This past week Robert and I discussed the global dimensions of the issues and crises impacting the global community.
Robert: In the current issue of TRENDS we are highlighting International Women’s Day (March 8th) and Earth Month, which starts on the Equinox (the original Earth Day March 20th) and culminates pn Earth Day April 22nd. Women’s issues and environmental issues are critical to life on the planet. Being global in nature, and thereby requiring global solutions, the path to addressing them requires partnering among individuals, organizations and nation states. While the issues and solutions are global in nature, developing those solutions still requires local initiatives as well.
This is why TRENDS also focuses on the important critical work being done on both the local and global levels. What is also affecting everyone on the planet is the aggression against the people of the Ukraine. While it is directly impacting Eastern Europe, as we see it’s having global implications and subsequently highlighting the interrelationship between the global and the local.
Rick: Thank you, Robert. As I see it, we are presented with multiple interlocking crises that conform to WE, The World‘s 11 campaigns, some of which you mentioned. These 11 Campaigns for Change are regularly featured in TRENDS in Global Grassroots Organizing magazine.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, unfortunately we are witnessing millions of refugees coming out of the Ukraine, many of them women and families who have lost everything fleeing the Russian military assault. And their situation is actually worse for refugees coming from Africa and the Middle East who are facing discrimination in Europe.
Our 11 Campaigns touch on so many of the aspects of the invasion of Ukraine. We have the issue of Disarmament with the mention of nuclear weapons being on high alert and concern that Russia may deploy tactical nuclear weapons in combat. Regarding the Environment, investing in a renewable future will not only put an end to wars for oil, and the other economic/geopolitical dynamics of oil and gas, it will hopefully also minimize the catastrophic effects of Climate Disruption and the Mass Extinction of Species that has already impacted people and other life all across the planet. The military is already a leading cause of global pollu9tion and the release of greenhouse gasses.
Then, of course, is the impact on Freedom and Human Rights. We’re seeing more than 13,000 protesters in Russia being arrested and sometimes serving as many as 15 years – even for taking what could be considered tiny actions. In terms of Freedom, we have problems here in in the United States stemming from political polarization. Polarization impacts the possibility of investing in renewable energy and many other things that are being delayed, including protecting voting rights.
Through each of the 11 Campaigns people are seeing that they can connect to WE and work toward the common good.
Robert: The positive side of what is going on in the world is that it is really highlighting the themes of unity in that the world is coming together in its opposition to militarism, to military aggression. It’s giving people a lot of time to pause and start to look at things in a new way with many starting to understand how the world is interdependent and how something going on thousands of miles away impacts our lives as well. Thanks to the media people see the suffering of the Ukrainian people as well how it is negatively impacting the Russian people. It isn’t Russia versus the Ukraine but an authoritarian leader inflicting violence on the people of the Ukraine as well as his own people. These unfortunate events are shining on new light on both the themes of unity and interdependence, in addition peace and freedom as you discussed.
Rick: Exactly, I totally agree. As people realize their interdependence, some people call it “conscious interdependence”, that’s another way people can express the idea of WE and the common good.
Thank you again for checking out TRENDS Magazine! You can submit your own Trend Report at any time, or respond to this or any of the articles, at trends.we.net And if you would like to support the magazine’s non-profit Publisher We, The World then I and WE would be deeply grateful. You can go to https://WE.net/give
