The world is in rapid transition. While corporates and contractors at urban centers are accumulating enormous wealth, mass migration to urban agglomerations is leading to chaotic and degrading conditions in cities and impersonal relationships among people. Inequality keeps growing. Crime is on the rise. The rural population is left impoverished and helpless with fragmentation of land, declining fertility of soil, falling levels of water, and exploitation by local ‘strong men.’
The Globalized Economy, while offering opportunities to those who are well equipped, has been pulling more and more young people from their homes, families, religious beliefs, cultural roots, community identities, and familiar terrain, and throwing them into the high seas of uncertainties.
YOUTH NEED ASSISTANCE
The younger generation today grows up hearing about violence, drugs, terrorism, wars, alcohol, hunger, poverty, abortion, suicide, euthanasia, and torture daily. They see these things on the screen continuously. They have experienced their consequences in the streets. They grow inured to the situation and begin to consider such things as ‘normal’.
Other young people, who want to take on these challenges and want to change the situation, can easily be led by dominant trends and misguided by their peers if they are not judicious. They do not realize that even as they make loud demands of autonomy, independence, and freedom, they are subjecting their very personal freedom to peer influence. They wish to question everything and experiment with life in an unreflecting manner until they land in major trouble.
Then comes a stage of hesitation, guilt consciousness, loss of self-esteem, obscuring of hope, and fading of vision. At this stage, they begin to admire persons who are genuine, generous, and committed; they long to open themselves to seniors who are experienced and welcoming, persons with whom they can relate in a friendly and familiar way. Listening attentively and respectfully is an assistance that sensitive adults can offer them. A helpful word from an enlightened elder can make all the difference.
MIGRANTS NEED HELP
It is estimated that there are 175 million migrants at the global level in search of security or opportunity, 26 million of whom are young. Many of them remain unemployed, while many of those employed are exploited. With such large numbers in difficulty, there should be ways of offering social, psychological, and spiritual assistance to affected people wherever they are. While priests and religious can help, committed laity too should reach out.
The greatest cause of worry is families under stress. When members live apart, the family finds it difficult to cohere together. Women and children suffer the most. Life for everyone has turned harsh and family tragedies are on the increase: divorce, depression, rebellion, teen suicide, alcoholism, and drug addiction.
We cannot sufficiently emphasize the need for counseling sessions, ‘listening centers’, helpful courses and programs for rediscovery of the ‘self’; programs like prayer-gatherings; choice of books that stir, strengthen, heal and console people in life’s varied contexts.
A BALANCED VIEW MUST PREVAIL
Where many problems of various nature accumulate, extremist thinkers take things too far. Amidst a diversity of cacophonous voices, we need to bring a bit of balance into everything. That is the answer to all radicals, whether they are social activists, supporters of radical secularism, religious fundamentalism, ethnic extremism, or ideological fanaticism.
A balanced attitude would be to give to every sphere of human thought and activity what is its due, and central attention to what is central to human good. It joins hands with people of different persuasions in the cause of the common good: ethical values, liberty, rights of individuals, uplift of women, respect for diversity, and the environment.
THE PATH OF PERSUASION, NOT FORCE
A deep sense of social responsibility, rightly channeled, manifests itself in extraordinary dynamism, in committed service, amazing creativity, stunning innovation, and prodigious team-effort towards the common good, which makes personal convictions eminently practical.
However, when balanced views fail to win acceptance in society, force comes to play a greater role in obtaining social compliance, whether imposed by the Administration or inflicted on each other by fellow-citizens. Force used in excess takes the form of violence. One exaggeration invites another. Violence leads to violence. Impatience for quick results leads people to a hasty surrender to a ‘strong man’ who over-claims power, which in turn can lead to power-struggles at various levels and initiate a cycle of violence.
In the meantime, natural resources are being over-tapped; the environment is in peril; and social media is being wrongly used. It is right that responsible thinkers of various cultural and spiritual traditions come together in a sincere search for solutions. Christian leaders of various affiliations, believers of diverse religious traditions must dialogue. Adherents of secular ideologies too must make their contribution to the conversation. The values they believe in must be made relevant to the needs of the times in the field of politics, economics, marketing, technology, communication, management and treatment of workers. Our collective sense of responsibility must be awakened. May God lead things to success!
