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White Papers • Global Health • Psycho-Politics • Humanitarianism
A change in how we, as a society, relate to our wealth and power and practical compassion lie at the heart of a solution to homelessness. To reduce or even eliminate a social issue as pervasive as homelessness will take the combined efforts of government, philanthropic, corporate, and private organizations along with a change in how we, as a society, view our relationship with our fellow human beings and our relationship to wealth and power. The diversity of the homeless population creates natural obstacles to needed services. Limited funds, space, and human resources put a strain on the very people and organizations striving to connect this vulnerable group with the assistance they need. Part of those challenges comes from the diverse range of people in the homeless population. Wealth, the acquiring, retaining, and consuming of it, stands as one of the most pervasive forms of approved societal addiction since the beginning of civilization. The symptoms of a society ripening for an addiction-fed decline are not obvious because they subtly hide behind validation, idealization, stereotypes, and social structures. Homelessness not only exists in our country and world today but has been a major destructive part of human psychology for centuries. It is a symptom of a pervasive problem that relates to attitudes and perceptions surrounding wealth and power. Society has taken the approach of treating the symptom but does not acknowledge or take into account the root of the illness — addiction to wealth and power. A growing homeless population, the need for social distance, and overcrowded shelters have left some cities looking for alternative solutions like a block of motel rooms or purchasing entire motels to temporarily house the homeless. Hotel renovations or new builds can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit and take months to complete. Our country needs a quantum leap in law enforcement evaluation with a structural change that addresses the gaping wound that exists between the police and the BIPOC communities. It is not a time for small changes. Real reform that heals wounds and builds trust is needed to dignify and revitalize the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. Against the humanitarian tragedies playing out with increasing magnitude, there is a surprisingly simple solution that can provide both immediate and long-term relief for the most vulnerable segments of our communities. This idea is not something new but is a remarkable reimagining of something our society very likely has undervalued or viewed negatively as an option of last resort. A pervasive lack of psychological and emotional awareness in our political discourse and social beliefs is standing in the way of solving the crises that currently imperil our democracy and undermine humanity’s efforts to stem prejudice of all kinds, justice, equality and global deterioration. The stakes are monumental and are worsening with each day as evidenced by personal and political alienation, economic inequality, global warming, and corruption on corporate and governmental levels. Families Can Develop Greater Communication, Strength and Inspiration The dramatic realities we face with COVID-19 are a wake-up call that has the potential to make us much stronger and better adapted to confront the host of other undeniable existential threats coming our way. For almost all of us, our families have become ground zero. Most of us have never lived in a war zone, so dealing with the peril of our personal mortality and the fear of losing our loved ones has never been this intense. There is another destructive potential side effect of the pandemic that requires careful vigilance as well. Anger is a natural response that virtually all of us are feeling in one form or another since our life as we know it has been turned upside down and taken at least somewhat out of our control. Of course, there are exceptions to this but the vast majority of us are angry because we’re cooped up and our desires are being thwarted in too many ways to be able to mention. Mindfulness is only a starting point. We could analogize it to God or Faith. We can be devoted with a very dear part of ourselves, but the question is how much is this integrated into our life? We can go to church on Sundays, but not practice or express our faith during the week. We can have faith in God, but not treat our fellow man/woman with our hearts and compassion. Mindfulness, as it is most commonly taught, can support us to be present . . . While sadness and anxiety are a natural and even healthy part of life, depression is a unique condition. Those with a genetic predisposition and chemical imbalances may already struggle and fall deeper into their minds when difficult circumstances become overwhelming. Uncertainty, fear, and anxiety over a sudden change of circumstances or troubling world events can push those who’ve never struggled with depression into troubling places, where they and their families feel ill prepared and in need of guidance.
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