Universe, I humbly beg you today to please bring a peaceful and quick resolution to the violence in Kenya. It is a beautiful country with beautiful people. It is falling prey to political rivalry and ethnic hatred. In another sense, it is falling victim to blame and anger over difficult circumstances.
My dad found his soul there when he travelled through Africa in the late 70s. He worked as an assitant engineer on a research steamship. Sometimes when he docked in various places and could take leave, the ship's captain would warn him that this or that little town was a good place to go if you wanted to die. I hate to think that Kenya is now a good place to go if you want to die. I hate to think that my dad and I will not make it there together in his lifetime.
It is very frustrating to think there is nothing I can do. I wonder sometimes if this is part of the real reason environmentalism is becoming the biggest issue of our time -- the individual can actually or seemingly affect change through every day choices. It's much easier to focus on what kind of lightbulb I use than how to keep people from killing eachother.
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3 comments:
We can. Be just a little bit nicer to each other than we feel like being: if you're furious, instead, just be angry; if you're pissed, take it down a notch to ticked; if you're indifferent, coax a smile out of yourself; etc. Too often it flows in the other direction.
This is the only trickle-down theory that seems to work.
I disagree. Environmentalism is part of a trickle down theory that will work to solve issues of global poverty and violence as well. After all, violence of this sort is linked, at its heart, to a lack of resources. Environmentalism is about cutting your own use of that which is scarce, making it possible to extend what is available to others who need it, too. We need environmentalism now more than ever, not just to cut back on the warming of the earth, but to try to redistribute precious resources like food and water equitably, to all people in a manner that is sustainable for now and the future.
r -- I hear what you're saying. Clearly, so does the Nobel Peace prize committee. However, I think the environmental movement in this country has many faces and one is just a new form of conspicuous green consumption. I also think that while green choices should be made easy for people through green products, it's easy to make a purchase and not so easy to address something as complicated as ethnic cleansing through any kind of individual action. I certainly feel the environmental movement is important.
And if we're talking trickle down theories for helping to resolve global poverty and violence, I personally believe clean water for everyone is the single most important issue.
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