CONTENDING WITH COMPLEXITIES OF LIVING IN
A MULTI-POLAR WORLD:
RALLYING A HEARTCRY FOR SERVING HUMANITY
BY:
AMB. CHARLES, IZU OKAFOR B.A, M.Sc
Veteran Career Actor and International Advocacy Filmmaker
BEING TEXT OF A PAPER
PRESENTED AT THE
UNVEILING OF THE MAIDEN EDITION OF:
PEACE BEGINS WITH ME CAMPAIGNS
BY OLOGODIDAN JEZI FOUNDATION
(A United Nations Humanitarian Peace Volunteer)
HELD AT:
SERAQ MALL HALL, MAKRAM ABED,
NASR CITY, CAIRO, EGYPT.
THIS 7TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2024
THE IDEAL WORLD:
“The greatness of humanity
is not in being human, but
In being humane” – Mahatma Gandhi.
Creation parades a collage of Planets, Constellations and Galaxies.
Successive researches and academic inquisitions, stretching through
several centuries, have burdened to discover this seemingly endless
reality, called creation, without success.
However, much as we know, the planet of human persons, called earth,
is populated to the tune of over seven billion humans, shared into
continental demographics. Yet, in this planet of humans, a commonality
of natural features exist, regardless of skin colour.
Distinguished guests, I am persuaded, today, to insist that, it’s no
accident that the world is a human community, commonly bound by
blood, cells, veins, minds and “being essence”.
Therefore, originally, the touch of pain, excitement, joy, and exhilaration
resonated, from pole to pole, as humankind manifested life, and living
within itself.
Indeed, it was a mantra, thus, “one’s pain/joy was all’s pain/joy”.
My humble submission, therefore, is that, the ideal world of over seven
billion humans, soon, distilled into just two humans- the Man and
Woman. This position is strengthened by the popular saying, within the
African Worldview that, “one man’s child is everyone’s child. The Man/
Woman is humanity, and humanity is the Man/Woman.
MULTICULTURAL INVASION: ASSET OR LIABILITY?
“Love and Compassion
are necessities, not luxuries.
Without them humanity cannot survive” – Dalai Lama.
Soon, the homogenial bonding of humankind begins to wear away, as
we begin to interrogate our commonalities. Boundaries and Borders of
egregious distinctions and separations begin to emerge, through
eruptions of alien dialectics of pseudo-cultural dispositions and beliefs.
Alas, those noble attributes of our common humanity turn against our
love for each other, arrest our mutual trust and peaceful coexistence.
Distinguished guests, I ask. How do we explain those inglorious seasons
of Apartheid, Slave trade, partitioning and pillaging of Africa,
Colonization and systemic dismantling and erosion of our solemn
worldview and ancient precepts of our collective spirituality?
Well, may I submit that multicultural dynamic – perhaps, not intended –
dealt humanity – as we knew it – a profoundly fatal blow.
As a consequence, in today’s world, we are increasingly haters and
buccaneers of our kind. Brazenly, we live fat by denying ourselves
mental and material comforts through child slavery, sex slavery, cross-border banditry, thuggery, crass corruption and despoliation of our
common patrimony, ethnic bigotry, illicit drug merchandizing, etc.
For good measure, at a global political scale, the entrance of Nationalism
and Protectionism, as the new “foreign policy thrust” of Europe and
America, seeks to shut out a large swathe of humanity (majorly, from
Africa) from integration across borders. The often-bandied argument for
this, is to “think our citizens first”. This inelegant policy has generated
desperation, especially among teeming African Youth, who die in their
droves, as they recourse to irregular Migration across the Atlantic Ocean
and European Channels.
Distinguished guests, it is so sad that humanity has lost its once
cherished love and compassion for its kind. Indeed, Dalai Lama is right.
There is no humanity without love and compassion.
HOPE FOR TOMORROW: A ROADMAP
“The sole meaning of life
Is to serve humanity” – Leo Tostoy
Distinguished guests, the story of our raped and ravaged humanity will
not always be gloomy. Because of you, and this great country, Egypt
and its admirable ancient history, there is hope for a cherished, re-invented humanity, tomorrow.
In our tiny corners and demographics, we are well able to snatch gain
from pain and wipe tears away from the helpless, hapless and hopeless.
We are well able to ensure that those sentenced to prisons of
despondency, despair, fear, hunger, starvation, prostitution, Abuse,
Drug Addiction, Crime and Criminality, leap from their chains and hug
humanity again.
It gladdens my heart, today, to declare that we have, in this room a
woman whose story, growing up, captures the patently sobering stabs
inflicted on humanity. An orphan, harassed, threatened and consigned
to fated failure, but, by sheer divine construct and providence, resisted
deprivation, caricature, disdainful treatment, to become a global icon for
humanitarian causes.
Please, your Excellency, Amb. Rachael Ojuade, the Global Diplomatic
Peace Chairperson, OLOGODIDAN JEZI FOUNDATION, kindly rise.
As this delectable lady and humanitarian avatar stands in our midst, may
I inform this august body that, in the second quarter of 2025, she would
be executing, across the world, Executive Presentation to heads of state,
leaders of Diplomatic and Regional Blocs, world premiere and launch of
an international class block-buster motion picture, based on the pitiful
reality of the orphaned girl-child in Africa. The story is true-life and flows
from the heart of a woman who saw it all.
Distinguished guests, as I conclude this paper, permit me to reiterate
the urgent call to the compelling imperative, as touching on extending a
hand of support and succor to the humanity around your sphere of
influence. Thankfully, non-governmental organizations, such as the
OLOGODIDAN JEZI FOUNDATION are no longer waiting and hoping
for governmental interventions. Each one is challenged to hop on the
humanitarian sail and serve humanity.
May I respectfully leave you with the profound statement by a very
robust mind, Fred Rogers when he opines, thus,
“We live in a world in which we need to share
responsibility. It’s easy to say “it’s not my child, not my
community, not my world, not my problem.” Then,
there are those who see the need and respond.
I consider those people my heroes.”
I thank you for your kind attention.
Charles Izu Okafor
Cairo, Egypt, Dec 7, 2024
