The power of community

Community and belonging play a critical role in our lives - and it is amazing how collective pain and suffering can help strengthen community. 

People overcome adversity by coming together in the wake of wars, natural disasters or other calamities. 

This type of communal response to tragedy measurably decreases anxiety and depression, even during difficult times. A sense that everyone is on the same team.

This pandemic has been a global disaster

is it a catalyst to bring the world together as one? 

Or

has the distancing nature of the pandemic caused us to become more insular, distrusting lonely and paranoid?

So where does Hate Come From?

The key to understand Prejudice and Hate is to understand where Hate comes from, and Au recommend all to read Robert Glazers Blog - “The Roots of HATE and the the power of community” .... Inspired by Sebastian Junger’s thought-provoking book, Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging

https://www.robertglazer.com/friday-forward/root-of-hate/

Hate crimes and rhetoric seem to have increased. Felipe in his knowledge share at our #bbgforum this morning talked about the issues Trans people have to deal with in Brazil! 

There has been escalating incidents of bias and hate against Asians and Asian-Americans, increased anti-Semitism, anti LGBTQ ?????? and ongoing racial and ethnic divides around the world.

Last week, a young man murdered eight people in Atlanta. Six of the victims were women of Asian descent.

Studies show that people who hate in this way, or commit crimes of this nature, often feel disconnected or isolated.

The trial of the death of George Floyd - that sparked the “black deaths matter” campaign 

The Trump’s legacy of “the storming of the Capitol 

The Trump’s “China Virus” 

What is the root cause of this hate - this divisiveness?

It starts with words that disparage groups of people we don’t agree with, know or understand. 

It starts with harsh generalizations of people whose beliefs or ideologies–especially political–differ from our own. 

This type of rhetoric dehumanises these groups and removes any empathy or understanding

It create an “us versus them” mentality. (Excuse the US pun)

It creates divisions in our society that can lead to hate and violence.

Understanding is key to neutralise hate 

Often, hate comes from places of ignorance, fear, disconnection and suffering.

Robert shares 2 stories of understanding 

The first is the story of Michael Weisser, a Rabbi in Nebraska who spent months trying to engage with the leader of the local Ku Klux Klan, who had threatened his family repeatedly. Eventually, the two met. Weisser learned of the abuse that led to the man’s hate and the two worked to build mutual understanding. They even became friends.

The other example was the story of ?zlem Cekic, one of the first women with a Muslim immigrant background to be elected to Denmark’s parliament. Almost immediately after taking office, Cekic’s inbox filled with hate mail, including xenophobic comments and threats. 

Cekic courageously reached out and invited senders of this hate mail to have coffee with her, meetings she called “Dialogue Coffee.”

As Cekic explained in her TED Talk on the story, she learned through these meetings to separate a hateful viewpoint from the person expressing it in order to gain perspective. 

She also learned that people fear people they don’t know, and generalizations can lead people to dangerously demonize entire communities.

Both Weisser and Cekic did the difficult, but rewarding, work of reaching out, trying to understand and bridging the divide.

What can you do? 

As the world opens back up, we need to consciously widen our perspectives. 

Where can you reach out to deepen your understanding of someone or something? 

You can be part of our "Yarning Circle" and talk to each other - with a view to understand as opposed to be heard.

It might reveal something unexpected that could change your perspective.