Sports Diplomacy

And the father said "When will they stop shaming my honor?" God The Father ~ Catholic Service. 

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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

     The truth is that yesterday I briefly wrote about peace. Peace is a simple word, to achieve this it takes courage, and guts. It is not easy to reconcile where there are wounds, especially buried through the harsh histories. We can use the current example of North Korea, and the United States of America peace talks, or delve deeper into history where we think about African-Americans, slavery, the oppressions of the Mexican American / Chicano, Hispanic / Latinos, or the philosophy that was inherently embedded from the father of positivism Auguste Comte (1798–1857). This took place in America, and also South / Latin America as well. Explorers also came from a variety of regions including Europe. They discovered riches, goods, luscious trees, forests, jewels, and other condiments that were present in the lands of Mexico and the south. They began trade, but used the indigenous, Mexican, and Hispanic / Latino's for their goods. The forced racism and the usury of the people is a narrative that we have heard about with other people, and lands of the world. The knowing of this history is important, but is also in a sense problematic when we think of the word peace. To know harsh histories, and to still want to endeavour to achieve peace, becomes a much more courageous act. Recent French involvement with a united mission to defend Syria, also suggests a nations efforts to be more inclusive.

      Family Level 
     We can even take these thoughts and relate them to the microcosm of a family. No family is perfect. There are both positive, flourishing relationships, and also relationships that have not worked out. Sometimes we do have to let things be, if a relationship is severed for our own peace of mind. But there are those that can be repaired, with maintenance. It really is about give and take, an investment to endure for the sake of building, keeping, and maintaining relationship for peace.

    Individual Level
   We can even take thinner thoughts and relate them to the individual level, and our relationship to a nation. Out interactions, experiences, both positive and negative will have an impact upon how we make decisions, and our interaction with that nation. All of these thoughts can be related to anyone who has served, and fought for a nation. When it is time to make an effort to build peace with an enemy, it takes great courage and guts. While how we interact with others on a daily level will also affect how relations are built. The real work happens at the internal level - where the invisible wounds, the heart aches, buried scars, also require care, healing, and our attention. The reality is that the historical wounds, and those of present day are difficult to heal, which is why the word courage is needed. The beginning of all healing is to genuinely want this. Forgiveness can happen but forgetting, that does take time. It is a process, both internal and external. 

     Sports Diplomacy
  We can also take the current example of the announcement of the 2026 World Cup that will occur in three nations. Mexico, America and Canada. This is a great example of unity of nations through sports, especially because of the recent rifts. There are also rough and tough histories with  each nation, and presently trade and tariff disputes. While President Trump does tout unfair trade practices, and also uses NAFTA to say that Americans treated are unfairly, but the truth is that the bulk of these agreements benefit America. The benefits are not equal. Also, the rising tension between America and Mexico, due to immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees, also reveals the good timing of this announcement. The recent quarrelling of nations should be resolved, and the migrations of people should be treated with respect and dignity. Everyone needs to focus. The 2026 World Cup in the three nations reveals, that unity can happen, and is a good example of sports diplomacy.  

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

​Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on June 14th, 2018.
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