Even when things are awful, we still stand together

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”—an African proverb.

Pontianak, Thekabarnews.com—The new year comes after a lengthy history of environmental calamities and rising societal unrest. Floods, landslides, forest fires, water shortages, and extreme weather are happening more and more often. They are no longer just odd natural events; they are clear signs that the interaction between people and the environment is out of balance.

Negligent development, excessive exploitation, and a declining ethic of environmental management have resulted in ecological threats that we now collectively endure.

Simultaneously, we are testing social cohesion. Polarization, mutual distrust, and the inclination to oversimplify intricate matters via identity-based sentiment have progressively constricted the realm of unity.

This framework suggests a close relationship between ecological and social crises. Both ecological and social crises stem from a lack of patience, empathy, and a sense of shared duty as citizens of the same nation.

This solidarity emerges during times of trouble

But there is still a reason to be hopeful, even in these tough times. When a tragedy strikes, people come together in a way that typically crosses geographic, identity, and primal lines.

People get together in communities, volunteers come forward, contributions come in, and public kitchens are built. Not just formal education, but also a shared understanding of the need to help and strengthen one another is what motivates these efforts.

This is when the African proverb really makes sense. We might be able to move swiftly on our own or in small groups. We have no choice but to walk together as a nation if we want to survive and go forward while dealing with climate change, inequality, and other social problems.

The unity that forms during calamities should not dissipate as a transient emergency measure. It needs to become a permanent basis for public policy, planning for development, and how we confront disparities in our civic and national lives.

A time for everyone to think together

We should all take some time to contemplate the new year. Maintaining the environment and fostering social cohesion are not distinct objectives; they are inseparable and equally crucial for the future.

We have a strong base to change our journey together as long as empathy, social solidarity, and the spirit of volunteerism stay alive. Even though things are bad and we cannot do much, we are still together, and because of that closeness, hope grows.

Writer: M. Hermayani Putera