I will not allow my humanity to be erased

This is the test of leadership. For many, we start with a vision of a better world.

But the system we step into is encoded with corruption. 

I look at the Prime Minister of Australia. Anthony Albanese. In the late 1990s and early 2000’s, he was a passionate spokesperson for Palestine. He co-founded and served as the founding secretary for the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine.

Yet today, his government plays the Israeli hand, against the overwhelming evidence of genocide and apartheid. Even as the Pew poll showed that an overhwleming 87% of Aussies under 35 years of age do not support the actions of Israel. 

I have written about this little death to our humanity many times. I call it Little Atrocities. (https://syntropic.world/little-atrocities-the-path-from-integrity-to-self-deception-and-bad-business/)

How do we register our humanity? At the least;

We want all humans to be able to access quality health care, child care, education, aged care, housing, energy and work.

We do not step over any expression of violence against children, including through war, rape, limited access to food, water and health. Not ever. 

We do speak up and out against those who consider some children and people more worthy of care than others. 

We refuse to reflexively dismiss people without taking time to really understand them. This includes people escaping war, crippling economic conditions, and climate-affected environmental breakdown. The cost to leave your home is almost inconceivable, yet we find it easy to make the immigrant and refugee out to be parasitic on our way of life.

If we have an economically privileged life, we take the time to learn the emotional, spiritual, physical and developmental costs of poverty. Poverty is a political decision.

I would add that we consider our care of animals, and the Earth, our oceans, rivers and forests, as an expression of our humanity.

We treat others as we would like to be treated. 

Justice is about healing and restoration, not cruelty. 

We respect the rights of humans to express their gender, sexuality, and freedom of speech, as long as it doesn’t infringe on others’ rights or cause harm. 

Published June 29th 2026. Photo taken June 29th 2026