January 31, 2011
What to Do about the Crisis in Egypt
As the crisis in Egypt continues, one wonders about its root cause, and what might be the right action to take. According to the press, the "cause" is a combination of surging prices, high unemployment, corruption, inflation, and the lack of jobs. The gap between the rich and poor has reached a tipping point, and protestors won't take it anymore.
It would be easy to accept these as causes for the conflict, but I wonder if there isn't a deeper problem going on here. From the perspective of identity, relationship and culture, this is a crisis of beliefs, values and worldview, not so much one of money and lifestyle. If the culture of the region were more evolved, then the solutions envisioned by the people, and their leaders, might be different. Right now, no one is happy, and the result is chaos, and violence.
What to do?
Well, firing President Hosni Mubarak seems like an easy solution. Get rid of the leader - and his cabinet - and the problem goes away, right?
No so fast.
If you get rid of Mubarak, and the culture doesn't change, then you are just fixing the symptom without addressing the root cause. And, if you DO get new leadership in there, has the culture really changed? Probably not.
From the perspective of LoveShift, what could be talked about are level of concern, the identity of the people, and the limitations imposed by nationhood. At least here there would be a conversation about real driving reasons for unrest, not just their observable outcomes. And, if deeper understanding could be achieved, then longer-term solutions might result.
Extending and expanding identity, relationship and culture until a community emerges which works for the benefit of all life.