Reflections on Obama in 2009
Like many I celebrated when Barrack Obama succeeded in winning the US Presidential election in November 2008. I was inspired by the powerful words of the presidential candidate. I was lifted by his message of hope that we could resolve the challenges we face as a global community in more collaborative and constructive ways. I was especially moved when Mr. Obama declared during his acceptance speech - “I will listen to you, especially when we disagree.”
As of January 2010 President Obama has had almost a full year to bring a new way of thinking and working to the US and by extension to the world. I don’t think I’m alone in my disappointment as to what President Obama has and has not accomplished during his first year in office. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue with no end in sight. And rather than end or reduce the US military involvement in the Middle East Obama has increased the number of US solders in Afghanistan to three times the level of the previous administration.
Guantánamo Bay remains open. And while plans have been drafted to close this infamous facility the intention is to transfer these long-held detainees to another facility in the US where international agreements pertaining to the treatment of prisoners of war will continue to be ignored.
More disconcerting for me is Obama’s acceptance of the 2009 Nobel Peace prize. By accepting the prize, even as he increased the size of the US military presence in the Middle East, Obama showed disrespect both to the Nobel Prize itself and to previous Nobel laureates who so clearly demonstrated the need to achieve peaceful ends through peaceful means. Mr. Obama disregarded the profound teachings and dedication of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King and continued to espouse the belief that peace can be achieved through violence.
With more consideration I should not have been surprised by the actions of President Obama. Mr. Obama is a reflection of the collective consciousness. While there is increasing discomfort with the mounting fatalities in the current wars, there has not been a definitive demand to end these wars as occurred with the US war in Vietnam.
I acknowledge I have been irresponsible in my desire for peace. I have looked to Mr. Obama to do something that I need to take responsibility for. I have relied too heavily upon Mr. Obama to create peace.
Maybe it’s better that Mr. Obama didn’t decide to end the wars in the Middle East as he received his Nobel prize because had he done so I, and others, could not have shared in the responsibility for creating peace; we could not have owned the accomplishment of achieving peace. His action might have again supported the idea that peace is the result of someone else behaving different.
Peace needs to be an individual decision, an individual commitment, and an individual responsibility. Anything less will not bring lasting peace. Costa Rica’s Nobel Prize -winning President, Oscar Arias Sanchez, has it right when he says,
“Peace is not a dream. It is an arduous task.
We must start by finding peaceful solutions to everyday conflicts
with the people around us. Peace does not begin with the other person;
it begins with each and every one of us.”
Peace begins with an individual decision and an individual commitment to behave in peaceful ways - to treat others with respect and dignity; to use peaceful language; to address differences and difficulties collaboratively and constructively. To refuse to participate in war or in actions that support war. Peace is about monitoring ones thoughts, words and actions and showing up peacefully in each and every moment, regardless how the other person behaves. It is easy to be peaceful when one is surrounded by peace. The true test of mastery is to be peaceful when those around us are not.
I learned something else from Mr. Obama this year. I developed an appreciation for the limitations of hope. While hope is vital and even inspiring, hope is not enough. When the opportunity presents itself we must do more than hope. Achieving peace requires action. Living in peace requires that each one of us move from hope into action and behave in peaceful ways.
Peace requires making a choice. It is a choice no one can make for me. I have to choose peace myself. And I cannot choose peace for another. Only they can choose peace for themselves. Peace cannot be imposed upon another. Any peace that is imposed by force is not peace, but compliance. And I can choose peace regardless whether you choose peace because my peace is not dependent on your peace. However, my commitment to peace has the potential to inspire your commitment to peace.
2010 can be the year that the world achieves peace. This will require the commitment of each of us. What will you choose?
