This is my hundredth Blog so I have chosen to celebrate with something other than the climate this time round. We are living in a very troubled world right now. But I have been amazed and cheered by the people who have been prepared to stand up to the troublemakers of this world and say “No! What you are doing is wrong. I will not support you.” They believe that humanity is better than what is going on.
I want to pay homage to those individuals who have looked into their hearts and said NO, publicly, to the destroyers and warmongers, to the greedy and the selfish, to the hateful and the mean. They are my heroes. I have chosen those who have lived in my lifetime because I can understand their contribution. I know that there are millions of people with quiet courage out there. There are the single mum who struggles with life every day, people crippled with pain who nevertheless make a life for their families, politicians who stand up for what is right, kids who are carers for sick parents, those that save others from attackers, prisoners of conscience… That list is endless and wonderful, but it is not my list.
My heroes
My celebration of heroes involves moral courage. This according to the Oxford Review “is the willingness to speak up and take action for what is right, even in the face of fear, opposition, or personal risk. It involves standing against injustice, prejudice, or unethical behaviour despite potential consequences such as criticism, rejection, or loss of status.”
I have chosen moral courage because I believe that people have never found themselves in such a difficult situation and that it needs all of us to stand up and say “NO that is not how I feel.”
Of course there have been difficult times before that have needed courage. Somehow this feels different.
Here is my list:
Nelson Mandela
Number one on my list is Nelson Mandela. He once said “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
I am sure I do not need to tell you the history of this man. However here is a story told by a person who was a young South African diplomat when they met.
The diplomat said “Mandela’s greatest legacy was his strong principled support for reconciliation. Somehow, despite spending most of his adult life as a prisoner of the apartheid government, he negotiated a peace deal that offered the very rights and protection he was denied to those that imprisoned him.” Because of his beliefs (and those of others like him) South Africa went on to make a peaceful transition.
This transition may well have come from the man’s decision to forgive the cruelty of his captors, and to ultimately rule with justice and equality as President.
Francesca Albanese
Francesca Albanese is an Italian legal scholar and expert on human rights. She has served as the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories since 1 May 2022.
For me, this wonderful woman has gone above and beyond the responsibilities of her job. These are to investigate and report on violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. What is going on there, and how the Israelis are violating the rights of the Palestinians, is well known. It is horrifying for ordinary human beings around the world. Sadly world politicians have been less supportive. In some cases they have actively encouraged the suffering of the Palestinian people through their arms sales to the Israelis. Regrettably, my own country continues to do that.
Gaza
An article by the Palestinian Return Centre has the following to say about her: “Since taking up this critical role, Ms. Albanese has shown remarkable courage and moral clarity in exposing Israel’s grave and systematic violations of international law. Her work – most notably in the landmark reports “Anatomy of a Genocide” and “Genocide as Colonial Erasure” – has transformed the global conversation on Palestine and brought long-overdue legal and political attention to the suffering of Palestinians.”
They also say “Her unwavering stance has made her the target of a coordinated and aggressive campaign of vilification, threats, and political pressure – from Israeli officials, pro-Israel lobby groups, and Zionist media networks. These attacks seek to discredit her voice and obstruct the truth she brings to light.”
For me, that is courage!
Pope Leo
According to internet feedback, “Pope Leo XIV has shown moral courage by publicly meeting with survivors of abuse, praising truth-telling journalists, and advocating for transparency and reform within the Church.”
However for me it is so much more than that. His consistent stands against Donald Trump make me want to cheer raucously like a spectator at a football match. According to the Guardian Newspaper “It’s no surprise Trump has met his match in Pope Leo. The US president represents the polar opposite of Christianity.” The article continues “It’s no accident that the figure emerging as the global challenger to the might of Donald Trump is a priest in white, known as Pope Leo XIV. In recent weeks, the Pope has issued a string of barely coded denunciations of the US president, unfazed by the insults that have come his way in return.”
It seems obvious that the Pope cares about the poor people that will be most deeply affected by Trump’s war in Iran. He has not hesitated to say so. I am not a Catholic, but I am so impressed and encouraged by this man.
Malala Yousafzai
Malala, as she seems to be known throughout the world, is for me, a young woman of extreme courage, both moral and physical. She is a Pakistani female educator and the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. She was brought up in an area of Pakistan (Swat) where the Pakistani Taliban had sometimes forbidden women to go to school. You can find her story in Wikipedia.
The Swat Valley in Pakistan
Her continuing story and courage are incredible. She was shot and almost killed in an assassination attempt by the Taliban. But has continued to speak out for women’s educational rights. With her father she founded the Malala fund in 2013 to help to fight for every girl’s right to 12 years of education. She continues with her involvement in this organisation.
There are so many people I want to put on this list but have no space for. I want to cheer Pope Francis for his fight for the climate. I want to celebrate Martin Luther King and his stand for Human Rights in America. I can’t forget all the wonderful people standing up for the rights of Palestinian Action in Britain even though they may go to jail. – – – – – –And Chris Packam!… so many brave people.
Can we find our courage?
I believe we can all find our courage. It is there although some days it feels very small. The world needs us to stand up and be brave, not just in the fight for the climate and for nature. But for Democracy and Equality and Justice and for a Better Future.
I want to finish with Michelle Obama’s words at the opening of her husband’s Presidential Centre in Chicago recently. She was talking of the situation in America, but I believe it applies to all our situations.
“We simply don’t have the luxury or time to be cynical or complacent, to wring our hands in despair, to wait for someone else to fix the problem. Hope is all we have, because hope is the essential spark that lights the fire of change.”
We need that change.
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Photos by DESIGNECOLOGIST, Mohammed Ibrahim and Hussain Ali on Unsplash