In tribal groups, elders were revered for their age and knowledge of the ways of the world. With the dawn of modern society, capitalism and new social values, elders have lost their leadership role in providing the wisdom, clarity of thought and impartiality we need in times of strife and tension. Now, as we move further into an age of accelerated globalisation, we need our elders more than ever. This need has recently been met with action by some of the most amazing role-models the Earth has seen in many years.
"We are moving to a global village, yet we don't have our global elders. The Elders can be a group who have the trust of the world, who can speak freely, be fiercely independent and respond fast and flexibly in conflict situations" - http://www.theelders.org/welcome
With names like Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Aung San Suu Kyi, Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Yunus and Jimmy Carter, the Elders have the capability and global respect to mediate in situations where others would surely fail, and to bring their wealth of resources and experiences into play where they could be of the greatest help. While the UN and other global powers sit on their hands, drowning in bureaucracy, the Elders can act.
I implore you all to closely follow this group, and give them your support whenever you can. They are a relatively new group, but have actively worked to broker the power sharing deal that is potentially all that stands between Kenya and genocide. They are currently working in Sudan to galvanise the international community into bringing an end to the region's suffering.
They are also running an Internet campaign for 2008, along with many other well known organisations such as UNICEF and Amnesty International where individuals can sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (as 2008 is the 60th anniversary of the Declaration). For this campaign to work, the word must be spread. Please visit http://www.everyhumanhasrights.org/ to take action.
Some people scoff at people power, but recently organisations such as Avaaz and GetUp have proven that it really can work.
Lend your voice to global campaigns. They're a great way for you personally to make a difference just through sentiment.
What are you doing reading this blog? Get to it!
2 comments:
global wanking club more like am I right?
Luckily I know you don't believe that Ben. Though you bring up a good point concerning the influence that the group can actually exert. However, the Kenya mission has shown that the group can be effective. We shall see whether they can get similar results elsewhere.
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