WHY ARE WE INDIFFERENT?

AS I see people suffer in our country and around the world, what pains me the most is the silence of those who witness such suffering. You may ask yourself what am I talking about?

We are witnessing wars that have killed thousands of innocent, while displacing millions without shelter, water and sanitation and access to food, to mention a few. These includes wars in Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ukraine, to mention a few. I think about many in our country who are unable to access health services because there are no drugs not because government does not have resources but because some people decided to loot the funds.

Hence, emaSwati, who depend on public health services, are dying. What about those who get evicted, recent victims being those at Mbondzela whose structures were demolished and were left in the cold, only to be assisted by Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society with tents.  The unemployed youth who have lost hope in finding employment. Thanks to the Times of Eswatini for dedicating space for some to share their pain with our nation. What about the victims of gender-based violence, especially women and young girls?  The children who are hungry in schools because government has not delivered food yet made a promise to do so. The former Members of Parliament were sentenced to long-term sentences yet they spoke out on behalf of their constituencies and emaSwati in general. But only a few were able to witness their sentencing.

The perils of indifference

I am reminded what Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the halaucast in Germany where he pours out his heart on the perils of indifference. Indifference is defined at CollinsDictionary.com as lack of interest or concern. Wiesel in his book notes that “indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred. Anger can at times be creative. One writes a great poem, a great symphony, one does something special for the sake of humanity because one is angry at the injustice that one witnesses. But indifference is never creative.” He observes that by not intervening on behalf of those victims of genocide ‘the world was collectively indifferent to their suffering’.

Indifference is not a beginning; it is an end. And, therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor -- never its victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten. Wiesel then includes those populations of people who are victims including “The political prisoner in his cell, the hungry children, the homeless refugees not to respond to their plight, not to relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them from human memory. And in denying their humanity we betray our own.” Wiesel spells out quite clearly how indifference to the suffering of others causes a betrayal of being human, of having the human qualities of kindness or benevolence. Indifference means a rejection of an ability to take action and accept responsibility in the light of injustice. To be indifferent is to be inhuman.

He notes that the opposite of love is not hatred, it is indifference.  Even hatred at times may elicit a response. You fight it. You denounce it. You disarm it. Indifference elicits no response. Indifference is not a response. Indifference is not a beginning; it is an end. He then asked the following questions which are relevant to the plight of those who suffer in our society, country and world at large. “Does it mean that we have learnt from the past? Does it mean that society has changed? Has the human being become less indifferent and more human? Have we really learnt from our experiences? Are we less insensitive to the plight of victims of ethnic cleansing and other forms of injustices in places near and far?” What can you do to speak out to influence  our leaders to address socio-economic challnges are suffering?

• You can pray for those who find themselves in fringes of society
• Participate in community meetings and be the voice of the voiceless
• You can engage your Member of Parliament
• Join a non-profit organisation to  provide humanitarian services
•  Join a pressure group organisation
• Donate funds to those in distress
• Visit those who are in prison
• Write letters to Editors
• Join a protest march 
  

I conclude with this quote “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. They came for the Trade Unionist and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. They came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me” – Martin Niemoller.
Speak out!

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