Imagine a world where every girl believes she has a unique gift…
Imagine a world where every girl feels heard and valued…
Imagine a world where every girl believes, deep in her heart, that she matters…
Imagine a world where every girl has access to an education, health care and equal opportunity…
For so long our world has been divided into categories: nations, religions, ethnicities, genders, and economic boundaries. These lines have divided us for so long that we struggle to come together, even at the peace table. What if there was another way? Last night I followed a disturbing thread on a friend’s Facebook wall which began with a peaceful message of hope for the people of Turkey (following the news of the devastating earthquake there) and ended with judgement and negativity. It was an interesting “conversation” about national borders, why we have them, their importance and limitations, etc. It made me wonder about the different types of borders that exist all around us.
By definition, border means a dividing line. For humanity it means that there are edges, or sides. It separates us from our neighbors, friends and enemies, and creates an egocentric society. What if, instead, we created a society based on our deep interconnectedness, and the common thread of the Golden Rule of mutual respect. Today is the Global Day of Oneness, which asks us all to share our greatest gifts which will lead to peace and creativity, prosperity and joy. It asks us to embrace humanity as good and see that the only way to change the world really, is to change ourselves; believe in ourselves and in others. Global Oneness requires us to step over the borders in our lives and practice tolerance and acceptance.
If we recognize that human beings need each other to survive on this planet, then we see that we are all in this together. Our communities will flourish as we learn about each other and celebrate our differences. To place a border where there could be a simple understanding and appreciation for uniqueness seems so rigid, so final. A border establishes a line between people that says, I must protect what is mine and you can have what is yours…unless, of course, I want what you have…then I want to fight over that border. We expect our children to share. Is it so hard for us to share as adults? If we are all in this together, we must continue to honor that core value of mutual respect.
The time for change is now. The people who wrote on my friend’s wall last night about protecting our borders weren’t interested in an open dialogue. They believed that hatred justified nationalism and the necessity of borders. If only they could open their hearts and minds for a moment and see that we all breathe the same air and want our children and animals and environment to grow and be healthy. We are in fact, one family on this planet. As a family, the time has come to discuss openly, celebrate joyfully, and fully accept ourselves and one another.