Poverty: Enemy of Stability
Photo from a march against xenophobia in South Africa, courtesy of Reuters
Like the outbreaks of violence following the disputed elections in Kenya, I've been watching the news of attacks on foreigners by roving mobs in South Africa recently with alarm and sadness. While the context is different in the United States it made me wonder when the frustrations related to immigration in my own country (illegal and otherwise) might boil over into acts of violence. It reminded me of a statement made in The Promise of World Peace, a document commissioned by the Universal House of Justice in the mid-80's and distributed to world leaders around the globe:
"The inordinate disparity between rich and poor, a source of acute suffering, keeps the world in a state of instability, virtually on the brink of war. Few societies have dealt effectively with this situation. The solution calls for the combined application of spiritual, moral and practical approaches. A fresh look at the problem is required, entailing consultation with experts from a wide spectrum of disciplines, devoid of economic and ideological polemics, and involving the people directly affected in the decisions that must urgently be made. It is an issue that is bound up not only with the necessity for eliminating extremes of wealth and poverty but also with those spiritual verities the understanding of which can produce a new universal attitude. Fostering such an attitude is itself a major part of the solution."
(The Universal House of Justice, 1985 Oct, The Promise of World Peace, p. 3)
When human beings see themselves as competing for scarce resources, it can bring out the worst in them. I think that it was Bob Marley who said in one of his songs that "A hungry man is an angry man." Poverty is the enemy of stability in any society and the recent crisis in South Africa at the very least is a dramatization of that fact. Eliminating extremes of wealth and poverty is a central part of the social mission of the Baha'i Faith. A recent statement from the Baha'i International Community had this to say about poverty:
"It is now increasingly acknowledged that such conditions as the marginalization of girls and women, poor governance, ethnic and religious antipathy, environmental degradation and unemployment constitute formidable obstacles to the progress and development of communities. These evidence a deeper crisis—one rooted in the values and attitudes that shape relationships at all levels of society. Viewed from this perspective, poverty can be described as the absence of those ethical, social and material resources needed to develop the moral, intellectual and social capacities of individuals, communities and institutions. Moral reasoning, group decision-making and freedom from racism, for example, are all essential tools for poverty alleviation. Such capacities must shape individual thinking as well as institutional arrangements and policy-making. To be clear, the goal at hand is not only to remove the ills of poverty but to engage the masses of humanity in the construction of a just global order." Read the entire statement here.
I'll close with these words of Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Baha'i Faith:
"O CHILDREN OF DUST!
Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues."
(Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)
2 comments:
Phillipe, thank you so much for this post. I have been hoping you would comment on this sad situation in South Africa. A country whose process of liberation from Apartheid has been in general so very inspirational worldwide.
You have crystalized so beatifully, with your references, both the problem and the solution.
It is very tempting to think that simply removing power from the hands of "The downpressor" (I like the Rastifarian name for dominant powers/ruling classes), will eliminate injustice,poverty and prejudice. But history belies this notion.
Abdu'l Baha told us very early in the 20th century that "the movement of the left" would gain enormous power precisely because social and economic injustices were not being addressed by those in power. Later on, Shoghi Effendi spoke of the failure of all of the "isms"-- 20th century ideologies, political and economic systems -- to adequately address economic disparities and their attendant ills, even describing the "isms" as false Gods.
You so accurately zeroed in on the references from the House of Justice which address not only the root causes, but also the road that absolutely must be taken to find solutions to poverty and its bitter fruits.
Judith W.
Dr Taylor teaches us how to attain deep inner peace - easily, simply, without drugs, anytime we want it. Forgive me for doing everything I can to be sure everyone reads this book and sees this video, but I think all of us benefit and in the larger sense, if everyone reads this, our world will benefit in a very large way.
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