This past February 20th was the International Day of Social Justice and what better opportunity than this to dedicate a few minutes of our time to ask ourselves how involved we are when a situation seems unjust, how informed we are about the reality that many people around the world live, and the existing possibilities to combat this problem.
A primary need related to this topic begins through the understanding that our perception of what is unfair or unjust is determined by our own reality. Thus, our personal history inclines us to be more or less empathetic to these situations. Therefore, a wise process to generate awareness of the unjust conditions faced by many people would begin with the simple exercise of trying to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. Asking ourselves, “What would I feel in those living conditions or in that specific situation?” and, at the same time, understanding that each person’s reality is not necessarily the result of personal decisions or merits, not even in our own case. Not everything we get in life is because we deserve it; this applies mainly to the privileged.
With these simple questions it is possible to begin a very significant contribution to the unstoppable struggle for social justice, which is the objective of celebrating this type of world commemoration.