Why There's Hope

Why There's Hope

I have lost faith in humans ability to govern, but I have not lost faith in humanity.

Our guest professor Dr. Hayes told us great deal about the US drone program, and its not a good situation. The US is not only killing obvious supporters of terror in the middle east such as Anwar Al Awlaki ) but also his family, all of whom are US citizens. The government is censoring her work and that of other professors who are working to study and expose the atrocities occurring at the hands of the government. My own time in the European Parliament has informed me of the measures the US government has taken to stifle reporting being done on the increased level of international surveillance performed by the NSA.

In the face of insurmountable odds AJ, who is always ready to save the world through a creative solution, asked Dr. Hayes “so...what do we do?” This is a question that, coming from a Furman student, has real implications. We are student body who would be willing to charge an unjust situation head on and work for a solution. But on this night, there was no petition to sign and no senator to write as many of these directives are passed by the FISCA court. Dr. Hayes had a different piece of advice however: stop buying Hershey's chocolate.

According to Dr. Hayes this simple act is a form of economic protest against a cooperation which is exploiting child labor in Africa. Considering the relative futility of our votes to change policy in a meaningful way, small acts of goodness are the only weapons we have to combat huge multinationals. I for one believe that these small acts are enough.

While the European Parliament seems inefficient, and everyone is on Facebook 24/7, it is an institution made up largely of good people. As a government they are not able to stop the oppression of children in Africa, but on an individual basis my interactions with my colleagues have been overwhelmingly positive.

My office mates are a perfect example of why I have faith in humanity. Kinga Goncz is a good person, she refuses to officially side with a party in Parliament because she wants to reserve her right to vote as she wishes regardless of what the S&D group opinion is. Her votes are always cast in favor of supporting Roma, protecting minority groups and education for all European people. Her assistants each have causes they are deeply passionate about and are upset when votes do not go as planned because they are concerned with the people who might be affected. Rita and her husband, who both work at the EP and are from the same small Hungarian village, pool their valuable euros to provide programs for children in their home town. 

Outside of the EP, everywhere, I have visited in Europe I have met people who are practicing small acts of kindness like giving up a seat on the bus to elderly people or helping a pregnant mother pull a heavy suit case off the baggage carousel. These instances may seem trivial, this post may seem romanticized, but what else can we do? If our governments are not able to help us in meaningful ways, it is up to us as individuals across borders to support one another and help to alleviate suffering.

When people study abroad, travel or simply read about the culture of other people, we will stop seeing the differences between peoples and start seeing the similarities. We are living in an age where there is more intercultural exchange then ever before and that gives me a great deal of hope for the future.

This trip has also shown me that if more people practiced mindfulness and meditation, so many of our issues could be mitigated. If people become less attached to their money, their possessions and their power, they will become less fearful that they will lose these things. With less fear comes less greed with less greed comes less corruption and war.

“Well that sounds nice...but who is meditating outside of India anyway? What makes you think that its catching on?” Fair questions. I have decided that if I ever need to meet someone who is important to my life, all I need to do is travel by air. I have been seated "randomly" next to: a med student who wants to research how brain structure affects perception, a couple who teach meditation in Brussels and a young entrepreneur who is investing in a start up that is producing “mindfulness inspired apparel.”

But I did not have to frequent Brussels International to find people employing introspection to serve their fellow man more fully. My first day in the office I was greeted with “so you're the yoga teacher!” by Mrs. Goncz. As it turns out, everyone in my office practices yoga and it has been hugely beneficial to the office dynamic over the past few years.

Governments are corrupt, but that has been the case apparently throughout history. I believe however that people's capacity for good eventually out-weighs those who lead us towards lives based in fear.