10 months ago, President Trump issued an executive order setting a travel ban for certain nations in the Middle-East. What followed was the usual uproar on Twitter, sure to subdue in a few days.
One of my best friends from school, Amir, had a noticeably different excitement that day before the news broke; he had just found out his Grandmother would be making the 6,455 mile trip from Iran to St. Bonaventure to see her beloved grandson graduate.
When Amir heard of the travel ban, it left him devastated and it impacted the rest of our small campus too. Amir was one of the most well-liked kids on campus because of how he treated people -- with respect and love. It killed us to see him hurting for something completely out of his control.
Regardless of the politics surrounding the decision, the travel ban caused a good person pain. I thought to myself, if this is happening here on our small campus, then it's happening on a much greater scale elsewhere.
Later that day, Amir thanked us for being there for him after learning what his family was going through. Then, an idea hit.
If we can't outright change the law, let's at least demonstrate to other people going through this that we recognize their pain and are here to help them get through it.
That's exactly what we did. Within hours, we had a simple, succinct, and sincere event planed for later that week. On a cold and snowy February morning, St. Bonaventure stood in solidarity with those affected by the travel ban. Please click here to learn more about the event.
The power of unity was evident that day. It taught me that showing solidarity is something we all can and should do. If we as humans aren't united, then we aren't much of anything. The beauty of life is that we get to share it with other people, and if one of us is hurting, we need to show compassion and understanding. We simply need to show we care.
Unfortunately, this is only one example of a marginalized group of people. There are countless opportunities for us to step into someone else's shoes, gain perspective and show compassion. Standing in solidarity doesn't have to be taken literally. All you need to do is shift your mindset, and speak for those who cant speak for themselves. Let's escape the bubble of our daily lives and recognize that there are folks who are hurting out there. Recognizing their pain is the first step toward helping them. It's the very least we can do.
Today on #InternationalHumanSolidarityDay who are you standing in solidarity with?
