Peace #7

"I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

~Helen Keller

This is one of my favourite quotes, along with one by Anita Roddick (Founder of the Body Shop)

"If you think you're too small to be effective,
you've never been to bed with a mosquito"

and this one on a stone outside Oxfam Headquarters:

"Many little things done by many little
people will change the face of the World"

I've quoted them before, and I'll probably quote them again, because I so strongly believe that, though working together is how things get achieved, there's always someone somewhere who has to start the work.

Where peace is concerned, I have read many a post being cynical about change. Of course it's not going to happen just because someone puts up a post asking for peace. Of course it's not going to happen if 200 or 2000 put up a post asking for peace at the same time. But how about 20 thousand? or 2 million? Would that begin to make a difference? It might. Especially if some of those involved have a louder voice than others. It depends who's asking.

And so long as there are those in the world willing to ask for it, no matter how futile that might seem, then there's a chance the people who can alter laws and who can make things happen will hear their voices. Though those people might alter the laws and make things happen, they are the hands and the arms of the voices. Without people speaking out, there will be no change. Ever.

I read another quote today. Freedom will never be freely given by opressors. Freedom always has to be taken by the oppressed.

As a worldwide population, we are oppressed by the very people we chose to represent us. We put them in power because it is a democracy, and we believe they will do as the majority want, but they don't. If they did, we would have had peace a long time ago.

So. I am one voice. I ask for peace. I join others who ask for peace. I am cynical about whether it will come in my lifetime, but I have to try...for myself, my children, and their children. If our generation don't try, then we leave it to our children, and they would be starting from the beginning. If we start now, then if we don't achieve the goal, our children can continue where we leave off...and generation by generation we will get closer [though I hope it won't take that long!]

It's always worth a try. Always.

So, a waste of time? No. Never!