ADVERSITY CALLS FOR
ADVOCACY AS WELL AS EMPATHY
Definition of Terms:
1. Adversity – A
state, conditions or instance of intense difficulties, fortune or misfortune.
2. Calls for – Warrants,
given an invitation to beckon to or make something necessary.
3. Advocacy – The
act or process of advocacy for supporting a cause or proposal.
4. Empathy –The
imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object. The action of
undertaking. Being sensitive to and being aware of. Experiencing the feelings, thoughts and
experience of another of either the past or present without having the
feelings, thoughts and experience communicated.
Hurting:
1.
Increasing
physical pains or wounds.
2.
To
do substantial damage or injury or material harm.
3.
To
cause emotional pains or anguish.
4.
To
be detrimental to or hamper.
Problems of humanity have become so advanced and complicated
with some of them attaining the sophistication that require tactical,
compassionate handling and touch of professional experts, who have the needed
expertise and experience .
Some of these problems have assumed a continuous nature that
makes them seem to have no end or solution. From all indication and the
definition of terms, adversity is said to be intense fortune or adverse
fortune.
Adverse fortune or misfortune inflicts agonies and sufferings
upon the people. Such adverse fortune or misfortune in the midst of plenty as
provided for people by the Almighty God brings hurting unto the people of our
world. Some of such adversities plaguing our world and generation could be as
listed below:
1.
Injustices
of the highest order.
2.
Marginalization
by the powers that be.
3.
Denials
of equal opportunities.
4.
Inability
on the part of the government to provide people with needed social amenities.
5.
Neglect
of the poor and down trodden by national governments.
6.
Insensitivity
of governments to the yearnings of the people.
7.
The
looting of government treasury by government officials.
8.
Governments
embarking on white elephant projects instead of caring to benefit the people.
9.
Failure
on the part of national government for providing youths with empowerments.
10.
Neglect
of the senior citizens by national government.
All these points enumerated above can be classified as
adversities as they increase the hurting and pains inflicted upon the innocent
citizens. Because of the adversities, advocacy becomes important and necessary.
Adversity for sure sends signals to the people concerned to
mount the needed advocacy for the hurting, and a clarion call on the government
to see to the needs of the general public. Adversities warrant the mounting of
advocacy. Just as adversities calls for advocacy, it also calls for empathy for
the hurting and neglected public.
It is our duty and responsibility as professional Chaplains
and pastoral care-givers and providers to:
1.
Identify
with the hurting community in their situations.
2.
Helping
to find the needed solutions to their problems.
3.
Endeavouring
to help reduce the suffering of those hurting to the barest minimum.
4.
Standing
by the hurting communities in their developments.
5.
Helping
to point out to governments the root causes of the people’s problems and
reminding the government to take responsibility for the social welfare of the
entire citizenry of their nations.
In conclusion therefore, chaplaincy profession and practicing
professionals (professional chaplains) must go a step further than providing
the needed care for the hurting; they must also stand against the vices in the
society and ask governments for a change of behavior and attitudes.
Chaplain Prof. Mike
David JP, AP, CPC.
Chief Consultant Chaplain
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