Death and destruction-The Thailand bombing

On August 19, 2015

I just don’t get where we have gone wrong. What motivates people to kill and injure hundreds of people? Thailand, Syria, Iraq, Kenya, America and the list could go on. I am no expert in foreign politics but it seems to me that our society is degenerating.

We seem to have lost our connectedness, our sense of belonging, our community. For most of us, it seems that there is little that we can do on a global scale to stop the mass destruction and killing that is occurring, but is this the right attitude to take? Do we need to adopt a more localised approach to define what it is we can do?

At the base of the collapse of our communal approach to life, our morph into isolation, exclusion and protection lies a lack of trust. A fear of the unknown. What will happen if we let this trend continue?

It is important to be open to opportunities to heal, but more importantly, people need to be proactive and actively look for opportunities to rebuild what is being eroded. The sentiment behind #Illridewithyou, that emerged during the Sydney siege, is an outstanding example of what one person can do to rebuild the trust bank and community ethos in the aftermath of a crisis.

Complacency is our enemy. When we believe there is nothing we can do, our default position is to do nothing. It is so easy to be complacent, so hard to try and go against the tide, risking failure. If I smile at someone and get no response, I feel like a fool, or worse still, risk being thought of as a desperate on the hunt. If I invite my neighbour to a BBQ, perhaps they won’t come, and if they do, what will I speak to them about for two hours?

At an organisational level, there is so much we can do to rebuild trust and improve the resilience of the communities in which we operate. Governments, at all levels, can play a role. As can businesses, community groups and community leaders. All it takes is someone to take a risk, make an attempt and get the ball rolling.

How can I change the planet and leave our community in a better shape for our children? My quest from today will be 5 x 5. Five days a week I will smile at five strangers. I might fail, I might not stop the killings but at least I will make a conscious effort to change the trend. If I smile at you, please smile back.

By David Hawkins