As we stand at the threshold of a new year, we cannot but reflect in sombre contemplation the last twelve months the world has endured.
Rather than a season marked by joy and cheer, the world witnesses unprecedented suffering, heightened racial tensions and soaring levels of homelessness.
In England alone, a staggering 271,000 individuals are registered as homeless, with 123,000 of them being innocent children, (Shelter England). The spectre of austerity looms large with 11.7 million people currently living below the poverty line and expected to surpass 12 million in 2024/2025. Alarming statistics reveal that 4 million children lack proper access to food, constituting approximately 26& of the population. The repercussions of austerity have resulted in 300,000 deaths in the UK, of which 120,000 fatalities in England alone, and many young lives cut short.
Meanwhile, the government appears to endorse a rising cost of living, including soaring prices for food and energy. World Bank asserts that the ‘global population lives on less than US$ 6.85 per person per day. In African and Asian countries, there are families who live on less.
Beyond our national borders, though, the picture is worse. Indiscriminate bombing and the killing of civilians persist, with Palestine international sources recording more than twenty thousand casualties, including over 8,000 children in Palestine. Ukraine has recorded ca. 10,000 casualties and thirty million displaced citizens continue to bear the scars of conflict.
Recently India’s Supreme Court upheld the 2019 revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy, a move affecting 80% Muslim inhabitants who now face an uncertain future under India’s security measures.
The global tally according to UNHCR’s estimation of displaced and stateless people has surpassed 117.2 million. With issues like the forced expulsion of approximately 70,000 Ethiopians by Eritrea, Azerbaijanis by Armenia and of course, the ongoing expulsions of Palestinians and others facing similar threats. Amidst these crises, the plight of the Rohingya and Uighur Muslims, Yeminis and Syrians are overshadowed by other conflicts.
The ongoing devastation wrought by Covid, the fractures in families due to poverty and the prevailing misery worldwide prompt us to question how we sleep a sound sleep at night, let alone rejoice and celebrate. What future awaits children who have endured vicarious trauma? What remains for widows and broken families? Where will it stop? When will enough, be enough?
In the face of such profound challenges, Bridge of Harmony extends its wishes for a time of reflection, a space to heal and a beacon of hope for world peace, security, good health and prosperity for all. As we usher in the New Year, let us join hands, unite as one global humanity and overcome what divides us. May this be a year where we collectively embrace the values that unite us, working towards a world where people not just survive from day to day, but truly live with laughter, love and HARMONY!
Happy New Year!