We humans are a strange race. We are remarkably good at cooperation within groups. And remarkably prone to emphasizing differences between groups.
Over the last 100 years or so, no two peoples nor generations have grown up within the same boundaries, have seen the same opportunities, faced the same threats, nor shared the same experiences. Through this constant of change, the human psyche has remained remarkably the same.
The world has changed however, well at least the technology has. We can now go further, faster and with less effort, technology being a master-enabler.
And daily, we choose whether to weaponize the technology we use for division or unity.
Though millions of North Americans woke up this morning wanting very similar things (safety, respect, and love etc.) it was our differences, our spats, that made the headlines in record speed and reach. And we still flocked to these headlines like moths to flame, absorbing and reflecting all their unrestrained heat.
Truth is, it is easier for us to ignore what we share, the common, simple, basic needs across all humanity that drive our most everyday decisions. The threat of commonality is a pariah to our society, an unwelcomed reality that we fear will jeopardize our rights to individuality, defy our cultural beliefs, and steal our self-defined superiority.
We at IMOW are choosing to use technology to help all voices be heard, to gather the diverse perspectives across communities, and to relay the basic messages these combine to create.
We were built around the ethos of common humanity and respect, and in a world that often feels noisy and fragmented, we want to bring clarity and understanding. Because those desires are not generational, cultural or geographical. They are human.