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Problems of Humanity - Chapter IV - The Problem of the Racial Minorities
The wonder of the present situation and its outstanding opportunity is that for the first time, and on a planetary scale, men are aware of the evil which must be eliminated; everywhere there is discussion and planning; there are meetings and forums, and conferences and committees, ranging all the way from the great deliberations of the United Nations down to the tiny meetings held in some remote village. The beauty of the present situation is that even in the smallest community a practical expression of what is needed on a worldwide scale is offered to the [118] inhabitants; differences in families, in churches, in municipalities, in cities, in nations, between races and internationally all call for the same objective and for the same process of adjustment: the establishing of right human relations. The technique or method to bring this about remains everywhere the same: the use of the spirit of goodwill. Goodwill is the simplest expression of true love and the one most easily understood. The use of goodwill in connection with the problems with which humanity is faced releases the intelligence along constructive lines; where goodwill is present, the walls of separation and of misunderstanding fall. Love and understanding will eventually follow upon a practical expression of goodwill as a factor in every type of human relation and as a mode of contact between groups, between nations and their minorities, between nation and nation and also in the field of international politics and religions. The expression of true love as a factor in the life of our planet may lie very far ahead, but goodwill is a present possibility and the organizing of goodwill an outstanding necessity. There is today much talk about goodwill and a constant use of the word; there is a real intention to employ it in every field of human thought and in relation to every human problem; there is evidence that there is a real effort at this time to make goodwill an effective agent in negotiating world peace and understanding and in bringing about right human relations. The major need is an immediate campaign, carried forward by all men of goodwill everywhere throughout the world to interpret the meaning of goodwill, to emphasize the practical nature of its expression, to gather together into an effective and active world group all men and women of goodwill and to do this, not in order to create a super-organization, but to convince the [119] unhappy, the distressed and the abused of the magnitude of the intelligent aid which stands ready to assist them. They must also demonstrate their ability to strengthen the hands of all workers who are struggling to bring about right human relations and prove to them the potency of the force of an educated and alive public opinion (educated by the men of goodwill) upon which they can draw. Thus there will be established in every nation, in every city and village, men of goodwill - with trained understanding, practical common sense, a knowledge of world problems and a willingness to spread goodwill and find the men of like mind in their environment. The work of the men of goodwill is an educational one. They hold and advocate no miraculous solution of world problems but they know that a spirit of goodwill, particularly if trained and implemented by knowledge, can produce an atmosphere and an attitude which will make the solving of problems possible. When men of goodwill meet, no matter what their political party, nation or religion, there is no problem which they cannot eventually solve and solve to the satisfaction of the various parties involved. It is the production of this atmosphere and the evocation of this attitude which is the principal work of the men of goodwill and not the presentation of some cut and dried solution. This spirit of goodwill can be present even where there is fundamental disagreement between parties. But this is seldom the case today. There is a real spirit of goodwill controlling quite a few of the discussions of the United Nations organization on quite difficult and touchy points, and this is becoming increasingly apparent. There is absolutely no reason to believe that the growth of goodwill in the world need be a slow and gradual affair. The reverse can be the case if the men and women who today feel within themselves a genuine [120] goodwill and who are free from prejudice will seek each other out and work together to spread goodwill. A prejudiced person, a religious fanatic, or a staunch nationalist have a hard task in developing true goodwill within themselves. They can accomplish it if they care enough for their fellowman, and seek to leave him free, but, they will have to seek for the dark area in their own minds where a wall of separativeness exists and tear it down. They will have to develop (with deliberation) true goodwill (not tolerance) towards the object of their prejudice, towards the man of an alien religion and towards the nation or race to which they feel antagonistic or upon which they look down. A prejudice is a first brick in a separating wall. Goodwill is far more widespread throughout the world than people think; it simply needs to be discovered, educated and set to work. It must not be exploited, however, by groups working for their own ends, no matter how honestly, correctly or sincerely. It would, if that was done, be diverted into a partisan effort. The men of goodwill stand midway between opposing groups where such exist, in order to create a condition in which discussion and compromise can become happily possible. They tread constantly the "noble middle path" of the Buddha which runs between the pairs of opposites, straight to the very heart of God; they tread the "narrow way" of love of which Christ spoke, and they indicate they are treading it by an expression of the only aspect of love which humanity can at present understand: Goodwill. When goodwill is expressed and organized, recognized and used, world problems, no matter what they may be, will in due time reach solution; when goodwill is a true and active factor in human affairs, we shall then pass on to a fuller and richer understanding of the nature of love and to an expression of some still higher [121] aspect of that divine love; when goodwill is widespread among men, we shall see the establishing of right human relations and a new spirit of confidence, trust and understanding will be found in mankind. Men and women of goodwill exist in every nation and in all parts of the world in their innumerable thousands. Let these be found, reached and put in touch with each other; let them be set to work to create a right atmosphere in world affairs and in their own communities; let them know that associated they are omnipotent and that they can so educate and train public opinion that the world attitude to world problems will be right and correct and in line with the divine plan; let them realize that the solutions of the critical problems with which humanity is faced at the portal of the New Age will not be found by deciding upon some line of action and forcing it on public attention by propaganda and by campaigning. It will come by advocating and developing a spirit of goodwill (with its results: a right atmosphere and a sound attitude) and an understanding heart. The Christian era was ushered in by a mere handful of men, the twelve Apostles, the seventy disciples and the five hundred who recognized the message of the Christ. The new era in which Christ will "see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied", is being ushered in by the hundreds of thousands of the men of goodwill now active in the world and who can become still more active if recognized, reached and organized. [122]
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