What sort of society do we want to live in?
Many children's and youth organizations live this idea, challenging and enabling children, teenagers and young adults to develop, to try things out, to have successes, and to learn from defeats. They teach them to reflect, to keep going, and above all, not to give up.
I also like the basic idea of beVisioneers, that young people can move society forward by being given the space and support to develop themselves and their ideas. In other words, young people benefit from the life experience of older people by sharing their knowledge and creating a space where young people can try things out, grow, and celebrate success.
Especially in the last few weeks I've realized that I have to deal with a lot of negative things. I see the wars, the occupation of territories and the oppression of people, the structural violence against people so that they cannot move freely and certainly cannot express themselves freely. Natural disasters have terrible consequences, they limit us, they take away our living space. Fear is a consequence. Everything quickly becomes much more expensive. In Germany, it is often written that people are no longer safe here. This is already the reality in other parts of the world. In the news, social networks and newspapers we are overloaded with sad and shocking news. Protests against the injustices of this world are becoming more aggressive and directed against everyone, even if you don't feel affected at first. This makes us sad and angry. It often seems that we are lost.
Recently I asked myself the question: "Grandpa, what did you do when the Nazis came to power? Didn't you see the path they were taking?" In retrospect, I'm not sure I ever asked that question, but I do remember my grandparents telling me over and over again what the war was like for them. It was all about survival.
Today I ask myself: "What am I doing to transform this negativity that we are experiencing?
What am I doing to make this world a better place?
This question is at the center of my thoughts and actions. It is a reminder and a guide. It reminds me that if I do nothing, I will not get rid of the negativity. Worse, the negativity will continue to grow.
At the same time, it is like a signpost. The question gives me courage. It reminds me of the need to act. I can do something to increase the positive. I can do something to make the world a happier place. Happy in the sense that we can live together, respect each other, develop and try things out. We support each other and create space to try out ideas that will bring us closer to protecting our environment in times of peace.
I firmly believe that human beings are capable of coming up with groundbreaking ideas and putting them into practice. Just looking back at my life shows this. It's exciting to see how everything has changed: telephones, the Internet, cooking, mobility, education, environmental protection and much more. That's why I'm optimistic that humanity will be able to mitigate environmental disasters again, even if it's "only" inventions that we perceive as mitigation.
Today I read an article by Teresa Stiens in the Handelsblatt, issue year-end 29.12.2023 to 1.1.2024, No. 251. I was impressed by her ideas! Teresa Stiens writes that we live in a dynamic, free society. We who count ourselves among the western states.
"Even if the promise of free development is not always fulfilled in our societies, it is the most attractive offer that Western states can make to the rest of the world. The point is not to create an order whose rules ultimately serve only those who write them. Rather, they should serve all states that show an interest in supporting free development according to their own ideas".
"This does not mean that we have to betray human and fundamental rights in international cooperation. But looking down from a high horse has never made anything credible. Instead, the West must tell stories about itself that do not gloss over its own mistakes and injustices of the past, but clearly name them".
"This must be followed by an honest question to other states: What role do you want to play in the world, and how do you want to get there? Maybe we can work together on this, maybe not."
I feel addressed by Teresa Stien's question "What role do you want to play in the world?". It speaks to me because it supports my question "What am I doing to make the world a better place?". It goes hand in hand with the opening question "What kind of world do we want to live in?"
Howard Thurman says it similarly:
"Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and do it. Because what the world needs are people who have really come alive!"
For many years I have been enthusiastic about being on the road with other people. For me, being on the road means traveling together, whether for a day, a weekend, or a longer period of time. I love it when people engage with each other and share stories. And not like on Facebook, where we only focus on the beautiful ME, no, we are honest with each other. We tell each other about our strengths and weaknesses, about what excites us and what annoys us. We dream up stories and projects. We fill them with life.
I learned early on how valuable reflection, the courage to be adventurous, and personal development are. I look back on an eventful childhood and youth in which my family taught me mobility. Not so much mobility from one place to another, but mobility in the mind. By that I mean accepting other people. Everyone thinks differently.
In my daily life, I notice that the focus is no longer on development, trying things out, enabling success and learning from failure. For many of us, the focus is more on how to get from Monday to Friday, then from Saturday to Sunday, and then from Monday to Friday again. Before we know it, the time is gone. It is our life that is passing.
I think we need more social interaction to become and stay active. We adults need the freedom and space to play that we had as children and teenagers. We need like-minded people to join us in an adventure. The adventure is here: What can we do now? What can we try? What can we do better? How can we get to know each other better? How can we support one another? What do we especially enjoy? When do we feel alive? Who can help us?
I will encourage more exchanges between adults, whether national or international, interreligious or intercultural. I want to bring people of good will together to grow together and make the world a better place.
Writing about it makes me feel good. The best phase starts in 2024. It's time to act.
Join in!
