Unity, Globally

January 4, 2022 Philanthropically, Sociocultural Issues No Comments

L’union fait la force ― Unity brings power. ‘Strong Together’ or ‘America First’? There is a challenge in the concept of unity that doesn’t speak directly from such slogans, yet this challenge is crucial to our future (together).

Global unity grows at the individual level.

In unity we thrive.

The human being is a social being. The societas may be concrete or symbolic. A person can be alone and feel connected with many, or with one very meaningful other, even Other. There is a lot of flexibility in this.

Yet if a person feels lonely, he suffers and may get depressed. In other words, we need the feeling of unity. It is a necessity to live a human life. It is a necessity for feeling meaningful.

Without real unity, one may aggressively seek pseudo-unity, trying to enforce it from others. It will once be unfathomable that we are now putting people away in prison as punishment for their aggression. Of course, they will try to bond there with other inmates. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be human. No wonder recidivism is such a big problem.

Unity needs to be placed rightfully between sameness and difference.

Unity is not the same as sameness.

One can speak of unity only if there is distinction, individuality.

An exigence of sameness inhibits individuality, therefore, unity. People do not feel together. They just fear each other and fear loneliness or ostracism without each other. Manipulation is strife. ‘Fascies’ brings strength at the cost of humaneness.

Unity is not the result of just bringing together a disparate group

Sooner or later, this disparate group will find reasons for dis-unity. The pushing-together will lead to push-back and break-up.

Members need to profoundly recognize each other. A common enemy is an easy, superficial, and temporary solution, forming ‘unity from outside.’

‘Unity from inside’ is more challenging and durable. Here, depth is involved ― obviously. In-group, making a group into a team, and due to changing circumstances, a continual transformation is needed. Also at the global stage, this means proper diplomacy and mediation.

Transformative mediation

This is about bringing people or parties back together when they have an issue that divides them.

Transformative mediation is accomplished by letting people listen profoundly to themselves and each other. The aim is not to directly solve the issue but to strive for unity in which there is no ‘one against the other.’

The issue transforms into a common cause. Divisiveness transforms into unity. There is growth and relief of suffering.

There is also a journey towards all this, making it more interesting.

Empathy

Shortly put, overlapping without losing oneself, being of utmost importance in coaching, leadership, etc. Empathy grows when individuals grow.

Empathy-beyond the conceptual leads to Compassion. There is no unity possible at any level, including the broadest – at a global political scale – without it.

Therefore, herein lies the biggest challenge for humanity.