Make Extremism History

Please note: We’re not just talking about religious extremism. We’re talking about the extremes in society, politics, the environment, the distribution of wealth and every issue that we face as a world. We’re talking about the individuals who dominate public debate simply by shouting the loudest and listening the least, who leave little room for debate or any shades of opinion except for right or wrong and me versus you. We’re talking about climate change deniers, people who refuse to let refugees into their country or anyone who discriminates on the basis of gender, nationality, sexual preference or religion.

Today’s extremists include the 62 people in the world who have as much money as half the world’s population, the industrialists influencing the environmental policies that threaten the future of the human race, the bankers creating an artificially inflated economy for the benefit of speculators and the detriment of everyone else, and the people who use religion as a reason to inspire hatred, violence or war.

The fact of the matter is that in 2016 national boundaries are less and less meaningful. No matter where we live, we are all equally powerless in the face of conflict or environmental disaster. We need to realize that we live in this world together – and that the best way to create a better world for everybody is by working together ‘for tomorrow’.

If we want to think about a better future, we need to do so on a global scale. We need to reject the politics of confrontation and make an effort to learn what’s really going on in the world by talking and listening to each other. We have to take action to determine our own futures, as it’s clear that our governments (who are too tied down by commercial or political restrictions) won’t act unless we demand it. Change must come from the bottom-up: from us. This can only happen in a world that is at peace with itself, where people are equals, not divided by labels, nationalities or religion.

If we’re going to solve anything, we need to do it by working together, by discovering what we have in common as people of the world, not individual nationalities, skin colours, genders or religions.

Insight:

It’s easy to dehumanize people by reducing them to words and numbers: whether it’s by applying labels like ‘refugees’, ‘women’, ‘, ‘Muslims’, ‘activists’, or hiding the true impact of a situation by saying simply ‘25,000 people died.’

To rise above this, we should give people faces and tell their stories, so that more people can understand and relate to the individuals behind the labels.

Message:

Violence and extreme opinions only inspire negativity: intelligent debate and collective action will lead us to a better future. We need to meet in the middle to change the world together, that’s why it’s time to “Make Extremism History!”