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Changing the World, One Step at a Time (Part One)

© Shaun Michael Jex

There is an Islamic saying that goes, "If you take one step towards Allah, he will take two towards you." This is true of any action which is taken to better the self or society. As in all things, education is paramount. The simple act of educating anyone anywhere is a politically and socially progressive event. In a time filled with social and political conflict our greatest tool for overcoming our problems is communication, because if we can successfully communicate, we can further understanding. There are several steps necessary to aid our communication skills that I would like to spend the next few weeks examining.

It is necessary to note, that though primarily this stands more as social and cultural theory, it is impossible to discuss literary theory without occasionally lapsing into these areas. Literature helps in defining the climate, struggles and spirit of the society that creates it, therefore when discussing it is essential to address the problems it sheds light on.

As stated in previous articles on this page, the study and understanding of a language can do a great deal to help define the culture that uses the language. Languages are a deep- rooted reaction and attachment to the environment that spawns them, and each has its own nuances that can never truly be captured in translation. Therefore, to understand a language, one must understand the culture that created it, and to understand a culture it is necessary to understand its language.

Many scholars have noted that one of the central conflicts created through colonialism is the loss of language, the forced use of a foreign tongue for every day life, rather than the mother tongue. Given the intimate nature of language, this is, a source of great personal conflict and loss for those who have been colonized. Likewise English is now considered the 'dominant' language in the world, and the majority of all political and economic negotiations take place in English. The state of multilingualism among students and adults in the United States is shameful at best. In a system that does not promote and require the knowledge of multiple languages, there is no real hope of understanding between cultures.

The first step towards making the world a more peaceful place then is creating in all the countries of the world, a furthering of multilingualism, which is an action that promotes and furthers world peace. This is for two fold reasons, first and most obvious, it will allow greater communication across cultures, and second and perhaps even more important, it will begin to break the walls of ethnocentrism that plague us and hold us back.

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