Justice and Equality
Since the inception of Arm In Arm In Africa, I have been struck by the most commonly asked question upon hearing of our work in South Africa. Most people want to know what it is that we "do" in South Africa. One could infer that behind the question is the assumption that there is a beginning and an end to the "work" that is being accomplished by AIAIA. In a developed nation like the United States, we relish the thought of "getting the job done' and checking the box and moving on to the next project. The one truth that I have come to learn in the last two decades of being President of Arm In Arm In Africa, is that real life is not that simple, it is always more complicated. I can easily tell you, as I have for many years, what the three pillars of AIAIA are: healthcare, food distribution and education. That would be the short answer to what we "do."
I feel it is time to move the conversation to a deeper, more challenging level. It is my hope that the COVID-19 pandemic and our need to embrace a closer soul searching around systemic racism has moved us beyond the question of "what it is that we do," to a more challenging question of "who we want to be" as a non-profit organization. In the process of developing and nurturing many partnerships in both the townships, as well as rural South Africa over the last twenty years, AIAIA has been gifted with the life stories of countless men, women and children that have never started the day with the basic necessities of life. Nonetheless, I and all those who have traveled to South Africa as a member of our delegations have seen and experienced examples of a community that continues to work for justice and equality. As a result of the challenges and the historical lack of justice and equality, there is an undeniable realization and belief that their humanity is intertwined. Life is meant to be shared. When one person is hungry, we are all hungry, when one person struggles, we all struggle. True and lasting equality can only come about when we choose that level of inclusivity into who we want to be in this life.
Carter Woodson was an African American historian, writer and journalist. I wish to paraphrase a key component of his work;
"If you can control a person's thinking, you do not have to worry about their actions. When you determine what a person shall think, you do not have to concern yourself about what they will do. If you make another person feel that they are inferior, you do not have to compel them to accept an inferior status, they will seek it on their own. If you make another person think that they are justly an outcast, you do not have to order them to the back door. They will go without being told; and if there is no back door, their very nature will demand one."
Despite the strides we have made, our call to work for justice is never complete.
Woodson was born in 1875 and died in 1950. It is more than distressing that the struggle he describes is the same struggle which we are called to embrace in our world today. We who believe in justice are given this time in history to make a difference. The three pillars of AIAIA, healthcare, food distribution and education sit solidly on a foundation of justice and a passion for equality.
I want to thank our donors for your financial support and encouragement over the years. I also want to invite you to join us in our second annual virtual fundraiser. I am most excited to share the experience of Arm In Arm In Action 2021.
I am asking you to not only save the date of Saturday, July 17th, 12:00 o'clock noon CDT, I am asking that you step up and make a definitive difference in bringing about more justice in our world. We have been hard at work in preparing a very compelling and revealing presentation of entertainment, personal stories, and educational opportunities around the partnerships that we celebrate in Africa. As I mentioned, life is meant to be shared, and so is Arm In Arm in Action 2021.
As we emerge from the shadows and isolation of the pandemic, consider hosting a Watch Party! I would be most thankful for your willingness to work for justice by speaking out loud and often about our fundraising event on July 17th. Thank you for your support and participation in AIAIA, I am eternally grateful.
James Cassidy, President AIAIA