Justice in War Zones- It's Your Fight Too

 

          When we turn on the TV only to hear about the terrible suffering of people halfway across the world, it’s very tempting for us to quickly flip the channel. It’s not that we don’t care about or are unaware of the horrible things happening in the world; it’s just that we would prefer to dwell on happier thoughts. We say things like “well that’s just how it is” and convince ourselves that “I couldn’t even do anything about it if I could.” We make excuses for our apathy. As said by Eric Greitens in Resilience, excuse-making “shields us from pain, saves our pride, and allows us to obscure the brutal truth. That feels like a relief at first. We avoided the pain.”[1]

 

           However, when it comes to ignoring the plight of suffering civilians in war zones, excuse-making is just plain dangerous. Turning off the news channel obviously doesn’t make the issues go away; it’s our lack of desire to respond that allows evil men to commit terrible atrocities in conflict regions without resistance. In the absence of an outside force to defend the oppressed, that status quo remains the same and injustice thrives. If nobody reports sex trafficking in Spanish nightclubs, the cycle continues. If the American public did not mobilize in favor of contributing military aid to the UN’s 1993 peacekeeping mission in Somalia, even more Somali civilians would have starved to death. If nobody sends aid to the NGO’s running refugee camps in South Sudan, more people will die. It’s as simple as that

 

            So why should Americans care about the issues plaguing people in countries that most of us know virtually nothing about? Why should I be pushing my sense of justice and social responsibility onto others? Well, a good practical (non-ethical) reason is because the world is getting a lot smaller. As the international system becomes more and more globalized, the “little” problems facing brand new countries like South Sudan can create enormous consequences for the rest of the world— starting with America’s regional allies like Uganda and Kenya that share borders with South Sudan. This is not to say that we must protect the people of other nations only if our national interests are at stake; I’m arguing quite the opposite actually! My point is that even if we ditch our sense of moral responsibility to help our fellow humans, it is still in our best interest to be helping others because the world is becoming increasingly interconnected; a successful response to humanitarian disasters can only reap benefits for the countries that choose to act. Countries are nothing more than the people that make them up; it’s up to us therefore to respond to the crises affecting our world. We don’t need to play the role of “world police” or “world doctor,” but we can at least contribute something towards making the world a better place.

 

         It has not and never will be my goal to shame others into becoming activists. However, I do want to encourage people that there really are several things that we can do to promote justice in war zones. If you have any desire to serve communities being broken by state conflict, then you will be able to. You don’t need to send thousands of dollars to Red Cross to do it either!

 

        So how can you help? I highly recommend doing some research into nongovernmental organizations (NGO’s) working in conflict areas. Every NGO has some sort of mission statement that explains exactly what they do; you can find this on their website. Once you find one that you like, you can explore the possibility of spending a very small portion of our monthly income to their cause (even small donations can go a long way, especially in countries where the US dollar holds a better exchange value).

 

         If you are strapped on cash like I am, you can also organize a fundraiser yourself to raise support for the NGO of your choice. Some of my best memories are actually from “FUNdraising” with my friends in our college community of Isla Vista. One of the most-enjoyable fundraisers we do is a quarterly event called “The Battle of DS Park,” in which multitudes of college students make padded Medieval weapons and beat the snot out of each other in the name of charity work. We’ve also do ridiculous Christmas-caroling (where we change the words of popular holiday songs to fit Isla Vista culture) to raise support for various outreaches. My point is that it’s super easy and fun to launch a fundraiser yourself or with friends and there are plenty of enjoyable ways to do them! It just takes some commitment on your part.

 

         You don’t have to throw cash at a reliable NGO either to impact victims from war zones either. Simply being educated on the various issues plaguing countries that are experiencing violent conflict— and there are many— is the first step to any positive change in these places. For example, the more that people in western nations began to do research on the Syrian refugee crisis, western governments consequently began to empathize with the Syrian point of view and provide much-needed relief aid. Furthermore, you can educate yourself best by travelling to countries near the place of conflict (although I would not advocate travelling to the conflict region itself, unless you are experienced in the area or have security). When I travelled to South Africa— a country that thankfully resembles nothing like a war zone— I was still able to learn multitudes about violent revolutions occurring throughout the entire continent. There is just something special about physically being in countries that makes you learn so much.

 

          If you are up to it, you can even volunteer at a refugee camp. This probably applies best to people with medical or photography skills, although people of various backgrounds travel thousands of miles to serve. I have several friends who have done this in places affected by both war or natural disasters— from Uganda to Nepal— and every single friend of mine who has done this says it was the most life-changing experience they’ve ever had. This isn’t necessarily because refugee camps are resided by people in terrible suffering; rather, the strength of people becomes even more apparent. My friend told me that what struck him most significantly during his time working in a refugee camp involved watching a family— a family who had lost literally everything they own after being displaced— laugh hysterically and play games together. Volunteering in a refugee camp with an NGO might be a big move, but if you’re ready for it, then it could very well expose you to an entirely different world.

 

           Another great way for you to promote social justice in conflict regions is to write your political representatives and to vote for people who understand the problems affecting civilians living in conflict areas. As Americans, we must not take for granted the opportunities presented to us and the valuable freedom of speech that we have— so take advantage of your rights! Social media is also an excellent modern invention that impacts the world; you can easily use it to spread awareness of issues, to launch your own fundraisers, or to speak out against politicians like Trump who advocate for the deliberate targeting of civilians in warfare.

 

            I hope that I haven’t insulted your intelligence by creating an entire “things to do list,” but I also encourage you to consider the multitude of options you have for affecting justice in war zones. It’s easy for us to make excuses for our apathy and lack of response to tragedies affecting people half the world away… I am challenging you to rise above the status quo. I truly believe that it is our responsibility as humans to leave the world a little better than it was when we got here; if you share this belief and feel the anger that I do for the injustices in our world, then please join me in this fight. My contact information is located on this website (http://nikfrey5.wix.com/mysite), feel free to reach out to me if you would like to get involved!