Building bridges and partnerships

I often say that I want to build bridges and partnership to move humanity forward. With Scott Brown's recent senate victory in Massachusetts, I really have pondered what building bridges and forming partnerships really means.

I consider myself very active on the social spectrum, Facebook, Twitter, and others that are out there. I like to engage those who have an alternative viewpoint and hopefully come to an understanding which enables us to move forward.

Until recently, I thought that this was enough, that maybe if I can change one or two opinions then I have added some type of value to the human community as a whole.

This is not enough. I look at those individuals who have put everything on hold and have gone to Haiti to help. I look at the people of Haiti who survive 5, 10, 12 days of under rubble with nothing but their spirit to keep them going.

I look around at the mobile medical clinic here in Long Beach, CA that helps those less fortunate with medical care.

I see individuals helping stray animals, feral cats, and animals discarded because their owners simply did not want them anymore.

I have come to realize that no amount of social networking, websites, texts, or partnerships formed from my desktop can replace, for lack of a better phrase, good old human elbow grease.

As I you read this, take a look at yourself, are you truly making a difference? I know I am not and that is about to change.

Greater than the sum of our parts

I have recently been getting some push back on my cynical viewpoint of avatars on twitter, forwarding of 'support our troops' posts on Facebook, ribbons on lapels, and other forms of support for the cause du jour. Allow me to explain.

I feel that humankind, as a species, can accomplish great thing when we act as one. This is evident by the support, both financially and with physical goods, that has poured into Haiti during the last 24 hours.

My concern is what happens during the month of February? Will the avatars on twitter change from the Haitian flag to a purple ribbon for something else? Once the search and rescue teams leave, will the UN and Red Cross forces still be pushing a ladder uphill?

I find that a good example is Katrina and Lousiana. Though the USA looked like a third world country, we rallied as a nation and people to help. However, very little has changed. I know that the infrastructre hasn't been improved. People still live in absolute poverty and there seems to be no serious reform in sight.

We have to look at removing the systemic obstacles that cause such disasters. Earthquakes, floods, fires, etc will happen. The real disaster is when a community or nation has no ability to address the issues on its own, both short term and long term.

Again, I am not here to pass judgement, but to say that we need to collectively work together and end problems, not just put a band-aid on them.


-The Progressive Mind