Theme Two: “Community” is being redefined
Because of the way that Generation Peace has adapted to — and adopted — the Internet, the concept of community has fundamentally changed. This is the first generation unfettered by geographic ties in terms of social and economic growth. (Consider: if the social-networking site MySpace were a country, it would be the world’s eighth largest.)
A sense of belonging no longer relies on a sense of place. Social networking has changed that, bringing a sense of community and family to a generation that spends more time away from family than any other. Social networking has unlocked the barriers brought on by being physically alone, and they see the relationships that they form in this virtual space as long-lasting ones. “If you happen to lose touch with someone you can easily find them and reconnect,” says April Dinwoodie. “For better or worse, it’s hard to hide.”
But hiding isn’t their goal. Generation Peace uses the absence of physical proximity on the Internet to strengthen intimacy, rather than to encourage anonymity. Dr. Harumitsu Inouye, the executive director of the Shinnyo-en Foundation, calls it the “circle of trust and reflection.”
And while trust becomes paramount, preconceived notions and stereotypes become irrelevant. You may never physically meet the person you’re confiding in, causing racial and ethnic differences to recede into the background. The Internet becomes the tool of transcendence, boring past the prejudice to the essence.
Bergquist experiences this first hand. Her social networking often puts her in touch with teens in the Middle East. “My connections have enabled me to realize that the ‘evil people’ we’re fighting in the Middle East are exactly like the people in my own town,” she says.
And yet here, perhaps more so than in any other area, the double-edged sword shows itself. What is lost — or at least, not realized — by the absence of the physical person in the personal relationship? What wise observations are left unspoken when, as Koth has noted, college students and faculty meet one-on-one less and less? And how much more profound will be the anxiety of “disconnectedness” among those on the unplugged side of the so-called “digital divide”?
The Traubmans’ mission is bringing Muslims, Christians and Jews together. They believe relationships can be sustained virtually, but need to be sparked by in-person contact.
Says Len Traubman: “Today’s needs are to resolve unresolved conflicts that are contentious and protracted. We have to translate these into face-to-face relationships so that there is a heart connection.”
|
