Equality and Diversity as Recipes of Wholeness

Equality and diversity are primordial. They are naturally embedded in humanity’s cosmological vision which is that of wholeness, liberation, and reconciliation. Therefore, in any activism of equality and diversity the rhetoric must import such naturalness and primordiality of character. But how do we express this character? Well, our natural perception of the universe as humans is that of a unit whole structured holistically with immeasurable diversity of organisms that are expected to function potently towards the wellbeing and flourishment of the universe.

Therefore, the innate drive within humans to keep this holistic unit of universe healthy and flourished is the vision of wholeness. But to achieve this, we must ensure that all organisms are healthy and flourishing to maintain potency necessary for them to function towards the wellbeing of the universe. This means, humans as well as all other organisms yearn for liberation from malaise, infirmities, captivities, repressions, entanglements, and enchantments that may corrupt their potency; thus, the vision of liberation. So, in simple terms, the vision of liberation is that tendency to overcome or heal from anything that corrupts or stifles your wellbeing and flourishment.

Now, for an illustration, let’s use the recent survey on flies in UK. This survey shows that population of flying insects in the UK has reduced by 60% in less than 20 years. This means biotic processes like pollination, decomposition, and natural pest control is immensely affected. And that is detrimental not only to the flourishment of trees and crops but human life as well. So, a lot of funds have been invested into organizations to help increase the population of flying insects. This is a perfect example of the vision of liberation at work. In other words, flying insects just like any other organism, are considered as equally deserving of support for their preservation so an intervention is put in place to ensure the manifestation their liberation. People working together to restore the extinction and wellbeing of the flying insects is the vision of liberation at work.

In this process of liberation, we embark on a quest for what Aristotle calls eudaimonia which is a state of blessedness. It is a fulfilment of wellbeing and flourishment, a yielded state of happiness. But in this quest for eudaimonia, we apprehend the spirituality of our humanness. Therefore, the inner drive that inspires our apprehension of spirituality is that of the vision of reconciliation. Since our spirituality is primordial, the apprehension of it is a reconnection to our divineness, a reconciliation to the numinous source of our sanctity and salvation.

In a nutshell, the flourishment and wellbeing of the universe depends on the potency of its diverse components that composite into one holistic unit. And that means diversity in organisms and equality in terms of acceptance and accessibility to potently function, is a necessary natural operation. Diversity in humanity is necessary for the flourishment of community; thus, irrespective of our otherness, we all deserve equal freedoms, benefits, recognition, and acceptance. So yes, equality and diversity in community life is natural and primordial.

This testifies that incitement of us against them mentality in society is unnatural and toxic irrespective of its existence as an ancient strategy for rulers and spiritual leaders. Fragmentation and polarisation of society is a toxic arrangement used by characters in power of rulership to maintain control and authority over their subjects. Have you heard of, “divide and rule”? The agenda behind why rulers and leaders incite their subjects with "us against them" mentality is to instil a superiority complex that empowers them to assume a pious position and pursue the diverse others as infidels that must be repressed and brought to order through acts of disdain and hostile aggression.

This proves why unfortunately, from time immemorial, selfishness of humanity and the drive for territorial acquisition and imperial dominance to yield economic and political gains has caused the displacement of the natural dynamics of equality and diversity in community life. We claim that this present age has achieved higher heights in civilization and civic values, but it is saddening to see how communities of the western milieu are imploding into fragments of toxic polarised folds. Even more confusing is how voices of equality and diversity infuse the "us against them" mentality in their rhetoric of activism.

Now, I can humbly admit that there are grifters who pander to plights of disenfranchised groups and launch advocacy for equality and diversity on their behalf only to line their pockets. Politicians, big companies, the upper class, and the media often pander to the plight of the disenfranchised to propagate equality and diversity as the means to their opportunistic end. When the us against them mentality is infused into the activism of equality and diversity, the protestors assume the pious and morally upright position to confront the repressions of what they perceive as the degenerate and amoral dominant group of infidels. This is problematic because the good intention of activism is sullied as it morphs into a protestation that establishes a polarised front. This defeats the whole message of equality and diversity. The mission of interconnectedness is defeated.

You can never be the true voice of equality and diversity if you are not an agency of interconnectedness. The agency of interconnectedness is someone who has apprehended self-transcendence; thus, living a life in which one elevates beyond self to pursue the wellbeing and flourishment of others and nature. This agency walks in depictions of interconnectedness such as oneness, thankfulness, blessedness, helpfulness, forgiveness, peacefulness, and resourcefulness. You can never be that voice; an activist of any form of equality and diversity if you have not yielded empathy, pacifism and the spirit of communion.

We are often told that empathy is putting yourself in another person’s shoe but that is very simplistic. We quickly place empathy as the antithesis of narcissism, and that is very simplistic too. Empathy is the ability to project into the being of others through imagination to assume their character and disposition in order to understand how they perceive and encounter life. This means one must be altruistic, emotionally intelligent, socially conscious, and rationally balanced to accurately imagine and assume the character and perception of the one whom we seek to empathise.

So, in summary, we must understand that the wellbeing and flourishment of society depends on our healthy commitment towards equality within the diversities of our communities. And that demands of us to be agencies of interconnectedness; vessels that propagate equality and diversity in the rhetoric of empathy and altruism to defuse the us against them mentality and inspire humanity to interact with others in the spirit of communion, charitability, serviceability, accountability, and responsibility.