A WORLD IN SORROW
THE WORLD IS GRIEVING. Last June saw the bloodiest attack, the most calculated and brutal airport strike at Istanbul Atatürk Airport that saw 42 dead and 230 injured. It was the 14th terror attack in Turkey in the last year, and the umpteenth around the world. Hearts are heavy with many things, from survival guilt, to privileged guilt, to anger, sorrow, fear and despair. What’s terrifying is that this was clearly an attack based on the one in Brussels’ airport, after which the planners decided that multiple bomb attacks in different locations of the airport would cause more devastation. Escalation has never been a possibility in these situations, but the maliciousness of the attacks makes one sick to the stomach.
It’s even more egregious that this occurs on the eve of Rio. After all, the Olympics were originally envisioned as a way to hold temporary truces between warring states, bringing together the leaders in the hope that a resolution could be found as the sporting event took place. Try suggesting that today.
All around the world today, we’re feeling less secure than we were just half a year go, whether in a sports stadium, a restaurant or the neighbourhood club, and much less in a facility like an airport. Where we may have frowned on the inconvenience of security measures before, we now accept the stricter levels of clearance imposed at travel ports today, be it marine, air or land customs.
But more needs to change. These setups are not just costing endless innocent lives but also destroying the mandate of liberal governments who believe the world’s best future lies in peace, not war. It’s allowing extreme governments to get away with violent acts that have nothing to do with disrupting terrorism, all in the name of preventing such acts.
On the ground, instead of feeling powerless, people want to do something to make this world a better place. And while we aren’t in a position to help Turkey, there are things we can do in our own neighbourhood. Right now, we’re working with locally developed charity Global Clinic to provide medical care to the destitute in Southeast Asia. These are people who can’t afford to go without work, but who can’t work due to various health issues, which means someone else can’t work either in order to take care of them. A small contribution from you would give them the chance to break free of the loop and return to a functional life. It’s the cost of a shirt, a pair of shoes, or a nice meal at a restaurant but for these people, it’s a life. If you’d like to assist, log on to donate.augustman.com or support.augustman.com and take action. In a world that’s grieving, it would be nice to bring some kindness and a smile to someone’s life.