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Confronting September 11: The Human Connection

Submitted by admin on February 24, 2008 - 12:14pm.
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Since the events of September 11th many people in the United States have begun to re-examine their relationship to the rest of the world. People and places that once seemed far away have become intimately connected to the lives of ordinary Americans. For some, there is a desire to turn inward for protection. Others have decided that the best way to prevent more violence is to help strengthen democracy and work for human rights abroad. One of those people is the American philanthropist Bob Sager. Sager and his wife, Elaine, believe that they best way to build relationships and make a difference is with a human connection, in person. Shortly after the September 11th attacks, Sager traveled to Peshawar Pakistan to meet Afghan refugees. Working with locals, they helped to establish a teacher recruitment and training program for women and girls who had been forbidden from attending school under the Taliban. Since that time he has continued to travel the world, building personal relationships and listening to people whose experiences broaden his perspective.

Writing from an Afghan refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan on October 21st in the aftermath of the September attacks, Sager wrote about the challenges in responding to evil.

    ...being in the middle of the misery made me realize just how far ranging the victims of September 11 really are. Post Sept. 11th is certainly about our safety but it is also very much about our soul. How do we encounter and engage evil without losing a little of our own humanity?
On June 30, 2002, Sager sent a follow up letter to his friends and supporters reflecting on what he has learned since that time.
    I was in Afghanistan in the spring. It was a very sad and difficult trip. The accompanying photographs are some of the things I saw on the ground - you decide what if anything it means. I hope they are helpful in some small way.

    In a few days we are on our way back to Rwanda. The highly experimental village courts just created to conduct trials for more than the 100,000 people accused of participating in the 1994 genocide are just now beginning in the countryside.

    Man's capacity to do evil in the name of some cause, belief system or prejudice, and political and religious leaders' ability to employ hatred are chilling realities in our increasingly dangerous world.

    So often through history we have missed or even worse simply didn't care about the early warning signs - How do we tune in better? How do we begin to care more about the welfare of fellow human beings from a different country, tribe, color or religion? What can we learn from the Rwandan nightmare (almost one million people murdered in 100 days) that could make our incredibly scary world a safer place for our children?

    Whether it is Rwanda, Afghanistan or just around the corner - so much learning, living and feeling flows out of the intense human connection that comes from being able to touch the people you are trying to help. The magic happens when we look into each others eyes and feel each others humanity. Opportunities to help are all around us. Hands on helping others can be such a wonderful gift to yourself!

CONNECTIONS
  • How do efforts like Sager's contribute to making the world a safer place?
  • Sager asks, "How do we encounter and engage evil without losing a little of our own humanity?" How would you answer his question?
  • Sager observers that, "often in history we have missed or simply didn't care about the early warning signs" that often precede violence and then asks a series of questions, "How do we tune in better? How do we begin to care more about the welfare of fellow human beings from a different country, tribe, color or religion?" What suggestions do you have? What can of education can help make a difference?
  • Sager believes that education has the power to make a difference in preventing hate, violence and conflict. What kind of education could make an impact? What should students study? Research the efforts of other people who are working creatively to make a positive difference in people's lives across the world. What strategies do they employ? Share what you have learned with your classmates.
  • What opportunities are there for your class to make a difference? How can you connect with others who have had experiences that may broaden your understanding of the world?

Note: The media selections posted in Facing Today do not necessarily represent the views of Facing History and Ourselves.