I asked myself the same question as I watched a video of a man saving a dog, tied to a railway track, as the thundering train missed them by inches. On one spectrum of humanity you have this man risking his life to save a creature unable to speak for itself, but on the other end of the spectrum, you have the pet’s owners who abandoned the dog there because they were too busy to take care of it. I ask myself if we have become too busy in our lives now to be humane anymore? Social media showed a dreary reflection of the current social dichotomy. Even when people wanted to answer to their humane calling, there was never a dearth of obstacles. It looked like being humane again was going to be a war, a war against the time, a war against the current social structure and a war against one’s own innate nature to be humane.
Someone had rightly said that all differences, facades and divisions in the society conveniently disappear when the world faces any crisis. So far it has only been in Marvel superhero movies that we have seen the Avengers set aside their (sometimes other worldly) differences when the planet faces a calamity. The world, since 2020, has seen a calamity which has toppled the entire social system of the modern times. As the world struggled to stand on it’s feet, incidents across the world showed the emergence of several humane warriors, warriors who, despite the grim circumstances uplifted the lives and the spirits of those around them. From people storming outside the stores of small local vendors, struggling to make ends meet, to communities assisting the stranded underprivileged daily wage workers reach home, to the sheer amount of resilience and brilliance shown by the medical and research fraternity, to organizations of all scales and sizes ensuring the educational, mental and physical well-being of children, teenagers and professionals all around the globe, to the artist communities finding their own ways to bring joy in the lives of people, by adapting their content and their medium to accommodate the current times, the warriors of humanity, delivered. As I went through all the incidents and efforts of the people around me, I wondered what are the core differences between people on this end of the spectrum, who have significantly restored the faith in humanity, for a large gamete of people, including me.
During my time being associated with Humane Warriors, I had the opportunity to interact with many such passionate people. These warriors have made sure that despite what goes on in their personal and professional lives, they take time to keep fighting for humanity in whatever ways possible to them. The organization is a plethora of warriors, from every walk of life. In addition to this, I have met amazing personalities who have been kind enough to either partner with us and share their journeys and learnings with us, or have supported us in our various causes with their time, their talents and to a large extent with finances.
With everyday life taking a toll on our generation, I always wonder what keeps everyone motivated to do good for the community? Angshuman says that the pandemic had been especially difficult for him as he was in a phase of job search and it became difficult to keep his spirits high, waking up to the same monotonicity of applications and rejections. However, it was working for Humane Warriors which gave him a sense of purpose, an awareness of the privileges that he has become, in a way, accustomed to and a medium to translate his knowledge from his Masters studies in the field of sustainable energy solutions into bringing light into the life of those struggling with energy resources. There will never be a convenient time to start if you do not simply start, he says. He says that the mere presence of an opportunity in which he can map his knowledge and experience into tangible solutions for a more sustainable living, is what motivates him and satiates his soul.
Amal, another member of the Humane Warriors community, never thought it would have been possible for her to do anything other than donate money to contribute and help people back in India, while living here in Europe. She says that being associated with the multitude projects with Humane Warriors gives her a sense of fulfillment that she can actually do something tangible with her hours to hopefully bring about even the smallest of change in someone’s life. It has been a humbling and empowering experience for her to witness the impact that we can make. Apart from this, working with like-minded people at HW has been a fun experience as she has learnt much about herself and honed her skills in such a short time at Humane Warriors. The possibility and the thrill of what is in store next in this journey, keeps her motivated everyday.
Long time member Siva, concedes with what Angshuman had to say as he also feels working at Humane Warriors has helped him gain a stronger sense of purpose where he can directly see tangible impact of the work he does. Connecting with and assisting people who dedicate their lives to bettering their communities, like Anand Murali, from Viswa Bharathi Vidyodaya Trust, Gudalur and Mohsin Sir from M.H. school in Maharashtra, India, helps him shape his moral compass and gives him a sense of adding more value to the causes that Humane Warriors works with. Also, working with the team in general and especially people like Naveen and Rhythima is quite inspiring and motivating.
These were the accounts of what motivates my peers from Humane Warriors to find that slot from their daily busy schedules to make a difference. But apart from this, there are people surrounding us as well, who also take the torch of humanity forward with small acts of kindness in their daily lives. Like the little kid, who carried a baby fawn in his arms as he waddled through chest deep flood waters. Or that old grandmother, who made large cakes of rice and vegetables and fed an elephant in her courtyard, much like how our grandmothers used to make rice balls and feed us with so much love. Or that kind policeman who consoled a man as he had a nervous breakdown from the pressures of work. These warriors can be teachers burning the midnight lamp to prepare notes for the class next day, the doctors and nurses, sacrificing their personal times for the greater good, artists working hard to bring joy to the masses, engineers propagating advances in technology for a more sustainable living, administrators designing and implementing policies to uplift the society and so many other professionals who are advancing the fight to conserve humanity in this world. Having said that, I think each of us can be a Humane Warrior by just being empathetic and conscious towards our surroundings. Be it choosing to contribute by getting involved with a non profit organization, or helping your old neighbor carry her grocery bags home, or building a `bird feeder on one of your window sills or by choosing to change your lifestyle by becoming vegan, each act of kindness, makes sure humanity wins a small battle everyday, until the time when humanity shall be victorious in winning the entire war.
