By Franck Essi

This is something I deeply believe.

I believe it all the more because I often struggle to understand why, within our families, associations, businesses, civic movements and political organisations, we so often tend to emphasise what divides us rather than what brings us together.

And yet, in so many situations, 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭. Beyond our differences, beliefs, interests and sometimes even our opposing positions, we are exposed to the consequences of the same threats. We face challenges that none of us can truly overcome alone.

Why, then, do we find it so difficult to recognise and protect what we have in common?

Perhaps because we are sometimes more concerned with being right, asserting ourselves over others, and imposing our desires, beliefs and interests. Perhaps also because our selfishness and self-centredness prevent us from recognising that 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬.

But I also believe that we too often 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.

Yet working together does not mean thinking alike. It does not mean abandoning our convictions, silencing our differences or accepting everything others think and do.

𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Of course, not all disagreements are minor. Some differences concern fundamental principles, values or methods that we cannot simply set aside in the name of unity.

But this should be precisely why we need to become better at distinguishing between our personal preferences, individual ambitions and legitimate disagreements, on the one hand, and what is at stake for our shared future, on the other.

Faced with the challenges and dangers we must confront 𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑, could we not learn to make this distinction more often?

Could we not make a greater effort to identify what enables us to cooperate, without first demanding that others become more like us?

Because 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲.

What good would our positions, ambitions, individual interests and even personal victories be if we allowed the very conditions that make our security, freedom, dignity and shared future possible to deteriorate?

I believe that 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡. It requires clarity of thought, respect, humility and a willingness to stop treating ourselves, our groups or our convictions as the measure of all things.

After all, 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬?

I keep asking myself…

Wishing you all an excellent start to the week.

𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐤 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐢

#WhatIBelieve
#IdeasMatter
#ThePeopleFirst
#LetsUseOurBrains