Evil, Indifference and Fear

So, we're all safely in Rwanda now. You'll hear more about that and our anticipated border crossing tomorrow, but I wanted to quickly share a blog I wrote earlier today from the Dubai airport. My computer died before the post was finished, but enjoy it now instead! (My apologies in advance for the run-on sentences and chaotic thoughts. The time-changes have not been kind).

... It's a little past 11:00a.m. and I find myself sitting in the Dubai airport- showered, refreshed and anxiously awaiting the next leg of my journey to the Congo. This leg will take me to Doha, Qatar, then to Nairobi, Kenya, and ultimately to Kigali, Rwanda where if all goes as planned Mara and Jesse (our filmmaker) will be there to greet me. As I write I am contemplating some questions that often weigh heavily on my mind--today their burden is particularly strong.

In one of our very first IR theory classes Professor Klarevas engaged us in the great Machiavellian debate by asking us these questions: Is man inherently evil? And is the nature of our humanity to tend to our own individual survival...to look out for our own interests above everything else? Our class was divided, but I seem to remember myself (the eternal optimist) saying something along the lines of "well, an evil-natured humanity is just not a world I want to believe in" (Lou and Scott insert eye roll here). But, in all seriousness, what of this question? It's easy to be an idealist when you're debating grand theories in the safety (and often naivety) of the classroom. But what does idealism look like when it's put to the test in the real world? After all, am I not venturing to one of the world's great killing fields as we speak? Isn't this a place where evil has been the dominant player?

The truth is that there is a lot of evil in the world... a lot of hurt, a lot of suffering. But there is also a lot of good in the world. Already on this journey I have been reminded of how much good there is. so many have offered to point me in the right direction, help me find a phone, kept me from getting in the wrong line or on the wrong shuttle bus. One woman in Richmond, VA offered to give me her seat on the plane when it looked like I wasn't going to make my connection. I am certain there are more people who are good than people who are evil. So then, there must be a whole lot of something else in the world, as well. That something is indifference. I'm reminded of a quote I heard once that said, "The only thing worse than evil men is the indifference of good men." So many tragedies and injustices are allowed to happen because the majority of us pretend it's not happening. Or we hear a story that makes us feel for those it's happening to, but then we simply switch off the news and continue on with our daily routines. I'm not trying to say that everyone has to travel personally to war zones or be labeled indifferent, but I am sending out a challenge to you to fight for something you believe in... and fight against the things you don't. That's the way you make a difference; that's the way the world is changed: ordinary, good people refusing the path of indifference and instead choosing to speak up.

Maybe I'm right and the classical realists were wrong... maybe humanity is inherently good, but evil often speaks with a louder voice and we need to fight harder to silence it. I hope that as Mara, Jesse and I continue on our journey to into the DRC, we will be able to bring you stories, not just of the brutality there, but also of all of the good happening there-- the countless men and women who are fighting for what they believe is good and true and right. We hope to bring you stories of hope along with the sobering realities of conflict.

Lastly, I am thinking honestly about another question as I'm getting ready to board the plane. It's probably the question I've been asked more than any other surrounding this trip: "Aren't you afraid?" I guess the only way to answer it is with a yes and a no. Nelson Mandela once said that "true courage is not the absence of fear, but inspiring others to move beyond it." Like indifference, fear creates an environment that allows for the evil of men to take space. Often, politicians and leaders fail to do the right thing because they are afraid of losing their power, nations fail to intervene where they can because they're afraid of public opinion, people fail to see beyond stereotypes because they are afraid of people and places and things that look different than themselves. People fail to take risks because they are afraid of the unknown. I can't say that I'm not afraid, but it's more like I have a peace about where the journey will lead... to a greater understanding, to a great adventure and to a life-changing moment that will unfold somewhere along the way. In moving beyond and through my own fear, I hope you will be inspired to step outside of your comfort zone-- because that's where life's most remarkable moments are found.

-Liz