social networks – Engaging Peace

[Today we welcome guest contributor Dr. Majed Ashy]

United Nations flag — U.N. flag. Image in public domain.

The world is facing serious political, economic, and social upheavals and challenges.

This calls for wisdom that goes beyond the narrow visions of ideologies, politics, parties, interests, pride, specialized knowledge and professions, strategies, and power conflicts.

What we need is wisdom derived from deep integrative knowledge characterized by a sensitive, perceptive and unfragmented view of the world, nature, knowledge and time. Such wisdom will derive from lessons of history, philosophy, and the deep underlying wisdom of religions.

We need wisdom that is devoted to the revelation of a holistic truth and justice–as much as humans can do that–and not to winning.

Thus, I would like to suggest an international meeting to be organized by the United Nations. Participants would include wise people from every nation without exception. These individuals would embody respect, experience, and the ability to put their own needs and narrow interests and visions aside.

Their task would be to:

Discuss the current international political and economical situations.
Declare to the Security Council and everyone in the world the truth as they see it.
Recommend a course of action.

This body in the UN can include wise people from various walks of life such as ex-politicians, economists, scientists, social scientists, ex-military officers, philosophers, religious scholars, and others. In addition, known international figures such as Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Aung San Suu Kyi would be included.

In the day of the Internet and social networks it will not be difficult to identify the people in each nation who are considered wise and are respected for their wisdom.

Majed Ashy, Ph.D., Associate Researcher in Psychiatry, Harvard University/McLean Hospital; Assistant Professor in Psychology, Bay State College

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison: Today we welcome the first of several contributions by our guest contributor Majed Ashy. Dr. Ashy is an assistant professor of psychology at Merrimack College and a research fellow in psychiatry at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He was born in Lebanon and is a Saudi Arabian. He earned his B.A, M.A, and Ph.D. in psychology from Boston University. His research in psychoneuroimmunology and political psychology focuses on childhood experience of adversity and its psychobiological consequences. He authored the Saudi Arabia chapter in State Violence and the Right to Peace: An International Survey of the Views of Ordinary People Greenwood Publishing Group / Praeger series. He is contributing several chapters to two volumes to be published by Springer Publishing Co.: Handbook on War, Torture, and Terrorism, and Handbook on Protest, Peace, Reconciliation, Apology, and Forgiveness.]

By Majed Ashy, Guest Author

Two arguments are presented repeatedly in discussions of the evolution of democracy in the Middle East: “Arabs are not ready for democracy,” and “If Arabs get more democratic rights, then some Islamic extremists will come to power and that is a threat to the whole world.”

Army trucks surrounding Tahrir Square, Cairo (Photo by Ramy Raoof; licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic; from Wikimedia Commons)

I heard similar alarmist arguments against women’s suffrage, African American civil rights movements, and Black liberation in South Africa. President Lincoln, whose birthday is this week, did not accept the arguments against freeing the slaves in America, but millions of people still lack freedom.

With advancements in communication technologies, Internet resources, social networks, media, satellite TV stations, and international travel, the evolution in individual empowerment and the rise of social collective awareness are natural consequences. Masses of people are rejecting as self serving and racist the “old” narratives about the necessity of oppression.

One of the problems faced in the Middle East is the communication gap between governments and the general populations. Many Middle Eastern governments are still using a “language” that does not speak to people who are educated, aware, and able to see through the narratives of oppression. The image of men on camels and horses in Tahrir square in Cairo beating protesters summarize this divide.

We have in the Middle East youth who represent the future, are linked through the Internet to people all over the world, watch satellite TV stations from almost every country, and call for human rights. On the other side we have people who come from the ancient past and deal with their problems by riding camels and beating people up.

The current conflict in the Middle East is about narratives. One narrative that has not been given a chance yet is that the Middle East can evolve into a responsible democracy that takes into account human rights, international law, and democracy. All lovers of freedom and democracy should respect and help sustain this effort.

Majed Ashy