What if our altruistic nature always restrained our selfish impulses?

Then, the rulers of Israel would not be planning to build more illegal settlements in the West Bank. They would, instead, consider the plight of Palestinians, dismantle existing illegal settlements and seek to meet their leaders to conduct genuine peace talks that address the concerns of the people of Israel and Palestine. The rulers of Syria would stop killing their brothers and sisters and meet the leaders of the opposition in peace talks aimed at reconciling and uniting all Syrians. Their brothers and sisters in the Muslim world would raise the tens of billions of dollars needed to reconstruct Syria, social and physical infrastructure reconstruction projects that would employ many Syrians and herald an era of peace and prosperity.The owners of Royal Dutch Shell would return tens of billions of dollars exploited from Nigeria to the people of Nigeria and help reduce poverty and strife and the environmental degradation of the Niger Delta and Ogoniland. Corruption would cease to rule in Nigeria and be replaced by socio-economic justice. Higher standards of living for the poor and high standards of morality for all.Boko Haram would admit that Islam exhorts Muslims to seek knowledge wherever they can find it and participate in the reform of religious schools all over Northern Nigeria. Equal access to education for boys and girls, education that ensures they grow up to be successful in this life and the Hereafter.Al Shabaab militants in Somalia would stop their terrorism and participate in the reconstruction of Somalia. The different clans in Somalia would accept that God created everyone equal and that no one is superior to another except in piety. Being accountable to God, they would work tirelessly to ensure that Somalia becomes a land of the wealthy and pious.The rulers of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and their international backers would want to share its natural wealth with all Congolese irrespective of whether they speak Lingala, Kiswahili or Kinyarwanda. They would facilitate the transformation of the DRC into a nation of the educated and spiritually enlightened, living in comfortable homes, attending excellent schools and universities, being treated in good hospitals and clinics, having world-class roads, highways, bridges, airports, ports, and harbours, producing a variety of nourishing agro-pastoral products, and working in the best offices, factories and mines, the wealthiest nation in the world. Ugandans would not be concerned about who is going to succeed President Museveni and who is going to die in the process. Rather, what is best for Ugandans would be paramount and Ugandans would decide who best secures their politico-economic interests and socio-cultural needs. They would cooperate to ensure that the oil revenues generated are invested in projects that energise people, public and private institutions to better serve God and their country.Kenyan parliamentarians would not be seeking a raise in their salaries. Instead, they would work hard to ensure that all Kenyans have a fulfilling job and an income that helps them to afford a decent home, nourishing food, new clothes, good education for their children, and excellent health care. We wouldn’t take our cow to pasture and leave the neighbour’s in the shed, nor feed our cow in the shed while the neighbour’s cow watched. Rather, we would take care of both and nurture bonds of friendship. We would not till our land, plant our seeds, and harvest our crop alone while our neighbours were idle. Instead, we would regard it as a communal project and volunteer to help for the benefit of all. We would not have any corrupt leaders who seek bribes in exchange for granting favours. All citizens would be treated fairly and each would be entitled to what is their due.The United Nations Security Council would work hard to ensure an end to injustice, crimes against humanity, and conflict all over the world. The World Bank would serve its mandate of funding reconstruction where it is needed and sustainable development all over the world. The International Monetary Fund would cease to be a facilitator for public disinvestment and private corporate enrichment. The European Union would not pressure the East African Community to sign an exclusive Free Trade Agreement for the sole benefit of European corporations and their East African partners. Instead, it would recognize and accept the East African Community’s capacity for cooperative self-reliance.

Opinions

What if our altruistic nature always restrained our selfish impulses?