World Peace and the Survival of the Human Race

Humans are strange creatures. Theories abound about the origin of life and our place among all living creatures. The world’s greatest organized religions teach their followers the story of creationism. Scientists believe in the theory of evolution. Unlike animals, we humans consider ourselves to be spiritual and enlightened. And yet, collectively we have little regard for the planet on which we live.

This, of course presents an enormous problem. As our very survival depends on the planet’s ability to sustain life, it is imperative that we be accountable to the earth and all of mankind for our impact on the planet. The problems facing our planet are vast. With wanton disregard we have poisoned our waters and air, depleted our natural resources, and decimated animal populations and natural habitats. We have damaged our biosphere and watched rain forests disappear.

Despite warnings of global warming and the implications associated with it, we continue to live in the moment, not thinking about tomorrow or what we must do to save our planet; and hence ourselves. Scientists and activists plead with us to heed their warnings, but few are listening.
So what can be done to address these global issues that threaten our very survival? Can we come together as one species to save ourselves and the world we live in? If we could step back in time and trace our roots to our very beginning, perhaps we would see how closely related we all are.

People from all walks of life, from every race, culture, and creed are connected. We are all made of flesh and bones, and our blood is red. And if every person from every corner of the world could realize and accept that connection, we could create a modern mythological narrative that could save us and the planet on which we live.

“Patriotism is a lively sense of collective responsibility (Aldington, Richard)”. As one collective species, humankind must accept the fact that we need each other, we need to maintain planetary sustainability, and in spite of our differences, we all have a collective responsibility to one another.

‘Community’ is defined by Webster dictionary as “a unified body of individuals, the people with common interests living in a particular area, an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location, a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society…..”

‘Responsibility’ is defined as “the quality of state of being responsible, moral, legal, or mental accountability…” And one of the key definitions of ‘Morality’ is “conforming to ideals of right human conduct”.

When considering possible mythologies that could be accepted by all cultures around the world, it should not be difficult to imagine that everyone could embrace these ideals; patriotism and a sense of responsibility to fellow man and the planet on which we depend for our very survival; community: an understanding that we are all part of the world community and are interdependent on one another and connected by our ‘humanness’ genetically and spiritually; responsibility to one another and responsibility for our own behavior and the impact we have on each other and the planet.

In order to create a mythology that will sustain us, we must understand that humans need other humans. We must accept the fact that we are all connected no matter our race, culture, or religion. We must accept the fact that everyone has a moral responsibility to each other with regard to treating all plants, animals, and humans with respect and consideration. Should we choose to think only about the here and now, disregarding our impact on the future, we will effectively bring about our own demise.

Those that feel that it’s ok to buy products that were created with slave labor in sweat shops, or to support illegal poaching by purchasing animal products such as ivory, or even those that make a conscious decision not to conserve energy and natural resources on a personal level must all understand that their behavior impacts everyone. Responsibility starts with the individual. By choosing not to do one’s part, that person is just as guilty as the poacher that kills an elephant for its tusks.

Human survival will ultimately depend on a species-wide unification. We may not understand the importance of this until it’s too late. The polarization among religions and cultures sometimes becomes so overwhelming, people lose site of the fact that ultimately, we are all one, and we all depend on the same things for survival; food, water, air, human interaction and for many, spirituality and religious faith.

Of course, we cannot walk through life with a constant thought of doom and gloom. Part of human resilience is our ability to have hope. Even in the most difficult situations, humans’ will to survive and spirit of never-ending hope prevails. This point was clearly demonstrated in the story of Anne Frank. As many of us know, Anne Frank and her family had little to hope for, and yet their will to survive was strong, their faith was unquestionable, and their hope never died.

This, I believe will be the saving grace for humanity. It is this innate sense of hope and a desire to live that will help the human species survive. Our common mythology must include unification; not on every level, but on the most basic level, that we are all one species and we need each other. Our will to survive will help us to overcome our differences and bring about a sense of community and moral obligation to each other and the planet on which we live.

We know that we are capable of putting aside our differences and coming together as human beings, as demonstrated after September 11th, the Tsunami that killed thousands in Thailand, and Hurricane Katrina. What we saw after these catastrophic events was that human beings around the world immediately responded as one. The horrors of these events were felt world-wide and the support was over-whelming.

The ‘circling of the wagons’ is an instinctively human response. During these times people who may not even like each other pull together as one. And while it often takes a crisis, the threat of a crisis, or a catastrophe such as the examples above, we know it can be done. The next step is to make the world understand the importance of being proactive. We must work together to make sure we don’t face a catastrophic failure of our planet and annihilate ourselves and every living thing.

Worldwide adoption of the idea that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves is the answer to the global crises that we currently face. Ultimately, the human narrative does not involve material wealth. It does not involve one solitary religion or belief system. It does not involve one specific culture. Nor does it include any one race within the human species. Once people accept the fact that we all play a part, however insignificant in the well-being and survival of all world species as well as the planet itself, the option of a happy ending, so to speak will become a reality. Egos, stubbornness, and closed cultures must be put aside for the good of all. This is the mythology we must all come to accept to survive and live in peace.