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THE
ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE
Stephen
M. Apatow
Founder,
Director of Research & Development
Humanitarian
Resource Institute (UN:NGO:DESA)
Humanitarian University
Consortium Graduate Studies
Center
for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine & Law
Phone:
203-668-0282
Email:
s.m.apatow@humanitarian.net
Internet:
www.humanitarian.net
The
weapons are active care, compassion, concern and focused
efforts to confront the causes of violence, bigotry, hatred and
depravity. The vehicle encompasses successful initiatives that
address the ills
of conflict, ignorance, poverty and disease.
"When
campaigning, be swift as the wind; in leisurely march,
majestic as the forest; in attack, like fire; in standing, firm as the
mountains.
As unfathomable as the clouds, move like a thunderbolt to protect the
weak."
-- Adapted from Sun Tzu. "The Art of War"
In
Christianity, the true test of a connection with divinity is the
manifestation of love (agape: Greek) in the context of care, concern,
compassion and benevolence. To comprehend the significance of
love (agape), we need only to refer to the scripture that explains the
substance of God, I John 4:8: "God
is Love." It is in this divine conception that the importance of every
human being is expressed, Matthew 25:40: "Inasmuch as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done
it unto me."
In
Buddhism,
as expressed by the Dalai Lama: "Compassion and love are not mere
luxuries. As the source both of inner and external peace,
they are fundamental to the continued survival of our species." -- The
Four Immeasurables: Love, Compassion, Sympathetic joy, Rudy Harderwijk,
A View on Buddhism.
In Baha'i:
"You must manifest complete love and affection toward all mankind. Do
not
exalt yourselves above others, but consider all as your equals,
recognizing them as the servants of one God." -- Abdu'l-Baha:
Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 453.
In
Confucianism: Chang Tsai’s Western Inscription (eleventh century) was
inscribed on
the western wall of hang Tsai’s study and was enormously influential in
Neo-Confucian thought. Describing the essential kinship of all beings
with heaven and earth, it maintains that compassion is the highest
expression
of kinship. -- Confucianism Sacred Texts, Harvard University
Center for the Environment, Forum on Religion and Ecology.
In Judaism:
The Torah commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18),
which Rabbi Akiba described as the essence of the Torah. -- Judaism
101, Love and Brotherhood.
In Hinduism,
Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself'-- because thy neighbor is thyself; God is in both
thee
and thy neighbor, and both are in God. He who acts in this spirit need
not
fear that his acts will bind him to further existence." -- The Bhagavad
Gita,
trans. Franklin Edgerton, p. 165. Hinduism: Ethics and Society, World
Religions
Area/Country Studies Cultural Awareness Language Resource.
In Islam:
"You will not enter paradise until you believe, and you will not
believe
until you love one another." Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, Selected
and Translated by Kabir Helminski.
In Jainism:
Nonviolence is based on love and kindness for all living beings.
Nonviolence in
Jainism is not a negative virtue. It is based upon the positive
quality of universal love and compassion. One who is actuated by
this ideal cannot be indifferent to the suffering of others. -- Five
Great
Vows (Maha-vratas), Complied by Pravin K. Shah, Jain Study Center
of North Carolina.
Love
inspires an interest and focus on every need, plea or cry for help and
prompts a desire to provide assistance.
In the
grand
picture of divinity at work in all facets of the interfaith community,
love
is the common theme that unites and encompasses the true potential
through
which the scope of suffering and affliction can be alleviated and peace
achieved (International Interfaith Peace Declaration).
THE GOLDEN RULE
The work of
divinity in all faiths is embodied in the golden rule as the universal
objective of the interfaith community:
- Christianity:
"So in everything, do to others, what you would have them do to you,
for this sums up the law and the prophets" -- New Testament: MT 7:12
NIV
- Buddhism:
Treat not others in ways that yourself would find hurtful.--
Udana-Varga 5.18
- Baha'i:
Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you,
and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.
-- Baha'u'llah Gleanings
- Confucianism:
One word which sums up the basis for all good conduct...loving
kindness. Do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself.
-- Confucius Analects 15:23
- Hinduism:
This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if
done to you. -- Mahabharata 5:1517
- Islam:
Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish
for yourself. -- The Prophet Mohammed, Hadith
- Judaism:
What is hateful to you do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole
torah; all the rest is commentary. -- Hillel, Talmad, Shabbat
31a
- Native
Spirituality: We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive. -- Chief
Dan George
- Janism:
One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be
treated. -- Mahavira, Sutravitanga
- Sikhism:
I am no stranger to no one; an no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am
a friend to all. -- Guru Granth Sahib, pg.1299
- Taoism:
Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain, and your neighbors loss
as your own loss.-- T'ai Shang Kan Ying P'ien, 213-218
- Unitarianism:
We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent of all existence
of which we are a part. -- Unitarian principle
- Zoroastrianism:
Do not unto others what is injurious to yourself. -- Shayast-na-Shayast
13.29
THE UNMET NEEDS
Poverty Facts and Stats: From Globalissues.org
unless otherwise noted
Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than
$2.50 a day.
Water problems affect half of humanity:
Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access
to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.
Out of 2.2 billion children in the world, 1 billion live in
poverty (every second child)
According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. And
they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed
from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak
in
life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”
Some 1.8 million child deaths each year as a result of diarrhoea...
(preventable diarrhoeal illness)
Shelter, safe water and health
For the 1.9 billion children from the developing world, there are:
-- 640 million without adequate shelter (1 in 3)
-- 400 million with no access to safe water (1 in 5)
-- 270 million with no access to health services (1 in 7)
Today, the
United Nations Arts Initiative Millennium Medicine Project targets 5 Billion
people across the globe who lack access to basic surgical services and
advanced medical technologies.
According to the Association of Rural Surgeons in India, "Only one
billion out the total of six billion population of the world has any
access to the type of surgical care seen in the hospital of Western
Europe and America. In India, out of the population of one billion as
of today, not more than 10% has any access to this type of surgical
care."
Based on enrollment data, about 72 million children of primary school
age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 per cent of
them were girls. And these are regarded as optimistic numbers.
Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book
or sign their names.
According to the World Bank, in 2005, the wealthiest 20% of the world
accounted for 76.6% of total private consumption. The poorest fifth
just 1.5%
1.6 billion people — a quarter of humanity — live without electricity:
Breakdown:
South Asia: 706 Million
Sub-Saharan Africa: 547 Million
East Asia: 224 Million
Other: 101 Million
The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 Heavily Indebted Poor
Countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the world’s 7
richest people combined.
The world’s low income countries (2.4 billion people) account for just
2.4% of world exports
For every $1 in aid a developing country receives, over $25 is spent
on debt repayment.
The poorer the country, the more likely it is that debt repayments are
being extracted directly from people who neither contracted the loans
nor received any of the money.
For economic growth and almost all of the other indicators, the last
20 years [of the current form of globalization, from 1980 - 2000] have
shown a very clear decline in progress as compared with the previous
two decades [1960 - 1980]. This included:
-- Growth
-- Life Expectancy
-- Infant and Child Mortality
-- Education and literacy
World gross domestic product (world population approximately 6.5
billion) in 2006 was $48.2 trillion in 2006.
-- The world’s wealthiest countries (approximately 1 billion people)
accounted for $36.6 trillion dollars (76%).
-- The world’s billionaires — just 497 people — were worth $3.5
trillion (over 7% of world GDP).
-- Low income countries (2.4 billion people) accounted for just $1.6
trillion of GDP (3.3%)
-- Middle income countries (3 billion people) made up the rest of GDP
at just over $10 trillion (20.7%).
To get a grasp on the scope of unregulated market activities associated
with the global market crash in 2008:
Policy initiatives to address financial crimes by Humanitarian Resource
Institute, following the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in
1999, included unregulated shadow banking activities in the OTC
derivatives market that transitioned from $88.2 trillion at
end-December 1999 (BIS: 18 May
2000) to $1.4 Quadrillion, that is 1,400 trillion in 2006 (HRI:
ECB: 4 April 2006). See: Financial
Crimes: Global Defense
Infrastructure (1999-2013):
HRI, International Disaster Information Network.
Related:
It is
in pursuit of strategic planning and project development, to address
the size and scope of unmet needs that exist in the global landscape,
that Humanitarian Resource Institute exists today.
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