What does it mean to “Live OneWorld?”

SLU Live OneWorld, Spring 2009
By Jesse Sullivan

We are already One, but we imagine that we are not.  Live OneWorld exists to rediscover the truth that although we are many in our races, cultures, nations, and religions, we are one in our common humanity.  What unites us is our belief in the infinite value of the human person.  The central idea behind Living OneWorld is that everybody matters, and that every human being has obligations to every other.

We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, but all too often “our neighbor” is restricted to a narrowly defined group.  Being called to Live OneWorld is to continually widen our love beyond an exclusive group until it includes all of humanity.  Rather than only caring for ourselves or for those who share with us a country, gender, race, or religion, our prioritized allegiance is to “our neighbors” who are most in need of our help; those who are poor, suffering, oppressed, and voiceless.  Standing in solidarity with these people, we hope to create a more just, equal, and free world where everyone has the opportunity to pursue a full life.
If we are to create the type of world that was just described, then we must first overcome certain barriers that stand in the way.  The following are the four main obstacles to Living OneWorld.
Fight the “-isms” *

• Fundamentalism- Religious totalitarianism or the inability to respect the beliefs of those who differ from you.

• Nationalism- unhealthy patriotism that denies responsibility towards those who live outside of our national borders.

• Materialism- personal greed or tying your sense of value and self worth to your possessions. At the societal level, unfettered capitalism that places profit above person.

• Apathism- (identical to apathy, but that word didn’t fit the whole “ism” trend we had going!) indifference to the suffering of others based on a lack of awareness of the realities of the world or of one’s own capacity to shape those realities.

*Please note:  I am not saying that pursuing material profit, or loving your nation, or following the fundamentals of your faith are bad; on the contrary these things are great and encouraged.  These “-isms” become obstacles when carried out as I have characterized them above.

To Live OneWorld then, means to break these barriers down- in our own hearts and in society.  How should we go about fighting these “isms?”  The following are principles that The Live OneWorld Organization has adopted in its quest to create a better world.

Engagement: show what you stand for rather than what you stand against.
It is good to call out injustices when and where you see them, but it is even more important to provide alternatives and solutions.  We are not so much about denunciations as we are about engagement.  Government and big business are not the enemy, in fact they must be part of the solution.  It is our job to engage these institutions and leverage their power to benefit those most in need rather than just a privileged few.  Our organization follows Gandhi and King’s philosophy that outright opposition and protest is merely a last resort, to be tried only when all other means of productive engagement have failed.

Dialogue: Have the humility to realize that you don’t corner the market on truth.
When you are passionate about an issue it is easy to frame the issue in black and white, evil them vs. good us.  However, life is much more complicated than that, especially when we move beyond criticizing to pursuing viable solutions.  The dividing line between good and evil is not drawn between nations, institutions, religions, or even persons, but actually divides each human heart.  While Live OneWorld’s commitment is to side with those who are most in need, it does not advocate one particular ideology or political means in obtaining that end.  It is not Live OneWorld’s job to tell the reader exactly what to think about a specific issue (although individual articles will), but it is our job to provide a platform where all voices can be heard.  Through this open conversation- which involves a willingness to engage liberal and conservative ideas, viewpoints from all different faith traditions and no faith tradition at all- we will move closer to truth and progress.

Action: Have the courage to act on your potential; the move from beliefs to charity, from charity to justice.
Here at Live OneWorld we believe that our love and concern for others must move beyond our beliefs, our mere sentiments, and even beyond our charity.  Beliefs alone mean nothing without the courage to live them out in our daily lives.  You have great power and it starts by realizing that.  Americans live in the most prosperous and powerful society the world has ever known.  With half of the world merely struggling to get by, we are the exception!  Take this gift of power endowed to you and use your unique skills and talents to shape the world around you.  It’s time we realize that charity is a quick fix.  Don’t give a man a fish teach him to fish.  Long term structural solutions will only come when we work to solve the underlying root causes of the problems.  This is the work of justice.  The U.S. sits atop the global political and economic structures of the world, and as citizens we have a unique privilege and responsibility to shape these institutions to bring about global justice.  Beliefs are good, action is better.  Charity is good, justice is better.