With all the excitement surrounding the Pope’s visit to the United States last week, Gordon Brown’s visit went almost unnoticed. But while the Pope was calling for a renewal of love, the British Prime Minister proposed something that could make such a renewal happen.
In a major speech in Boston, Brown called for the United States and other countries to join together to create a new series of institutions to lead the globalized world. Much of what he called for were changes in regulatory and financial institutions. But he also proposed new institutions of service to build a global society, one focused on aspirations that transcend national borders and foster mutual interests grounded in common values.
Specifically, Brown challenged citizens around the world to create a “global peace and reconstruction corps”–a sort of Peace Corps for citizens and governments of all countries to participate in service, to respond to crises and to help build the citizen institutions necessary for peace and stability everywhere.
That’s a good idea for a lot of reasons.
The most important insight of the Peace Corps (full disclosure: my father, Sargent Shriver, was the first director) was that meaningful change can only happen when people form relationships rooted in respect and equality. Peace Corps volunteers are fundamentally different from other relief and aid workers because they live in villages, speak the local language, and share the lives of those with whom they serve.
This common-ground experience was once referred to as going “eye to eye” with others, and nothing could be more important in this globalized era. The greatest challenge of this century is that of overcoming fear of difference—and of learning how we can get along on this increasingly small planet. Peace and reconstruction depend more on relationships of trust than on any technical or financial expertise. If you’re not eye to eye, you can’t be heart to heart or mind to mind. In fact, if you’re not eye to eye, you can’t do much good for anyone.
In this century, however, a solely American effort won’t do it. We need Lebanese who are willing to live eye to eye with Brazilians; Chinese willing to live eye to eye with Indians; Kenyans willing to live eye to eye with Kazakhstanis; and more. The next generation of peace and reconstruction work will have to enable a culture of service of all to all.
Brown’s corps could be far more than a service delivery organization. It could help in the crucial work of refreshing a planet-wide commitment to common values and interdependence. We can work together only if we share certain values. Both the Pope and the Prime Minister brought the same message—that common values and common aspirations are not only possible to articulate, but also possible to live actively.
In recent years, I’ve seen common humanity lived joyfully in the people who serve in Special Olympics. I’ve seen moms in Bosnia, dads in Turkey, coaches in Lebanon, scholars in China, high school students in Soweto, and athletes in the Bronx all coming together in service. They come to Special Olympics because at a profound level, they want to affirm that even the most humble and forgotten citizens are full of potential and value. It’s their desire to participate in our common humanity that is acted out by the simple and loving act of shooting a basketball or running a race—together. Human dignity is their common belief.
Brown is right when he says “It is on the basis of our common humanity and common values that even people thousands of miles apart can share the pain of others and believe in something bigger than themselves.” We’re hungry to believe in that larger meaning, that larger vision, that larger hope for peace and purpose.
Maybe it’s not a coincidence that Pope Benedict XVI and Gordon Brown visited our country at the same time—one expressing the hope that comes from the love of God, the other expressing the hope that comes from fulfilling our greatest potential as citizens. If we can find a way to do both, this will have been a week worth remembering.
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Comments (7)
In the name of sanity, can the moderator PLEASE delete those mindless, insane posts from JJ?
Thanks
April 22, 2008 6:52 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 22, 2008 18:52
Arminius, thanks.
On a somewhat unrelated issue, but relative in the sense of "what the world doesn't need," hit me today in the front pages on MSNBC:
"Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed Monday that as president she would be willing to use nuclear weapons against Iran if it were to launch a nuclear attack on Israel."
You know, in light of this article on the potential healing for people the world over, at least agreed upon by a world religious leader and a world secular leader, comes political posturing geared for our protect-at-all-costs Israel (I wonder sometimes if the nation of Israel has more political power over us than our own states)and the unhesitatingly rehearsed "well we'll just nuke them" response as a first-off-the-shelf option.
I would vote for someone who says: "Unlikely even as a last resort" regarding nuclear bombs. What good can come from nuclear weapons flying through the skies?
I found a button at a home-improvement expo this weekend that says "I'm already against the next war" that I wish I'd purchased.
April 22, 2008 8:48 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 22, 2008 08:48
When devils talk of peace, the result is trouble. Why is it that Catholic countries are full of armed insurgents? If you dig deeper, their mentors are catholic priests.
This is the devil's church. One just needs to be sane to see ALL THE LIES AND STUPIDITY.
Peace would soon come but after almost all stupidity on earth will be doomed. That is the Prophecy.
False religions should stop the hypocricy of preaching peace. Because if God will truly listen to them, they would be the first ones whom God will SWEEP AWAY to attain true peace and justice on earth.
April 22, 2008 8:47 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 22, 2008 08:47
Hi, Jeff P,
The good thing about our conversations here is an agreement to disagree, and mutual respect. Would that more here could do that.
NO religion has a hammerlock on morality. Anyone who thinks differently has not looked around at his fellow humans, including non-believers.
'Expelled', IMHO, is an intellectual crime against humanity all on its own. Creationists rank right down there with flat-earthers as far as coherent thought counts.
The Pope did give us a message laden with principles both religious and secular. Believers and non-believers have more in common than they usually realize.
Arminius
April 21, 2008 8:07 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 21, 2008 20:07
Arminius:
Good for your daughter!
What a worthy and worthwhile effort, and what a fun life-experience it will be for her. I'm envious in many ways.
And you know in principle I agree that by whatever means, if good is served, let it be.
It's just that I'm (overly) sensitive to the issues revolving around the public perceptions of "amoral atheistic relativists" that permeate our society. There is so much dis-information out there, the latest of which is "Expelled," a creationist (Intelligent Design) documentary with a central tenet implying Darwin's primary responsibility for the Holocaust, which in the end neither explains the Intelligent Design argument nor enlightens us on Hitler's racist agenda.
It seemed to me that so much of the pope's more-applauded speeches, and so many of the audience-appreciating dialogue, was related to principles found within a secular humanism.
Maybe too provokingly, I felt like the end of the article regarding "well, and all these ideas are a result of these specifically religious and specifically secular leaders finally coming together..." when in general, all of those ideas are perfectly well admired by all people of goodwill, regardless of the gods. (You know it's just my way of prodding the point that we don't need the gods to justify and explain doing good.)
April 21, 2008 6:30 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 21, 2008 18:30
Jeff P,
It doesn't matter if the hope springs from a feeling of God's love or from a profound desire to see human needs addressed. The important thing is that it is there.
My daughter, now a senior in college, is majoring in dance and psychology. She is deeply involved in Special Olympics, because of the rhythmic gymnastics she learned as a teenager. She is still working with that gym, run by a remarkable woman who is hell bent to train young women to be great people rather than just contest winners - and also to take in the Downs syndrome kids and give them dignity and hope. They have traveled to Europe several times, and will do so again this summer. My daughter is going too - I am fiercely proud of her for this.
Arminius
April 21, 2008 5:16 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 21, 2008 17:16
Thank you Mr. Shriver.
Overwhelmingly, the thrust of your message to me was about humanism, and the realization that however it's framed, human dignity and mutual respect will save our world.
As for the hope that comes from the "love of God," that's great. But my hope comes from a desire to see very human needs addressed and respected, and not from any religious doctrine or the invoking of invisible and undetectable powers that somehow order the cosmos and our lives.
As for your work in the Special Olympics, excellent! How enriching it must be to see that Down Syndrome happens the world over, that every parent aches at their own journey with their family, and that people across all nations can be proud of the Down Syndrome kid who excels and competes with others across the world!
What an "equalizer;" sporting events have to be at least one of the very few areas of our lives where human beings can come together regardless of creed, culture, or belief, and understand the rules of the game, and enjoy one another!
To me, it's always sad when the Olympics are boycotted to make a political statement, or to demonstrate against one. International sports have the capacity and potential to have us lay down guns for awhile, and take up a soccor ball. How can you continue to hate someone and play ball with them? It seems similar to scientists who, speaking different languages from all over the world, understand and enjoy one another within the field because they speak the universal language of mathematics. No matter of creed, culture, or economic advantage.
Messages from the gods don't give me hope--imperfect, charitable, loving humans do!
April 21, 2008 4:42 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 21, 2008 16:42