The world is full of horrors that no one knows what to do with. How can you, as an ordinary mortal, respond to hunger and violence that takes place outside your own family and circle of acquaintances? In order to function normally, you often cannot/do not want to do anything other than look the other way, although this is contrary to your social feelings and conscience. Fortunately, you can come to terms with yourself to some extent by becoming a volunteer with an aid organization.
Look the other way when something bad happens
Since the dawn of humanity, large numbers of people have consistently found themselves in dire circumstances. War, violence, arson, plunder, abuse, hunger are gross violations of Universal Human Rights. But closer to home we also have violence, disease, poverty, disability, child neglect, and they don’t lie. And that makes the lists far from complete. A human being is strange, we know and realize all this misery that is happening far away and close by, and yet we are able to continue our normal lives and even have fun. How on earth is it possible that we stand up for our loved ones, but turn our heads away from the horrors that others suffer.
A bus with dying fellow passengers
Imagine going on holiday in a coach. You are sitting in the front, but a number of passengers in the back of the bus are in bad condition. They suffer severe pain due to illness and will die during the journey. What about your own holiday feeling? You probably demand that the driver send for a doctor as soon as possible and you donate money and warm clothes to relieve the suffering of those sick passengers. The realization that people are suffering so close to you makes you no longer feel like going on holiday until those people have been helped.
Strangely enough, this need to step into the breach does not apply to the , life bus, that we all ride on this earth. Because although we know that there are many suffering passengers traveling in the back, we care much less about their fate than in the example of that physical bus. Because we can’t see the back row and hear the moaning? We can look out the window and pretend we don’t know what misery is going on in the back.
All the disaster in the world
You cannot possibly take care of all the misery in the world because it would hinder your functioning. We often attract some of the misery. Everyone who works and pays taxes helps to alleviate the misery on the planet. Our government sends soldiers to areas affected by war, we provide development aid, disaster relief, etc. And we know doctors and nurses close to home who can respond to the first needs. And if you are a house painter you will occasionally paint the hospital so that the doctors can continue to do their work. In short, we sometimes do something (indirectly), but the question remains whether it is enough to satisfy our conscience.
Charities
Giving part of your money and/or free time to charities is an option to maintain your peace of mind. You can make an extra contribution to combating misery on this planet by regularly donating money to a good cause such as:
- Doctors Without Borders,
- The Red Cross,
- Amnesty International,
- Liliane Fonds,
- Refugee work.
to name just a few examples. Or you can become a volunteer at such an organization, transport sick people, or give language lessons to refugees. Or you can become a volunteer at a telephone helpline such as the Suicide Prevention Line or the Listening Line.
Of course, it is all a pittance compared to what you would do if it concerned a loved one.