#beyonddoomandgloom

I had the great privilege of teaching in Egypt for one year.  The country is exemplary in both spirit and resilience.

There are many things in Egypt that seem unorganized , nay- chaotic, to the Western eye.  But many are following age-old systems- garbage collection among them.

Cairo’s population is around 18 million; half of Canada’s population crammed into one city.  Among their citizens are the aprox. 60,000 garbage collectors, the Zaballeen, the mostly Coptic Christians who walk the streets with carts and donkeys to haul the garbage back to their home; aptly named Garbage City. Here they sort, recycle, and up-cycle goods to re-sell for use.  Clothing turned into rugs and bags, cans turned into lamp shades, toys- I’m sure my friends in Egypt could add volumes to this list.

Read more about these incredible people and part of their story here.

Toxic Tours

When you think of sight-seeing in Egypt, I imagine the Pyramids come to mind- not walking through a city of garbage, swarming with flies, odour and side-stepping sludge.  But this is a tour that that the Zabaleens offer to explore one of the underbellies that supports the day-to-day functions of this metropolis.

These tours are an example of solutions focused communication.  In Greening Communication, Tema Milstein explores the idea of “toxic tours of environmentally, racially, and socio-economically marginalized communities” and how it “open[s] up possibilities for critical and unified interpretation and advocacy” (Pezullo, 2007). 

Indeed, without the tours that the Zabaleens provide, a lot of their very important service would go unnoticed.  Further, when the government decides to make changes that affect them adversely, this marginalized community has a larger community to reach out to to advocate with and for them. 

See: Garbage Dreams; a Documentary

The award winning documentary above drew world wide attention to the plight of the Zabaleens. Re-thinking how we communicate changes the dialogue around these issues.

Resilience in Recycling

While you can find the many up-cycled products that they produce (rugs, toys, lampshades, bags, etc... etc...) at fair-trade shops, or not-for-profits, the tour industry brings the customer right to their door to peruse and purchase their wares. 

“ I personally believe that pessimism is an indulgence, despair an insult to the imagination. There are wonderfully positive things out there.”

-Wade Davis

I contemplate the role of courage in having hope.  Are the hopeful courageous?  Can you have hope if you lack courage?  It is these kinds of questions that  come to mind when when learning with Elin Kelsey.   

We had been reflecting on stories of when the Impossible became Possible.  We shared our own stories, and came up with a list of qualities that we felt supported making possible the impossible.  Among them:  Courage, tenacity, resilience, passion- I believe we identified over 30 character traits!

The quality of Courage resonated with me because I grew up memorizing the following poem.

It is my pleasure to share this poem by my great grandfather David H. Elton that contemplates how a person can lose courage, and how to resist it’s temptation.  Enjoy!

Discouragement

It was once announced, so the story goes,

That the Devil was going to quit.

That all his tools would be up for sale-

The whole, infernal kit-

Malice and Envy, Hatred and Strife,

Each one marked at a bargain price-

Jealousy, Lying, Pride, and all his implements of vice.

A sad, and sorry-looking lot-

Attractively displayed,

But, just apart from all the rest,

This wedge-shaped tool lay:

A simple, harmless looking tool,

Well worn as one could trace,

But higher-priced than all the rest

In that infernal place.

Then someone asked the Devil, what

This wedge-shaped tool was:

“Why that’s Discouragement” he said,

“It’s higher priced because

It is more useful unto me

Than any of its ‘brothers’,

It will prevail, where I might fail,

With any of the others.”

“Few people know it’s mine,

And so it works with perfect ease,

For, once inside (I”ll put you wise)

I do just as I please.

Just let me get the mind of man,

Discouraged, down-cast, blue-

Eureka! I have found the way,

Satanic work to do!”

Suffice to say, the price to pay

The Devil for his “pet”,

Was just so high, no one could buy,

And so, he’s got it yet!

And, what is more he’s using it,

And, in these times of stress,

Will no doubt find “Discouragement”,

Of all his tools - the best!

I appreciate this cautionary tale of how discouragement can creep into our psyche because at first it seems so harmless.

As a prelude to his poem David H.Elton wrote:  “I entreat all: Give no place to Discouragement.  It is a dangerous temptation...  It contracts and withers the heart, and renders it unfit for the battle of life.  It magnifies trouble and thus renders your burdens too heavy to bear.  It fillets your backbone, and softens your sinew, and hardens your arteries.”

I don’t believe my great-grandpa had a scientific background, but I think he may have been on the mark about how stress can affect our physiology.

So, “In these times of stress”, I encourage us to heed these words-  to spend the time on self-care, and to find the hopeful in all that we do.

When I think about the environment I think about all of the people trying to protect it. I think about how it can shine a light on the greatness of humanity and bring out the very bad in others. The environment is powerful, resilient, kind and nurturing. It is ever-changing and I think about how it challenges people to think creatively, work together and undergo a morality check. I find hope in the positive changes that occur from this type of collaborative thinking. The Paris Agreement, for instance, was signed by 174 countries on Earth Day this year and is considered by some to be the world’s greatest diplomatic success. The world is also on track to meet the United Nations’ 2020 goal of 10% ocean coverage of marine protected areas. Just a few years ago, these seemed like impossible milestones. There are many similar success stories that illustrate that our actions can, and in fact are, making a difference. It wouldn’t hurt for everyone to take a step back, recognize all the positive changes occurring, and celebrate them.

The environment is helping us become better versions of ourselves. I hope that shifting the narrative beyond doom and gloom will continue to inspire others to recognize the value healthy ecosystems. I have faith that collectively celebrating positive change will help others reach moral affirmation by making a self commitment to align their behaviour in favour of their own personal values. This will not be easy. Pathways and solutions should be an integral part of the changing narrative to help support such a behavioural shift.