I have conflicting feelings when thinking about 2022. From a personal perspective this has been an excellent year. Many things have been happening which I could not have wished to go better. I've traveled to many new wonderful places and seen some amazing bands while doing that. I've probably seen more bands during the year than ever before in my life 😅 It's been a year of music. But also a year of friendships and love. I have relationships that I am most grateful for, further building and intensifying them during the year.
On the other side is humanity, who has yet again showed the lack of care for our home and empathy for the suffering of others. Obviously Russia, but I'm also talking about a general lack of empathy by people in general towards our brothers and sisters around the world, who are suffering because of our way of life. Colonialism isn't dead, it's alive and kicking, and all of us here in the rich countries participate in it. Even the Russia - Ukraine war has showed the hypocrisy that is western society. We welcome with open arms millions of refugees that happen to be of an acceptable colour, but do everything in our power to stop those of the wrong colour from taking refuge here - even if they are suffering as much as the Ukrainians are, due to irreversible climate change we have triggered upon them with our lifestyle.
This species could do better. We could be more just and strive to be more fair. We actively choose not to do so, or to do so only to people who feel to be our tribe. The world is ever more global and there is ever more pressure to act together, as one humanity. This is literally a life or death situation already for a lot of people around the globe, and it will be that everywhere eventually. If we want a future for our kids and their kids, we seriously need to start acting as if we had a society that had tens of thousands of years of history to learn from.
We can do better. You can be a part of that change. Demand change. Use your voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KAa5woluuM
Happy new year 🎉