After the Boston Marathon tragedy, David Santulli, United Planet’s Founder and CEO, wrote a beautiful reflection for the Huffington Post. His sentiments remind us of the importance of building strong relationships within our communities, both locally and globally. We’ve re-posted his reflection below.
The recent tragedy in Boston reminds us why we do what we do.
The disease that we fight every day is not one of the body; it is one of the mind.
It is a plague caused by ignorance and mistrust of people who are different in one way or another — whether it is religion, race, culture, ethnicity, gender, social economic circumstances…
It is a disease which has been the source of strife for centuries in the form of war, terror, genocide, slavery, hate crimes, discrimination just to name a few.
This is a disease spread not by human contact, but instead spawned by human separation and isolation.
It is a disease that can only be cured by getting to know each other better, by crossing borders of all types to build understanding, respect, and mutual support for one another.
The importance of this mission has never been so real with bombs exploding right at our very doorsteps.
It’s a reality that people from many countries face every day from Syria to Israel and many other parts of the world.
It is a reality which is hard to explain to a wheelchair-bound child of eight years old who lost his legs while cheering on charity runners at a marathon.
So what can we do to rid the world of this disease from its roots — to end this senseless violence and ignorance, instead of just destroying its fruits?
We must work hard to accept “the other” as a brother or a sister. Turn the “us versus them” paradigm into one of “we.” Create a global mind shift so that diversity is no longer viewed as a reason for adversity, but as a cause for celebration. Build cross-border relationships in our neighborhoods, around our countries, and across the world. Honor each other and the world in which we live and never ever succumb to the grip of fear, retreat into isolation, or harbor resentment towards people who are different.
If we do these things, one day we will live in a more united planet — a world in which people understand, respect, and support one another.
This is our wish for the world.
From Boston with Love.
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
