Recent events
involving acts
of terrorism in
France,
birthplace of
the
Enlightenment
thought and
human and
citizens'
rights, make us
think once again
about peace.
Peace is
something
serious, it is
necessary for
the process of
civilization and
it demands an
understanding
between the
diversity of
beliefs,
attitudes,
ethnicities,
cultures so
that, in a
peaceful
coexistence,
differences do
not become a
reason for
exclusion or a
foolish
motivation for
violence.
However, in the
West, we are
heirs of a
process of
civilization,
which has as a
dominant
paradigm, oddly
enough, the
desire to deny
differences,
domination and
exclusion of the
uneven. This
paradigm was the
support in the
world of the
settlers, where
their imaginary
reasoning about
uncivilized
people, caused
the
differentiation
and exploitation
of these people,
according to the
sieve of the
European
centralization
of the past.
A world that
promotes
selfishness
For centuries
many people are
politically,
culturally and
economically
sidelined living
in bitterness
because they are
considered
inferior, with
all the harmful
side-effects
throughout time,
feeding the
hurt, anger and
desire to
destroy the
oppressor for
several
generations.
Nonetheless
oppression does
not justify any
form of
violence, and it
explains part of
the causes of
this grim human
manifestation
that still
thrives in
various
contexts. But
it's important
to say that it
is a complex
issue, worthy of
approaches and
actions with a
trans-disciplinary
and deeply
compassionate
look.
Paraphrasing
Ubiratan
D'Ambrosio
,
educator and
Brazilian
researcher who
had opportunity
to question the
dominant
paradigm, we can
say that the
three major
distortions of
this model were
the reading of
human
differences
understood as
different stages
of evolution,
basing a
hierarchical
view of people
and knowledge;
material
insecurity, or
even simplicity
as a result of
laziness of some
people and a
prejudiced view
of other
people's
spirituality as
a lack of
scientific
rationality and,
finally, the
idea that the
preservation of
natural and
cultural
heritage of the
indigenous
peoples would be
an obstacle to
progress and
civilization.
Considering our
values, that
paradigm fosters
arrogance (to
have and
to know),
envy (in the
competitive
spirit and in a
total ignorance
that real life
is
interdependent)
and arrogance
(translated in
the historical
processes of
domination,
genocide,
epistemicide,
and
exploitation).
Using the
Spiritist
terminology, we
face a world
that nourishes
and encourages
selfishness.
Selfishness: the
most difficult
wound to
extirpate
The master Allan
Kardec,
reflecting about
the relationship
between
education and
selfishness, an
obstacle to our
spiritual
passage to
higher
conditions in
the Spiritist
scale, tells
us:
"Of all the
moral wounds of
society,
selfishness
seems the most
difficult to
extirpate. In
fact, it is fed
even more by the
same habits of
education. One
has the
impression that,
from the cradle,
we strive to set
certain passions
in a child, and
later it becomes
its second
nature, and we
are surprised to
see all the
vices of our
society, but
forget that we
are the ones who
give them to our
children
together with
the milk their
suck”.
From what the
master says, it
is easy to infer
that by means of
the educational
processes to
which we are
submitted, we
often receive
and are taught
the excitement
of lower
passions and
negative
incentives that
unfortunately
reinforce
selfishness as a
behavioral
guideline. In
fact, many
erroneous
familiar
postures,
identified by
Allan Kardec in
the nineteenth
century, are
still present
today and serve
as reinforcement
for a negative
identification
with the
behavior that
goes from
children's
selfishness to
crimes against
humanity.
In a society
guided by a
materialistic
vision, in which
"to have" is
more important
than "to be",
and where the
self-affirmative
values are
taught in the
most varied
institutions
(even those that
are referred to
as "education"),
it may seem
useless to
propose a type
of life with
values such as
peace, altruism
or otherness.
Fundamentalism
and xenophobia
The word of
order is
competition. We
compete for
material things,
and since our
corporeal life
does not last
forever, this
becomes
chimerical and,
it is good to
remember that
man becomes very
aggressive when
he fights for
his illusions.
Fritjof Capra, a
theoretical
physicist and
activist of the
systemic
paradigm stated
apropos: "The
paradigm shift
requires an
expansion not
only of our
perceptions and
ways of
thinking, but
also of our
values”.
I am of the
opinion that
only a total
education of the
human being,
based on new
epistemological
horizons and in
an ethic focused
on diversity,
can lead us to a
paradigmatic
revolution in
which the
culture of peace
- that is, of
active
nonviolence, of
non-cooperation
with any form of
oppression,
violence or
discrimination
of another being
- is a strong
guiding value.
Who knows if the
knowledge of
reincarnation,
explained and
understood on a
scientific basis
and the
necessary
philosophical
questioning,
could not bring
as a consequence
a spirituality
of a plural
base, secular,
detached from
dogmas, without
a project of
ideological
hegemony, free
from
intolerance,
from the denial
of reasoning as
a pertinent
value to form a
healthy relation
with the sacred,
as much as with
the others, the
ones who are
different from
us?
The attack on
Charlie Hebdo in
Paris, reveals
two terrible
aspects of a
major
selfishness that
still exists in
the human soul:
fundamentalism -
if indeed the
act was based on
a revenge by
Muhammad against
the regular team
working on the
newspaper - and
xenophobia, in
vogue in Europe
from the
ultra-right
movements that
are positioned
in the public
sphere, with
campaigns
against the
expansion of
Islam and the
integration of
Muslims in the
European
community.
Importance of
solidarity and
education
Xenophobia is an
ethnic and
nationalist
fundamentalism
that expresses a
dislike of
foreigners or
any cultural
event that comes
from them. It is
common in a
Europe
struggling to
assimilate the
differences and
coping with the
demands that it
presents in the
political and
social agenda.
As for religious
fundamentalism,
I consider it a
false expression
of the
excellence of
those who are
closed to a
dialogue about
their faith and
do not accept
other logical
reasoning. The
fundamentalist
closes his heart
to a possible
dialogue with
his brothers of
other beliefs,
and forms of
spirituality.
In these days of
intolerance,
hatred and
xenophobia, let
us adopt the
culture of peace
and work for it
as a fundamental
value in our
lives. Let us
try and extend
our intellectual
horizons to
other
epistemologies,
ways of
thinking, and
living, as well
as religious and
ethnic
diversity.
We are
transcendent
beings, which
overcome the
difficulties
imposed by
matter and
cultural
barriers, and
through the
plurality of
lives, we
continue
fearless in our
journey to reach
new levels of
evolution, as
the intelligence
appropriates the
Divine Laws and
we improve our
moral life in
the sense of
love.
Let us embrace
peace, and make
it important in
the educational
processes in
which we work.
Let us be less
aggressive in
our daily lives,
let us exercise
our compassion
regarding the
others, be
entitled to the
spiritual values
we say we put in
practice.
Let us educate
our children to
accept an ethic
of diversity,
where the
openness to the
other, to the
one who is
different, is a
proof of our
solidarity and
self-education.
Example:
pedagogical
tool
If we are
followers of the
Spiritist
Philosophy, let
us educate our
children based
on what this
philosophy has
of best, without
closing
ourselves to
other
understanding,
what would be a
crazy
fundamentalist
version rooted
in ignorance.
Among Spiritist
human values is
the triad based
on charity,
according to the
records of Allan
Kardec: grace,
pardon and
forgiveness.
Notice that
Kardec questions
the Spirits
about the
meaning of the
word Charity as
per Jesus'
understanding,
i.e., in
accordance with
His enlightened
teachings.
Kardec still
comments on
these three
values in the
mentioned text,
recalling that
"Love and
charity are a
complement of
the law of
justice, because
to love your
neighbor is to
do him all the
good that is
possible and we
would like
someone to do
the same to us.
This is the
meaning of
Jesus' words:
Love each other
as brothers".
For our children
to manifest to
the world a
culture of peace
based in the
openness to
dialogue,
understanding of
differences, in
knowing how to
learn from other
different views,
inspired by
humbleness,
which is so
necessary in
these complex
times we live
in, it is
necessary that
others, also be
attentive to
that triad, and
only then can we
become
peacemakers. Let
us not forget
that the example
is an excellent
educational
tool.
Be peaceful and
be good!
Instructions of
the Spirits on
the regeneration
of mankind. In:
Spiritist
Magazine,
October 1886.
D'Ambrosio,
Ubiratan.
Transdisciplinarity.
London: Pallas
Athena, 2001.
Kardec, Allan.
First childhood
moral lessons.
In: Spiritist
Magazine,
February 1864.
Capra, Fritjof.
The web of
life: a new
scientific
understanding.
London: Cultrix
2006.
The Book of
Spirits,
question 886.
