In a time when the world seems to be in an abyss of grave uncertainty, there is an urgent need to muster a sense of will and determination to usher the New Year with a yearning that should essentially cultivate a hopeful imagination. There is no doubt that the world is in a state of crisis. Right from the local context to the international arena in this supposedly globalized community of states, we are challenged with pressing issues that demands an imagination which should empower and propel us to constructively revisit the question of a shared humanity.
The execution of Saddam Hussein at the fag end of 2006 best symbolizes how the year has been; riddled and torn apart with state violence and counter violence at such proportions that it makes us all wonder, when will it ever end? A world that is increasingly finding itself engulfed and suffocated in the mire of human dilemmas with moral implications and spiritual consequences. The degree of hatred, division, suspicion and violence has only proved that we are world that is far from being a globalized world, as much as we erroneously claim to be.
These questions have adequately demonstrated the despairing absence of strong leadership and visionary statesmanship at all levels across the world. Indeed, there is an urgent want for leaders and statesman who can transcend exclusivity and take steps to bridge the great divide by building political consensus on issues that are inclusively fundamental to the yearning of a shared humanity. It is just not possible for us anymore to ignore the basic human principle that we are all interdependent, and that each strand of interdependence must be a dignified and respectful one. The more walls we build, the more we will have to tear down when realization dawns that they are only destroying us.
Hope is of the essence and for the sake of all I wish that 2007 will be a year of renewal, a year in which the power of critical imagination will guide us to address the burdens of our time. It must be understood that Hope is not to be equated with a misplaced reality of suffering peacefully, nor should it mean avoiding issues; Hope must be a struggle propelled by commitment to human dignity and the will to contribute towards its realization. To this end the elements of assumption and despair that stand to contradict the values of hope must be overcome.
The human habit of acting on assumption often harmonizes truth and reason in a way that prevents dialogue and with the politics of despair eroding the spirit of conscience they remain to obstruct the imagination of hope. And without hope how does a people find meaning in their existence? While critical solidarity and imagination are fundamental necessities in cultivating hope, they remain illusive in societies were yearning for dignity and human growth has been suppressed and denied for so long. Hence we must address the despair and assumption which is eating away the spirit of defiance and the pursuit for dignity.
Without fear, without reproach, without cynicism, without hatred, without assumptions, let us usher 2007 in a spirit of hope, with confidence and certainty let us stride together forward with the hopeful imagination. Indeed, may your hearts be filled with warmth and compassion. Happy New Year to you!
