Fear is a powerful motivator.
Often it is only considered in an immediate
situation – ‘fight or flight’ – but it’s the prolonged and lasting fear that
can affect long-term responses and initiate lasting change.
On an individual level, we have people
buying and carrying ‘panic alarms’ in response to an assault in the local area;
we have a heightened awareness of ‘strangers’ in response to the abduction of a
child; people install security systems in their homes in response to a
home-invasion…and so on.
Then there are the wider responses, the
community responses – some of which are extensions to the ones outlined
above. These responses sometimes have an
extra ‘energy source’: outrage. The
combination of fear and outrage is powerful on an emotional level, but it needs
to be directed in a useful way, otherwise it becomes overwhelming, emotionally
draining and oppressive and, eventually, impotent.
The danger is the impotency – when people
strive to change things for the better and it all comes tumbling down when ‘the
system’ blocks them. Some, like Susana
Trimarco (who has survived two murder attempts, her house being burnt down, and
countless death threats over the last 10 years as she tried to find her missing
daughter) have this ‘well of determination’, the drive to keep going. An amazing woman whose efforts have led to
the rescue of dozens of women who were being sexually exploited, and hundreds
more after establishing her foundation…but received a blow recently when the
judges in a recent hearing said that ‘we could not establish what really
happened…but it was not a case of people trafficking’.
In another part of the world, known for the
deaths of people through bombs and shootings on an almost daily basis, at least
9 girls were killed while collecting firewood.
A landmine went off. Although organisations
such as The Halo Trust and MAG are hard at work, there is
still so much more to do. According to
researchers at Manchester University,
‘there are at least 110 million active landmines in place across the world’ and
‘it is estimated it would take $30bn (£19bn) and more than 1,000 years to clear
them using current technologies’.
Despite the dangers and oppression where they lived, those girls were
determined to work for the general betterment of all in their region; they had
dreams and aspirations – may their determination inspire others and spark new
dreams.
Across the border we have another country
known for its numerous car bombings and suicide bombings, with a recent bombing
killing at least 17 and injuring at least 70.
The people there are also determined to make things better…they’re just
trying to figure out how.
In the US, now, after repeatedly being put
on the backburner, the bid to bring in stronger gun control has a renewed
momentum. After the tragedy on Friday,
and the theft of the lives of 20 children and 6 adults, people are once more
seeking change.
And, once more, being countered.
I hope the fear and outrage can be married
with (dogged) determination and progress is made in making things safer (in the US) overall
– whether it be compulsory psych analysis, increase in waiting time,
registration and tracking…
I hope the determination and efforts of countless others across the world striving to bring about a safer world continues, and continues to succeed...even if it's one small unnoticed step at a time...
