As 2011 drew to a close, the media looked back on the events of the last twelve months. A significant number of the notable events included elements of a lack of compassion expressed in one quarter or another, whether it be financial institutions towards society, governments or dictatorships towards the people; media towards individuals.
It could be argued that national institutions and governments, who by rights should be in touch with the people, have multiple layers that don’t allow for or facilitate them to hear the real vox pop.
But what is compassion? The Collins English Dictionary defines it as: a feeling of distress and pity for the suffering or misfortune of another, often including the desire to alleviate it. (latin: com – with; pati – to bear, suffer.)
So to really understand compassion, there requires to be the principled determination to put ourselves in the shoes of the other and, if you don’t walk a mile in another man’s shoes …
But surely, if we are to take decisions that influence other people, in whatever manner, be it wealth, health, well-being, or freedom, it is incumbent upon us to look at the facts from all sides; to understand where people are coming from. As individuals who work within the Criminal Justice System, it is almost certain that we already ‘walk that mile’ …. and often the extra mile. However, compassion is a quality the need for which is becoming more and more acute within society in general and it is our responsibility to demonstrate that to others. There is the expression, ‘As I do, others will follow.'
Recently, I was present when a colleague was asked what time was ‘calling him to do?’ His response, one which I resonate with, was to quote Mahatma Ghandi: "perhaps more than ever, time is calling us to be the change we wish to see!"
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