#38: Embracing Hope (PART 2)

【Upward Trajectory】
Humanity has seen its ups and downs at least since the discovery of writing some 5 thousand years ago.
 
It’s a terrible truth that as early as writing itself, slavery – the most egregious violation of equality and unalienable human rights – already existed in ancient Egypt. It’s found as early as 3 thousand years ago in ancient Greece, and in ancient Rome some 2 thousand years ago.
 
The senseless bloodsheds during Japan’s Age of Civil Wars came about some 600 years ago. The revelation of shame in the despicable social inequality precipitated the French Revolution to demand justice some 200 years ago. The reckoning of the extreme exploitation in slavery inspired the Emancipation Proclamation to free all Americans some 150 years ago. Around the same time, the emergence of gender equality in the Western nations triggered a wave of women’s right to vote that swept across the globe.
 
The catastrophic destruction of peace by the two world wars, the atrocious invasions by the Nazi Germany and Militarist Japan, and the unspeakable genocide by the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These horrific acts of inhumanity were deliberately waged some 100 years ago. To prevent such savagery, the League of Nations (predecessor to the United Nations) was established by the international community.
 
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights – declaring that All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights – solidified the unalienable basic human rights and explicitly banned slavery as adopted by the UN General Assembly some 70 years ago. To universally protect the basic human rights and world peace, the UN pushed further to ban colonialism some 60 years ago. The civil rights of African Americans and all minorities momentously advanced in the US some 50 years ago.
 
As we revisit these consequential moments in human history, we can’t help but notice the ups and downs and the twists and turns. We can’t help but have mixed feelings about one step forward, half a step back. But when we grasp the sweeping tide of history, we come to realize that it nonetheless nets out to half a step forward. That means we’ll surely move forward as long as we keep on striving in our journey, even if it may be half a step at a time.
 
It’s a concerning global trend of today that we witness the resurgence of prewar-esque nationalism as epitomized by Trump and Abe administrations, stoking fear and engaging in Selfish Populism. It’s disturbing to see too many disenfranchised youths who are deceived into joining the likes of Taliban and ISIS. Indeed, we’re far away from the moral pinnacle.
 
Nevertheless, after for so long living in the wilds, mankind turned to writing. And in the ensuing 5 thousand years, our world now sees more people than ever before who resolutely defy the exploitation of hate and fear that undermines equality and basic rights. People in the world now more than ever before thoroughly recognize the cruelty and injustice in breaching human dignity by brute force.
 
People in the world now more than ever before are relentlessly working towards reflecting the voices of each and every one of us from all walks of life and backgrounds, instead of only the whim of a privileged few. People in the world now more than ever before are tirelessly striving toward justice for all, rather than giving in to a hurtful conformity or turning a blind eye to an abuse unfolding in front of their own eyes.
 
More people are refusing to settle for injustice which merely covers up the hidden tension that already exists – the tension brewed over thousands of years of gross mistreatment and ill will, which is suppressed only to showcase the handsome facade of “order” on the surface. 
 
People in the world now more than ever before enjoy the happiness and a comfortable living. And today, compassion isn’t just reserved for humans alone, but also affectionately shown toward other animals and nature alike.
 
So, when we grasp the sweeping tide of history, we come to realize that our morality unequivocally charts an upward trajectory. This remarkable tide of time is adopted by each and every one of us, and we’ll pass it on to the future generations, one person at a time. It’s an eternal journey for humanity.
 
Now, riding this remarkable tide of eternity, we’re still far from perfect and the moral pinnacle only visible in the distance. Yet, we’re unequivocally moving toward there. That’s a certainty.
 
Let us remember the time long before we became a citizen of any one country. Then and now, we’re all first and foremost citizens of humanity. With a big heart and a grand vision, let us take it upon ourselves to elevate the morality of humanity. As human beings, it’s indeed our responsibility.
 
As such, when we revisit the origin of our universe and human history, we can’t help but unleash our extraordinary excitement for humanity – for what mankind has achieved in the last 5 thousand years since the discovery of writing.

​We can’t help but embrace infinite hope for our next 5 thousand years and beyond.

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