God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

11/13/2024 • 9:10 am Comments Off on Opportunities Amid Global Challenges

Opportunities Amid Global Challenges

The world is changing rapidly; not only in technology, but those who say world developments follow a sinus curve will notice that after years embracing a global world we suddenly are confronted with narrow-minded political leaders, partly drifting into the right-wing fascistic corner. USA, Israel, Hungary are certainly frontrunner in this game. This adds another layer to the anyhow complicated world where more and more people seemingly are marred by anxiety and fear in terms of their future. Fearful people love easy answers where the circle closes and populists win and start doing damage.

This sounds pretty negative but looking at the situation and giving up would defy the purpose of this blog entry. It’s the opposite: Times of transformation and hardship, times of challenges and outright human craziness, are times for opportunities.

The opportunity to see the situation and the world as is in reality – not as I wish for. The opportunity to see where systems are not coping any more and structures crumble under the new challenges. It is also the time when people rise to the occasion one would have never imagined they would do.

And it is the time for NGO’s to close ranks and to create synergies, carrying those who normally are loser in such transitions through those times.
NGO’s can keep humanity and common sense alive while politics spins out of control. They are the pointing finger that at the end, it’s about people and humanity, and not about power for some either connected or rich wannabe leaders.

NGO’s working globally together will keep the vision of human rights and human dignity alive. And those supporting the work done are contributing to this important work – especially in times like ours. And here we are at another important truth: NGO work needs support – needs the support of people but also from the economic sector. Another important synergy between the non-profit world and companies will be essential. It will be their cooperation on many levels which will at the end also shape the world.

So no, there is no time for giving up nor letting some self-absorbed and self-styled populists or the current anxiety of people and societies overcome the efforts of remaining open to life, open to dignity and humanity for all. Including the care for the environment, which can only be done as a global effort.

Filed under: Africa, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, HOPE Cape Town USA, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, South Africa, The Nex - Indawo Yethu, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

07/12/2024 • 11:14 am Comments Off on NGO’s in the times of madness

NGO’s in the times of madness

Watching news in our days is not for the faint-hearted. Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan are reminding us every day on the brutality of life. The current storms in the Western Cape, the early hurricane season and the heat-waves are making it very clear that nature was not a top priority for human mankind – and that we have to catch up to survive. Politically the drama around the US election, the strengthening of right-wing and fascistoid political forces in Europe, only topped by the semi-religious authoritarian white macho cult around the man, who claims to make America great again questions the well-being of democratic systems. African countries continue to have their very own challenges.

It seems that after the pandemic and all the shutdowns with their often nonsensical rules have created a deep mistrust into politics and triggered the yearning for simple black and white solutions.

But not only that: it becomes more and more difficult to determine what is right and wrong. One could for example that the impression that bombing a school or a hospital has different moral implications depending on who fires them in a war. Looking at the reporting of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the ambivalence of reporting and making ethical judgements on the terror, people have to endure becomes visible. It becomes very confusing – even on a sub-conscience level – and this created another grounds for the liking of black/white solutions.

If you look at all the crisis – one of the consistencies you will see is the work of NGO’s. If there are real and legit, they don’t follow politics and public opinion, but they see the person as a human being, they see the victim of unrest, the victim of social disadvantage, the situation of helplessness – and they care, they walk with the people, they change the perception of people being causalities to being again a human being.

How much more suffering would we see if brave doctors and medical staff of non-governmental organisations would not dare to stay in Gaza, knowing that their life is on the line?
How much more suffering would we see if NGO’s in Europe would not organise assistance into Ukraine?

But we don’t have to go to extreme situations.

Looking at the HIV pandemic in South Africa around 2000 – what would it have looked without NGO’s at the forefront of assisting those living with HIV – even going to court to force government to stop the neglect they defended till it was legally not possible any more?

Looking at Covid, but also at the continuous challenge of poverty unemployment, GBV, refugees… You name it. It is the NGO sector and civil society keeping often situations from collapsing into chaos. It is the grounded work of small and big role-players in this sector doing so.

Looking again at the bigger picture, one can observe that especially authoritarian regimes like to prohibit NGOs, especially when they are receiving international funding. Russia and Egypt are two examples, you hear now also such suggestions even from a certain part of USA politics.

Obviously, NGO’s also have black sheep in their midst and not seldom, ideologists and fundamentalists as well as lobbyists create NGO’s to hide their intentions. Those attempts undermine the work of true NGO’s, and it seems to be difficult in our digital age and time to determine on first sight, which organisation is legit with no hidden agenda. Sometimes only time will tell.

But at the end, we all should realise the importance of the small and big, the local, national and international non-governmental organisations keeping the balance and contributing to our society in a way, people often not realise. They also remind us about our own humanity in the times of madness.

Filed under: Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , , , , , ,

08/18/2023 • 8:56 am Comments Off on Handouts and Charity

Handouts and Charity

Working in the NGO field in South Africa, one often meets a sort of demand for handouts and charity to attract people or fill programs with participants. Also, local politicians are tempted to have give-aways at hand – it seems to be the culture of work in the townships of South Africa.

The argument is frequently that people are too poor to pay – or that indeed as mentioned you don’t get people to come if there is nothing for free or to gain. And not even seldom, those invited to join programs ask for what goodies to expect when joining a program. Not to tell about competition within the NGO sector who is able to hand out more.

I get it – indeed, people are poor and times are tough. And yes, it is easier to attract people with food, gifts, and takeaways. But I doubt that this vouches for respect, dignity and development.

Free handouts make people dependent; handouts are charity and needed in absolute emergency situation to stabilize people and to giving them a perspective.

But to change the situation of people, and to foster a non-dependence relationship; to sustain a path to a better life, NGO’s need to walk with people in a giving / contributing relationship. And this does not always have to do with the exchange of lots of money. Small contributions chipped in. Offering talents and time as a contribution. The results:

The acknowledgement of self-worth and the value of what is being offered or jointly worked on. The feeling of being partners on eye-level and respectful towards each other. And the learning curve resulting from all of these aspects: more dignity, more self-respect and the knowledge: I can do it – we can do it together.

All this needs a shift in mindset in all sectors of engagement. It requires the courage to walk the talk of real development; a walk which can be rough and at times scary. But it is the only way to better the lives of people sustainably and to make everybody a real participant and less a dependent waiting for the next handout.

Filed under: Africa, General, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Networking, Reflection, South Africa, , , , , , , , , ,

08/15/2021 • 8:13 am Comments Off on A human “mea culpa” needed – and then action

A human “mea culpa” needed – and then action

Hurricanes, heat-waves, fires destroying big chunks of nature and habitation in California, Turkey, Greece, Russia and so many more parts of the globe. And looking at Germany, the big floods still are making headlines, destroying the livelihood of so many while having killed others in their way of destruction.

In all the tragedies, with all the sympathies and with not stopping to help and assist those in need and those having suffered or mourning the loss of a loved one or their sheer existence; we have to ask the hard question about responsibility in particular cases and wider scenarios.

I recall as a youngster, scientists left no doubt that the way we treat nature, the way we get closer to the rivers while at the same time straightening them out to serve our purpose, will hit back. We know since ages, the way we live is unsustainable; we know that climate change is happening and will, if not tackle, destroy us as the human race. Earth will not care about it – the small little ball within the universe will continue without us until our solar system will change dramatically in ages to come.

Additional, there is a clear limit to what earth can take on human population – the verse in Gen 1,28 of the bible “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” might find a line drawn into the sand now.

We not only have allowed to continue our path of destruction – millions of people elect and support politicians and leaders worldwide, who simply deny climate change – who simply ignore the well-being of nature for greed and power reasons. And this ignorance is entangled in the whole question of white male dominance, which makes it even harder to tackle. Add to this the birth control debate within, for example, a church with 1.2 billion faithful: then you get a full picture of what we are facing.

Much of it applies to Covid-19 and other virus related incidents, where transition from animal to human occurs. We are all aware that nature has its own life full of bugs, not really hurting their animal hosts. We come closer, we destroy their habitat and ignore their rightful place in our world and force them to find another place to live – with deadly consequences.

We as humans are our own worst enemies – no other creature in this world is more destructive, more ignorant and more willing to go the extra mile on a path which will end with a new dawn without human beings. Those who have the most maybe will survive a bit longer – but all money, all greed, all power of the world will not prevent the final outcome.

The alternative is really to change course dramatically and radically – but not naive, as one hears it sometimes from younger activists who mean good but don’t overlook always the whole picture. But the mix of young and not so young activism with the wisdom of more matured and experienced professionals can open a new chapter for humanity. It can end the “keep it up” strategy and turn lots of words and promises from political and economical leaders into meaningful actions.

We are as humanity in this together – no country can go it alone, no government can solve it alone – which also means to strengthen political bodies like the UN and other international entities. We need a universal “mea culpa” and the intelligence to choose our leaders wisely in this respect. Furthermore, we can’t afford to have those proclaiming their country first, we can’t allow for those more concentrating on stealing from the public purse, and we can’t allow any more for those in charge, who prefer ideology and “the party is always right” instead of a public discourse allowing all meaningful voices to be heard.

And we need the buy-in of churches and religious institutions – make no mistake: Most of them are more involved in the economic deals of current times than we want to admit and acknowledge. Amassing wealth is certainly an important goal of many so-called “prophets” and prosperity churches; and also the mainstream churches are not immune when it comes to investments. Here also, a “mea culpa” would be appropriate and a new outlook needed.

Whatever the future will hold: nobody can say, we have not been warned many times.

Filed under: Catholic Church, General, Politics and Society, Reflection, Religion and Ethics, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

12/13/2019 • 9:19 am Comments Off on Democracy – as we know it – is coming to an end?

Democracy – as we know it – is coming to an end?

A lot has been said about the digital revolution and it’s consequences for the future.  And if one thing is clear by now: the digitization of society, the constant connectivity to media, news, fake news and outright manipulation is overwhelming to the normal human being brain – trying to marry most people being in the stone-age of cooping with the mental requirements needed to deal with the influx of information – false and correct ones – has failed so far.
It seems that people cannot distinguish anymore between when and where manipulation starts, bluntly false news are circulated via bots and the honest true reporting of facts. And this leads to a tiredness or even willingness to simply accept whatever fits nicely in the narrow mindset of ones own little world. People are simply overwhelmed and anxious, ready then to submit to the best offer of “black/white” populist solutions.

The rise of the liar, cheater, racist and sexist macho Donald Trump to become the President of the United States speaks volumes about the inability of people to navigate through the new area; the Brexit debate and the re-election of Boris Johnson in Great Britain adds to the insult and attack on truth.
And truth is one of the most important component of democracy: without it – the system will crash. Add the fatigue created by the repetition of lies and fake news, the abuse of social media, the still unhindered power of the Facebook and Google mafia more or less allowing and controlling what one can read and what news one receives first and in which format. Headlines are the new content, emojis and sharing buttons are the new ways to instantly satisfy emotional reactions. The so called social media “shit storm” replaces the “hang him” calls of lynch justice in the “good old days” of undisputed white racist rule of the world, too often echoed and cloned by those previously suppressed.

And this is another battle field – clearly seen if you follow US American politics: the old white men’s club fighting to remain in power at all cost, using trolls and the new weapons of digital media with all the money they have stolen and accumulated in so many years. Eight year Obama was an insult not to be repeated.
Making now Great Britain great again by leaving the European Union – the same scheme of reviving the feelings of the old great empire underlines the debate lead on the island. Overwhelmed people yearning for the good old days of power and might – of safety and security in an ever faster evolving world with more people, more systems and more decisions made which cannot be overseen and triggering anxiety and fear by the single human being. A fertile ground for clever politicians and unscrupulous leaders.

Democracy and human rights are on the defense right now, civil rights, so long and hard fought for, are in retreat mood – and while the Western World battles in the aforesaid  ways, there is a new and even more dangerous threat to all achievements of civil and non racist societies:
China’s fantasy of harmony – going hand in hand with complete control of every human being; establishing a system far worse than Orwell ever could have fantasized about: the system of social points as a system of reward and punishment, 24/7 control via cameras – seeing in action by the treatment of the Uyghurs – all this giving clear indication what complete surveillance means by a gang of politicians prescribing how you have to live and to die. History later will value high the contribution of the Hong-Kong students who fought not only for their freedom, but the freedom of so many more on this planet.

So where does this leaves us? I guess with a lot of questions to answer. I feel we are in the same situation like after the discovery of the atom-bomb: human mankind played with it in in so dangerous ways thinking of it as a tool of advance. Those in power used it on innocent civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and only afterwards humanity started to understand the ethical implications with which we are still dealing in our days. It takes a lot of time to do so.

Democracy as we know it will have to change if with the advances of new technologies and the digital possibilities – the ways we organize societies, the way we disseminate information and allowing people in power to communicate in a globally connected world in an ethical and just format has to be on trial. Our thinking, our acting, our living conditions, our sense for the world has changed dramatically and it is time to catch up with this development before real disaster struck out of the incapability to acknowledge and act on these changes. But one thing remains: The truth must be the underlying factor of all developments.

Filed under: General, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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© Rev Fr Stefan Hippler and HIV, AIDS and HOPE.
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