Brexit has triumphed by playing on the negative
and often Xenophobic fears of Britons who perceived a
threat to their quality of life from incoming refugees
and immigrants, particularly from Eastern Europe, "taking away"
their jobs, overcrowding their local schools and clogging up their
national health services. And in the USA, Donald Trump has played on the
emotional and negative fears of many Americans by singling out
Muslims and Islam at large as a potential terrorist threat to
America. How sad it is that the world is becoming steadily
more polarised ! The end of Britain's membership of
the European Union and the possibility of a more
"isolationist" and exclusive USA under the
leadership of Donald Trump as a future US president do not
promote “sharing together for the common good” of all nations - rich
and poor.
This is where bridge-building between people of different
nations, cultures, religions and ethnicity in the interests of better
understanding, finding the inherent "common good" in all of us,
and striving for an improved quality of life for all is so
vital for the future peace and harmony in our world. Worldwide poverty
and the growing gap between "haves" and "have-nots" and the
destruction of our environment can only be properly addressed if
communities and nations stand united. At national level we need to
build-bridges between nations, not diminish them or break them down.
Bridge-building is not about sacrificing one's values and one’s identity but
rather sharing for the common good. At local level we need to build
bridges between families and communities and between members of
different ethnic, language, cultural and religious groups. Bridge-building between
these groups can only have positive outcomes. It is especially relevant in
today’s world of pervasive racism and religious intolerance. Interfaith
dialogue and co-operation between Christians, Jews and Muslims is not
about diluting one's particular faith or belief but
about focussing on what unites
us, instead of what divides us! Those who fear that doing this
may “dilute” their faith or belief
cannot, per se, have a very strong faith.
It takes courage and boldness to move beyond any of one’s comfort zones but this is what is
needed if we are to join hands at local, national and international level and
unite to solve the problems pervading the world we live in today. Unity is
strength.
