It’s Our Turn to Move Humankind Forward

“You must behave as if your every act, even the smallest, impacted a thousand people for a hundred generations. Because it does.” ~ Herr Mueller

In 2007, I visited Africa for the first time. So far, it’s the only time I’ve been to the continent, though I vow to return. There was something spiritual about landing on the soil of where it all began – The Mother Land. I remember going to the Origins Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, a museum dedicated to exploring and celebrating the history of modern humankind.

In that museum, I read a placard that said, “Humanity was born in Africa. All people, ultimately, are African.” That insight has stayed with me. I think how different our world might be if we realized and accepted, honored even, that we are One, and that we come from the same place. We share blood. We share humanity. We share historical highs and lows, and our futures are melded together. We are here for one another.

Ubuntu is an African word that means, “I am because you are.” In The Book of Joy, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu explained Ubuntu this way,

“We depend on the other in order for us to be fully who we are…A person is a person through other persons…And you realize that in a very real sense we’re meant for a very profound complementarity…I learned to be a human being from other human beings. We belong in this delicate network.”

This human network of connectedness, of giving and receiving, sharing and persisting together, led me to think about my ancestors. Our ancestors. Hundreds of years ago, thousands even, they were here. And they persisted. We wouldn’t be here had they not. Each generation doing their part to move humankind forward. I can imagine that they thought of us without knowing us. But they knew we would come, pick up the baton, and honor their struggles, sacrifices, hopes, and dreams. We are because they were. Their acts impacted a thousand people for a hundred generations.

May we be inspired by our ancestors to do our part in this human network so that a thousand years from now, the generations after us, will know we were here, and we cared.

10 Ways to Move Humankind Forward in Love

Every act you and I take has a domino effect in the future of humanity. We are here for such a time as this. We must do our part, just as our ancestors did theirs. Here are 10 ways we can move humankind forward in love.

We can:

1. Learn more about the histories, traditions, cultures, and beliefs of those close to us and those around the world – and we can do it with openness, appreciation, and wonder.
2. Learn from historical wrongs and work tirelessly for a better today and tomorrow. Our ancestors expect nothing less.
3. Support causes that may not affect us directly, but in this human network, impact all of us indirectly. Causes like research to cure diseases, eradicating poverty, food insecurity, and sustaining the environment.
4. Replace fear and hate with love, compassion, and kindness. To move humankind forward. Let us be kind humans.
5. Give to students in need by supporting education and scholarships that widen access to quality education for girls around the world, the poor, and those with disabilities.
6. Pursue equity, liberty, and freedom from oppression. Speak out and take a stand against oppression wherever it exists.
7. Travel more. Get outside our neighborhoods and our comfort zones. There is a whole world waiting to be explored, even if the travel is through books and conversations.
8. Think again to change old mindsets of prejudice, divisiveness, and inequality. Tear down walls of indifference and superiority. We are all members of this “delicate network.”
9. Take care of our bodies, minds, and souls. We can do more to move humankind forward when we are healthy.
10. Carry forward the hope that propelled our ancestors.

What other acts, great or small, might you do to move humankind forward? This is our turn. What we do today will matter for a hundred generations.

To our ancestors and to the generations yet to come,

“For you, a thousand times over.”  ~ Khaled Hosseini