Day 5 - Annie Luk

To all the partners and collaborators out there in pursuit of peace and nonviolence,

First and foremost, I want to thank you all for just being there. We all know that there’s never enough of us working towards a world full of peace and nonviolence (we want 100% participation, please!). I mean, when was the last time we randomly ran into someone at a party saying, “Hey, yes, me too. I am also working for peace and nonviolence. So cool to meet you”? So understandably, it could feel terribly lonely in this work. But on an abstract level, I do know that you’re all out there, toiling away in your corners. Although we can’t regularly hang out at a party (yet), I still sense the warmth and support from you all. So thank you!

This work is unquestionably worthwhile. Why else would we keep doing it? This is hard work. I don’t know about you, but it could feel so quixotic sometimes. I do my best to keep my optimism going. Sometimes I wonder, what is it that keeps me going? I do have hope, but it’s not just the hope. There’s this nagging belief in the back of my mind that we can definitely do better than this. Or maybe it’s just my stubborn refusal to accept that this is as good as it gets.

I read somewhere that optimism is a political act. Not giving in to despair, despite the ever-bottoming new lows we see, is no doubt difficult to do. Sometimes, just resisting the despair itself feels all-consuming.

But just resistance alone isn’t enough. Resist we must, no question, but I want to know that there’s something else we’re building. Pushing back just gives us a bit less oppression and violence—not exactly the image of peace and nonviolence. I think we’ve got to push back and, at the same time, create a world that fits our vision.

The other day I was looking through the Seven Grandfather Teachings: respect, humility, bravery, honesty, love, wisdom, and truth. In this Season of Nonviolence, I want to specifically focus on these teachings among the 64 daily practices. I want to live these teachings, not just admire them as abstract ideas: “oh, wouldn’t it be nice if we were all doing this?” It’ll be a challenge, but I feel up to it, especially knowing that you all are doing some version of the same during the Season of Nonviolence somewhere out there. I want to channel your strengths and your wisdom to continue our work together.

With love and respect,

Annie
(Annie Luk, Toronto, Ontario)