A World without Humiliaition

A world without humiliation: This is the message I come across whenever I attend the Dignity and Humiliation workshop, organized by Evelin and Linda – two ennobled persons, dedicated to the cause. The same message I came across when I participated in workshop on 6^th and 7^th of December 2012 at Teachers College, Columbia University. It may be a dream to talk about a world without any humiliation – in body, mind and soul – but it is a dream to be realized. The message comes across in the workshop venue; all participants are filled with dignity, as if every participant is a torch bearer of dignity. Perception changes when one sees the world through this Dignity-prism, the world no longer looks like a scattered mass of collectivities, but a blending together of differences in a new harmony. It is like differences of race, religion, color and caste are not divisions or dividing walls against each other, but they are rather different manifestations of same One Truth. The One Truth is: Human being is first of all a human being, the other qualifications come later. It is beyond all facades or ornamentations – which we individuals so much espouse and give importance in our lives – lies our true dignity that is humanity bare and pure. How does our view of the world changes when we think this way! When I think the world is mine, and everything in the world is mine, the rich and poor of the world are mine; that not only ennobles me and my thinking, but also makes me responsible to make the world a better, dignified place for all of us.

It is imperative that we must involve ourselves in Dignilogue. We have monolgues and dialogues, but it is time that we have Dignilogues. Dignilogue, as I comprehend, implies multifaceted dialogue towards reaching a Dignity society, what we now call Dignicommunity. The world can be a Dignicommunity, when every citizen of the world sees things through the Dignity-prism. What is Dignity? For me Dignity implies thinking beyond self and transforming individual self to become a universal self, in which individual interests become universal interests, there remains no barriers between the individual and the universal. In that sense imbibing Dignity may become a difficult enterprise at the beginning, but that becomes a reality with continuous aspiration and practice. Do we not say practice makes a man perfect? Similarly, when we think every moment in terms of Dignity, we not only dignify our lives, but also contribute to the world and make it a better place to live in.

In my scheme of a dignified world, I consider three pillars or three stairs to realize a Dignicommunity. As I have worked in conflict-prone areas in South Asia and seen violence among communities, I increasingly realize in order to transform conflicts around the world we need a three-pronged Dignity approach. First, every individual must bring Dignity into their thinking and practice. It is like before taking any action, or before indulging in any activity, the individual must think – does this thinking or action help my inner soul and the outer world? If the answer is positive, then the individual is realizing Dignity in their own life. If the answer is negative, then the individual is moving away from Dignity. Once the individual realizes Dignity in her own life, she must apply this principle to the greater individual that is the community of her own. We individuals live in communities, whether it is a religious community, a professional community, or a music community. We must impart our realized Dignity to our immediate community in a loving, harmonious way, without any pressure or compulsion. Because the consort of Dignity is love, and love never forces itself. If we force Dignity, it will be like a rigid religion. Once the individual imparts Dignity in the community, then she must aspire to impart the same value to the greatest community, the world. It is like widening the Dignity-individual in a world scale. It is not an impossible dream, but a practical possibility. When every individual, every community realizes Dignity, then we have reached our ultimate goal – Dignicommunity, with all positive things of life, without any humiliation and suffering.

I must thank Evelin and Linda, all participants in the workshop, and also all the well-wishers and apprentices of Dignicommunity for widening our network. It is rightly said the ideas of the present generation become the reality in the next generation. But, I go a step further. The idea of Dignity has already begun to penetrate lives of individuals and communities across the world in this generation itself.