Chapter 20 the world is a village

When I read a lot of materials, articles and hundreds of reports, I found a speech by Mr. James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank. My mother specially marked out the following part. She asked: "Have you ever been in pain? If so, you must remember how to use painkillers to eliminate pain. And 4.7 billion people living in developing countries are experiencing another kind of pain: loss of loved ones, hunger, illness, Drought, war, prostitution, lack of human rights, torture, etc. But at the same time, they are trying to maintain their dignity." When I see so many human disasters, I can't help but curse my usual self.But I am sure that neither Mr. Wolfensohn nor my mother raised these important questions with any sarcasm.On the contrary, they speak with the simplicity and nobility of mind they find in those who are poor.

There is an Italian proverb: the whole world is a village.Mother likes this sentence very much.This is the reality wherever you go.This is also the conclusion Mr. Wolfensohn came to after visiting 85 countries in the world in the past three and a half years after becoming the president of the World Bank. Interestingly, although the mother was deeply moved by these words, she never said them to that extent.She has great respect for politicians and economists, whom she believes are leaders and helmsmen in solving problems.The mother has a correct assessment of her abilities and responsibilities.She knows there are some things she can't do, but she knows what she can do.Being a humanitarian and UNICEF goodwill ambassador was a whole new field for her, a different discipline than being an actress.She worked hard to read related books, thought hard and asked for advice until she figured out every problem. In a sense, this is also a continuation of the professional habits she developed in the process of being an actress.

I can boldly say that, compared to those who only regard "humanitarianism" as their job, she has already regarded humanitarianism as her lifelong pursuit and ideal. Even so, her mother was so shocked by what she saw in Somalia that she could barely accept it emotionally.And who can accept it?It is impossible even for a trained nurse to remain indifferent in the face of so many human tragedies. Although she was extremely angry, the inner elegance of her mother kept her restrained: "I believe this is not due to the collective crime of the whole society, but I believe that the whole society should take its own responsibility for everything here." The mother's meaning could not be more clear. Ask yourself, are we all responsible for the dying children in Africa?

Former US first lady Hillary Clinton once quoted an African proverb in one of her books: It takes the strength of a whole village to raise a child.My mother also often used this proverb, and she understood it this way: it is not enough to rely on parents alone, nor is it enough to rely on teachers, doctors, friends, etc. The individual strength of any person is not enough. Give children a healthy space to grow up.Mother means that it is not the responsibility of an individual to take care of the growth of the children of our planet.She believes that when children's rights are violated, we must find a solution to the problem, remove political or economic barriers between countries, and help them grow up healthily.

Today's world is more collaborative than at any other time in history.Europe has become an alliance, and the United States, Canada, and Mexico have established the North American Free Trade Area. Some prophets romantically estimate that our planet will become a large federation in the future.We dream that in the future world, human beings will no longer be plagued by diseases, and there will be no more threats of war.The development of the Internet allows us to freely contact anyone on the other end of the phone line, but don't forget that 50% of the world's people have never made a phone call.

Mother hopes that we can persevere for this goal. We should not be satisfied with temporary achievements. We can stop and rest until we change the direction of history. Maybe we will never see this day in our lifetime, but our son , Grandson will inherit our business.Otherwise, we will all pay dearly for this, and a whole generation of children may lose their way. 0.5% of the combined GNP of all developed countries is enough to help all developing countries get on the right path, and from then on they can develop themselves and lead a prosperous life.Conversely, if we don't, what will 10, 20, or even 30 years of turbulent life cost humanity?When a child grows up surrounded by destruction, how can we expect him to trust us to create the future with us?

My mother said: "If I were to sum up everything I want to say in one sentence, before I can breathe, I will say that those people in Ethiopia, all they need is help to get them out of trouble, and that is their only desire." .It’s as if UNICEF is giving them a shovel, making it possible for them to dig a well and water their future instead of digging their children’s graves.” Mother said that she had never seen hands begging for alms in Africa, she only saw the noble behavior of these unfortunate people. Not complaining, nor hating life. Robbie and John Isaac, UNICEF photographers, both described to me something I will never forget.No one in the refugee camps in Somalia knew who the mother was. They just knew that every time a plane with the UNICEF logo landed, a woman stepped out of the cabin. She was almost as emaciated as they were, and she was elegant. And peaceful, with innocence and kindness in his eyes.At the end of one visit, the woman walked into a rough building where hungry children lined up to receive food from UNICEF in Somalia. The situation is extremely bad, and they can only eat oatmeal to satisfy their hunger.She went up to talk to the UN official who was distributing the food.In the long queue, there is a little girl who is very special.Hunger made her look a little weak and weak, she kept looking forward anxiously, when her eyes touched the woman, she seemed to be stunned, perhaps the tenderness and motherhood emanating from this woman made her have a sudden There was an impulse.She dropped the plate in her hand, ran towards the woman, and hugged her tightly.The woman was very quiet and hugged the little girl tightly.At that moment, the needs of affection outweighed the needs of survival.The girl may never forget the warmth and hope she got in the arms of that mysterious woman.

Robbie and John had tears in their eyes as they told us this story.John is one of the greatest photographers of our time, and he never misses any valuable images under his camera, but he put down the camera at that time, just to make this moment completely belong to the mother and this little girl, he gave up A chance to take a classic photo. We often talk about quality of life being more important than quantity.Mothers are proud of the role they play with UNICEF.Many times, although they cannot save these children due to prolonged hunger and disease, at least they can help these children say goodbye to the world with peace of mind and without suffering more pain.

Mothers believe that it is better for a child dying from chronic malnutrition to die in the loving, motherly arms of a child than for them to die with memories of abuse, child labor, child prostitution or war, even if it is not theirs biological mother. My mother once described to me with compassion what happened in Kismaeu, the first relief camp she visited after arriving in Somalia.A blind little girl was groping along the fence on the edge of the rescue camp to find a way forward. She was wearing a ragged blue dress, and a large group of flies and unknown insects were flying around her.The mother was shocked. For her, the little girl was a concrete image of the tragic life of children in Somalia, abandoned by the world.Mother tried to comfort her, to help her find her way.However, in an instant, the smile on the little girl's face disappeared and was replaced by indifference.Perhaps the long-term suffering and loneliness have made her no longer used to the help and love of others.

My mother often said that it is a good character to put yourself in the position of others and consider problems.Mothers have been exercising this ability all their lives, like a muscle.This may be her innate quality, which has become more and more radiant after her life's tempering.This very valuable empathy is like a microscope, enabling her to see or feel the more private feelings and souls of others, which is also very helpful for her acting career.And while working for UNICEF, this ability became an amplifier, multiplying the suffering of those children and empathizing with the mother. For example, this blind girl made the mother depressed for a long time.

Mothers describe the condition as "emotional hunger," "a hunger that cannot be satisfied with food," and mothers are most sensitive to children who are left alone.The mother once wrote: "Neglect and humiliation from the adult world can kill a child's trust, a child's hope, and a child's imagination." The mother tried to communicate with the blind girl to comfort her loneliness and loneliness, but she was unsuccessful. Perhaps in her world, there was only emptiness and pain. Maybe it was the hidden sadness in the mother that conquered the world and made people like her.Although in the end she found peace and love, grief took over her life.How did she become the most beloved icon in our romantic world, the Joan of Arc in our emotional world?The sadness in her eyes tells all the answers: "I understand, I understand what reality is like, but please let me dream, let me be your Antigone (daughter of Oedipus king of Thebes) , committed suicide in disobedience to the prohibition order).” The mother never compromised with reality, and she kept her dreams: the dream that one day her father would suddenly appear and take her in his arms; the dream that the soldiers would stop fighting and the children We can all grow up in a safe environment; dream of a day when all children are healthy, happy and happy. In developed countries, we protect human rights, but in many developing countries, life has no value at all. Although children are the hope of tomorrow, their situation is often worse because they cannot protect themselves. Today, the pain of these children is relayed to thousands of households on television, which comforts the mother somewhat.Asked what role politics played in this human tragedy after her return from Somalia, her mother replied: