taken many lives, many of them avoidable, to the recent fires in Greece, Turkey, and Algeria that will only get worse throughout the rest of the world in a matter of years as global temperatures increase. Not to mention, Afghanistan is in a state of humanitarian crisis and political instability as a result of decades of imperialism and Lebanon faces economic shortages made worse by a corrupt government, and just recently, the earthquake in Haiti that left many dead. All of this, on top of existing conflicts and crises. Disaster after disaster, a number of compounding tragedies devastating a multitude of lives.
It feels like the world is crumbling all around and on us. The worst part is that those of us who live in the West will be fine. Or, will we? There is no doubt that minority groups and people living in the Global South will pay for the world's tragedies as we currently are witnessing. On the other hand, if there is anything that the pandemic has proven, it's that governments are careless. Change seems so far away. The pandemic has also lifted the veil on the fragile political and economic systems and structures in place. Many people in so-called wealthy countries have died or gotten severely ill due to outright negligence. Governments favour money and profit over anything else, and that's why capitalism has caused so much damage. Unfortunately, people living in the West are not immune to that, no matter the infrastructures that exist in place. It's pretty exhausting to think about, nonetheless.
I'm not one for nihilism or defeatism, particularly in politics. So much damage has been done, some of it potentially irreversible, however, we have the technology, money, and knowledge to fix many of these issues. We need to hold the rich and powerful accountable and start pursuing real solutions, not band-aid solutions. It is time to disrupt the status quo. If we do not act now, the price may be too much to bear, much greater than it currently is. Our world and future are worth fighting for. Lives are worth fighting for. There is no question about it.
In these trying times, the best we can do is show up for each other, take care of each other. Form community with one another, and support each other diligently, for all we have are ourselves.
Stay safe and take care,
Kowther