knowing who you are

Working with very messy situations, I often take a look at my own self. This very thing happened to me this weekend. As I was discussing the challenges and the causes of change, a friend of mine made a reference to a book.

The book title is “Being Human” and the author is Jean Vanier. Mr. Vanier has built an organization that focuses on people with all sorts of disabilities. Within this book on page 105 actually, he begins to talk about the separation of the self. This separation is also known as “the ego and the id”.

What this issue deals with is the difference between who you are and who you think you are. Along those lines we talked about Krishnamurti and his thoughts on “the observer and the observed”. Then our conversation moved into the duality of self, ego/id, observer/observed and who we are versus who we think we are. With that, we came to realize that we are being two people at once, thus the challenges and the causes of conflict. That is the primary challenge of every person alive and the goal is to ensure that the two become one.

There are a great many works produced concerning this topic. I recall reading psychology books on “the many masks of identity”. People talk about their work life, social life, family life, personal life and of course there is the love life. Mix in who you have been, who you are, who you will be and then add the reality versus the perception of all those.

All of these elements factor in when a person is building themselves. Can you be honest about who you are and how others understand you?

To be ironic here, my work in peace leads me to project the above onto countries. At this moment we can look at all the countries that are in transition. For example, Burma, the government there is taking a drastic course of change. Burma is going from a secluded, brutal situation to one where openness and peace are going to be ushered in.

There will be huge amounts of corruption as the transition takes place. Who ever takes the lead position will have to deal with scandals as the old guard will still fight for their “glory days”. This the reality and challenge of who you were versus who you are and who you want to be.

As I have written in the past, peace is very much a state of understanding, learning and knowing. As soon as you know a reality you have to let it go so that you can be free to expand your understanding. Then again I could just be insane.

Elections are sacred to the people

Syria just finished the referendum and the results indicate that the people wish to have a multiparty political system. Yemen just had their one candidate election as well with a 60% turnout. One candidate, why bother voting?

One of the fundamentals of life is personal choice. At the base of choice is the option we all have to continue living. Even then we have that choice taken away in certain circumstances. Going deeper into our existence we have society which has limits to what we should and should not do. Acts such as violence against another and theft are two examples of limits most societies discourage.

Another element society discourages has many names which is best described as dishonesty. These other named acts include fraud and corruption. With these examples the limits we put on each other are there to ensure a peaceful society. No matter what system people choose, these elements are quite universal. Whether the system is a democracy, dictatorship, monarchy or fascism, most systems have limits or guidelines for the general population to follow. Even then it is a personal choice to follow these limits or not.

On the topic of choice there will always come a time to choose those that will lead. The process of elections is a vital component to a legitimate government. When the process is tampered with to force a certain outcome, this act of corruption needs to carry as much weight as murder. In the world of politics, the punishment for murder is loss of power.

If the publics’ trust is diminished, rebuilding that trust will take more effort than it took to destroy it. For a peaceful society to flourish, the elements of trust and freedom to choose are corner stones to build on. There will be times when the people may not like the options but if they trust the information provided they will follow the decisions made.

The electoral process is the most sacred part of any legitimate society. If that process can not be trusted, the entire society will crumble. We are witnessing this very thing all over the world.

Egypt and Libya will be going through elections very soon. Each will have a very difficult time with ensuring the peaceful transition. There will be many calls of voting fraud because such tactics point to legitimacy of government. if the trust of the process is questioned the entire government and the system in place is questioned.

Here in Canada we are dealing with our own issues of election fraud. Not if fraud happened but why. To me this is act should bring down the political party holding power in government. For such an act to take place is nothing short of spitting on the graves of every person who paid their lives in Afghanistan. Such an act is illegal and people need to serve jail sentences. The system has been tampered with and it is in question. The line of chaos is still very far off in Canada but if such acts are not treated with great severity we will march closer to chaos. This entire situation is an example of the hypocrisy in which societies fall.

Without trust in society and trust in the systems to assist society there is no peace in that future.

Impact of corruption on USSR

We are living the impact of what corruption brings.  The European Union is at the verge of collapse, China owns the Republic of the United States of America (RUSA), people are in the process of governmental purging – all due to corruption, waste, mismanagement and poor leadership in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt.  The Occupy movement is making a stand but needs to regroup.  Perhaps the Occupy movement should pool their entire resources and purchase a multinational corporation.  Aside from that the complete picture of corruption around the world is showing its face.

The current situation makes me think of the USSR during the 1980’s.  The level of corruption and mismanagement was so bad that the politicians at the time felt it necessary to close the doors on the USSR and open up as Russia, thus came Glasnost and Perestroika. 

During the 1990’s I paid a great deal of time and focus in Russian history.  Mostly because I felt that the people of Russia and Canada formed a bold and daring relationship, starting in 1972.  Also the friendship was enriched through diplomatic avenues.  Furthermore, I was impressed with the courage that the Russian people exuded to embrace realities they saw during the 1980’s.

Now the issue of the cold war will always be linked to glasnost as it should because the Russian leaders knew that the world was dead if things continued without change.  Knowing that there was going to be no honest co-operation from the RUSA, acting unilaterally, Russia set out to build a more peaceful world.  They began by telling the world that the cold war pursuits were insane.  Then they looked internally to the realities within their country. 

Politicians were blinded by realities of infighting and personal goals within the USSR.  These two components ripped the fabric of any cause for unity within the governing system of the USSR.  A whole sale change was needed to end the corruption and so it began.  A courageous step into the unknown, which is still being worked out.  A greater act of peace is difficult to find.

Corruption of mind

Every second is a step into the future.  Each step you make, hopefully, is a secure step.  We all seek security and security of soul, mind and body are challenged daily.  In one scope, each child we have is a step into the future.  What are we doing globally.

 “Today youth constitutes not only a sizable population but also a very high percentage of the literate and educated group in most of the developing countries”[1]  Corruption has many elements and the mental element must take place before any other.  In terms of psychology the rational we encounter is one where, “People perpetuating corrupt acts engage in “rationalizing tactics”—describing their actions in such a way that they do not appear to be unethical at all.”[2]  This rationalization allows people to comprehend their actions as normal.  Furthermore, unethical behaviour can be understood as cultural relativism.

Cultural relativism explains certain actions that are okay for some but not for others.  For example female genital cutting is practiced, in some societies human sacrifices were also performed and were accepted.  Each of those examples can be defended as cultural actions based on beliefs.  Within that belief is a mental understanding and acceptance that is learned.  As we progress further into the realm of corruption we can equate cultural relativism to the decision of those that get involved in corruption.  Linking that understanding to corruption, “People who have engaged in corrupt acts excuse their actions to themselves, by viewing their crimes as non-criminal, justified, or part of a situation which they do not control.”[3]

To frame the act of corruption is to say that people engage in it because they are doing what they feel is deserved to themselves.  In some mental calculation the corrupt acts are thought of a justifiable and in fact necessary to achieve a desired outcome that will eventually benefit the whole of society.  This is the same mental process that went through the minds of people who engaged in human sacrifices.

Today the issue of corruption has come to the very top of world news.  People that live in countries where political leaders are being ousted have labeled corruption as a main point of concern.  Tunisia and Egypt have already replaced their leaders and other countries are trying to do the same.  At the core of these revolutions rests the hope for a just society where the youth can foresee a positive future.  There are a number of issues that work in tandem for which the people are rallying against, corruption is one such issue.  

As we have looked at both economic and political corruption there are two methods to combat corruption and that is with education and strong governance.  “Without transparency, accountability and the rule of law, corruption flourishes.”[4]    As we see the many countries around the world fall due to corruption it must be noted that education and governance do not flourish overnight. 

“Post-conflict development needs to reduce corruption, facilitate effective governance and promote environmentally sound, socially equitable, economically robust sustainable development that requires re-evaluation of the appropriateness of the existing policies, strategies, legal and regulatory frameworks and institutional arrangements, and adjust accordingly.”[5]

“In Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Algeria and Yemen, the violent demonstrations are largely driven by the stifled generation of the Arab baby boom: 100 million young people 15 to 29 years old who make up 30 per cent of the Middle East's population.  Their hopes and ambitions have been frustrated by corruption, high unemployment, lack of political freedom, soaring costs of living and growing income inequality – and their leaders have been unable and unwilling to invest in solutions to these problems.”[6]

From the above quotes we learn that the people have lost hope of a better future if things do not change.  “Education is the key component to reconstruction in post-ethnic conflict settings. It is a country’s “single most important social, economic and political resource. Schools educate youth for future employment, socialize children to ensure integration and active involvement in their communities, prepare them for productive participation as a citizen in their country and transmit those values and beliefs deemed to be important by their society”[7]

In order to have societies where violence is rare we need to support youth empowerment “inclusion in development by expanding the capacities of and opportunities for youth groups to initiate and participate in community and local development initiatives.”[8]

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[1] Gale, Faye and Stephanie Fahey (editors).  Youth In Transition.  UNESCO, Bangkok. 2005. Pg., 13

[2] Anand, Vikas, Blake E. Ashforth and Mahendra Joshi.  Business as usual: The acceptance and perpetuation of corruption in organizations.  Academy of Management Executive, 2005, Vol. 19, No. 4.  Pg., 10.

[3] Anand, Vikas, Blake E. Ashforth and Mahendra Joshi.  Business as usual: The acceptance and perpetuation of corruption in organizations.  Academy of Management Executive, 2005, Vol. 19, No. 4.  Pg., 10.

[4] Ghani, Seema.  An Accountable State with Strong Civil Society.  Development Outreach, World Bank Vol. 11 No. 2, Oct 2009.    Pg., 43.

[5] Edited by Ghimire, Safal, Bishnu Raj Upreti, Sagar Raj Sharma and kailash Nath Pyakuryal. The Remake of a State: Post-Conflict challenges and State Building in Nepal. NCCR North-South, Human and Natural Resources Studies Centre, Katmandu University. 2010. pg. 131.

[6] Ghafour, Hamida.  Enough! Why thousands of young Arabs have taken to the streets in protest.  The Globe And Mail, Jan. 28, 2011.

[7] Coles, Emily, "The Importance of Education Systems in Post-Conflict Settings: The Case of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH)" (2011).

Honors Projects. Paper 10.

[8] Barron, Patrick.  Community Driven Development in Post-Conflict and Conflict-affected Areara.  2011 World Development Report.  March 2011.  Pg. 8.