Working Together to Celebrate Human Dignity
Photo by Jose Luis Reyes
A Message from Kelly, Managing Director
Could I express myself without fear of being misinterpreted? Could others hear me out before dismissing me? Would someone like to know why I think or speak this way? Would anyone care to appreciate the challenges I face or the hope that keeps me alive?
I recall the days as a graduate student in Manchester, a melting pot in the western part of England. I met people from all over the world — Kazakhstan, Senegal, Egypt, Italy, Greece, Brazil, Japan, Argentina, Iran, Kenya, Taiwan, and many more. We learned a lot from each other — from interesting cuisines and ways of drinking tea, to our deep traditions that make us who we are as a people of a particular region. The desire to discover and understand each other’s culture, while acknowledging and respecting our differences, enabled us to have meaningful conversations about things that matter — life, justice, integrity, and freedom.
Photo by Jose Luis Reyes
“How can we restore our sense of belonging and connectedness as a people?”
Today, dialogue has become a treacherous task. Phrases and words are quickly transformed into labels — sometimes unbeknownst to the speaker — creating, unwittingly perhaps, a ‘them’ vs. ‘us’. In other settings, systems and institutions have settled to discourage or prohibit people’s voices to be heard for fear of disrupting sectors’ or professions’ established comfortable state. Thus, movements and conflicts arise, and opportunities for learning and cooperation for the flourishing of civil society are lost.
How can we restore our sense of belonging and connectedness as a people? How can we encourage dialogue and openness, rather than division and polarisation? Here at SoFT, we hope to restart the conversations and reclaim the value of each person. No, we do not have the answers. And yes, it’s okay to disagree. However, we believe that if we work together and start to listen, we can shape a future that can celebrate the value of persons, respect individual rights, and embrace personal responsibility for human solidarity.
Help us make our world a better place!
Photo by Kate Kalvach on Unsplash