Wanderlust
This article was originally published in German. The English version is an automatic translation and may contain errors. The German original is authoritative.
The world is in flames. Both metaphorically and literally. The Taliban have once again seized power in Afghanistan, refugees continue to drown in the Mediterranean and the EU watches on. During a flooding catastrophe in July this year, over 180 people died in Germany alone. In the Gulf of Mexico, a leak in a pipeline is causing the sea to catch fire. The list of humanitarian crises of our time is almost endless. It is all too easy to fall into lethargy in the face of these seemingly unsolvable tasks. This is understandable, because as an individual you have very few options to change these glaring injustices. But that is no reason to give up. Because there are always ways to help people in need.
The most direct form of help, apart from on-the-ground action, is donations to organisations that work on the ground. A large proportion of aid organisations depend on donations and could not carry out their work without them.
It is self-evident that not everyone can always donate. That is why it is also important to inform yourself about conflicts. Because media coverage is – especially in crises that occur at the other end of the world – at best incomplete, at worst it does not happen at all. Therefore, it is essential to conduct your own research. This also includes listening to those affected or giving them the opportunity to raise their voices in the first place. On the news channels of the EU, for example, you will hardly find information about the inhumane treatment of refugees at EU borders by EU bodies, such as the "European Border and Coast Guard Agency" Frontex. And yet it happens.
The tragedies of our time must finally reach public consciousness. That means: we must talk to the people around us about these things, educate them about them and dispel their prejudices. But above all, these discussions must take place in the public sphere. The crimes of politicians must be exposed. Because only then does the pressure arise that is necessary to bring about real change.
This is not a task for an individual. On the contrary: we can only meaningfully confront the humanitarian crises of our time if we organise ourselves.
