“Exploring Inner Peace and Global Harmony: A Tale of Enrichment”
by Sabrina Khan, Uttara Center
I was a good friend of Sheikh Mohammad Arif. I first met him in mid-2006. It can be said that I came to know about the Humanist Movement from that time. That year, the Asian Regional Meeting of the Humanist Movement was held in Dhaka. Several observers from the Asian region as well as Europe and America joined this regional meeting.
I got an invitation from Sheikh Mohammad Arif, I joined that conference out of curiosity and learned a lot about this international organization. Later, due to my marriage to Sheikh Mohammad Arif, my acquaintance with the Humanist Movement is long-standing. It can be said that it was a journey of many years as an observer.
I had the opportunity to attend various activities of the Humanist Movement at different times. In the beginning, their organizational matters were not very clear to me. So I could not connect much.
Then in 2022, when the Humanist Movement in Bangladesh took the initiative to renovate Gazipur Bitipara Park, I got involved and visited Gazipur Bitipara Park with everyone. I participated in many meetings of the Bangladesh Base Team regarding this program. The initiative to renovate the park was not successful at that time due to various reasons. But I never missed joining the program, taken by the Bangladesh Team on the International Non-Violence Day on October 2 every year.
In the middle of this year, I got to know that Mr. Decler Hague from Australia is coming to Dhaka. I also came to know about the Third World March for Peace and Non-Violence, Costa Rica, 2025. In anticipation of the 3rd World March, on October 2, the International Day of Non-Violence, Humanist volunteers will embark on a 93-day world tour with the message of peace and non-violence. The world tour team will enter Asia on October 16 after the Latin America tour. They are scheduled to visit Bangladesh for the first time at the beginning of their Asian tour. Decler came to Dhaka to observe the preparations of Bangladesh and stayed at Kawser’s house. Many members of the Humanist Movement, Bangladesh gathered at Kawser’s house that day. I also went with my family to meet up.
Although many things were discussed in the meeting that day, I understood some, but I did not understand a few other things. It can be said that I did not understand anything special. However, when I heard the slogan of the Humanist Movement ‘Peace, Force and Joy’ at the end of the meeting, I felt that there are many areas to work on these three issues.
As a citizen of Bangladesh, I have no hesitation in admitting that my country and its people were going through a crisis at that time. Political stability in the country had reached an extreme state. What worried me the most at that time was that people were very aggressive on the issue of changing the political landscape. There is no cordial relationship between people now. On top of that, I noticed that people’s patience has decreased a lot now. The mercury of illusion has almost reached the bottom. To be more precise, I have to add one thing– that the moral compass in each of us may not be working properly. The real meaning of education is that it is absent in us. Whatever happens in combination with all these things cannot bring anything good at all. All of these are directly or indirectly related to negative mental states such as depression, anxiety, restlessness, helplessness, jealousy, etc.
One more thing that cannot be denied is that in the area of human thinking, here too, there is a lack of clarity. Whenever you cannot control your thinking, there will be no clarity in your thinking. In a sense, you do not understand what you are thinking about or why you are even thinking or you can’t say how deep your knowledge is about the subject you are thinking about. I think that the problems start from then on.
So it can be said that I returned home thinking about all these things that day. I was fortunately present at the time when Bangladesh was planning and planning the promotional activities for the 3rd World March for Peace & Nonviolence of the Humanist Movement. It was good to hear all the planning of everyone. I also saw that Sheikh Arif, the national coordinator of the Bangladesh chapter, had set aside a day for the Uttara Center. I planned an activity from the beginning and shared it with him. He also agreed. Then the International Seminar on Peace and Non-Violence started on behalf of Uttara Center. This time, one thing that struck me the most was that we had to inform more people in a very short time. We have to give a message, in a very broad sense, we have to create an impact.
What I wanted was very clear to me from the very beginning. When I started doing the work, I realized one thing, the work is not a very easy task but it is possible.
The Bangladesh Chapter World March was scheduled from October 17, 2024 to October 20, 2024. As it got closer, everyone was getting busier. Rafael de la Rubia (from Spain) Coordinator of the 3rd World March for Peace & Non-Violence– I heard his name for the first time in various meetings. Until then, I had no idea about him. I also heard the names of Mr. Antonio Carvallo (UK) and Mr. Decler.
When I got to know each of them separately and heard about the goals and objectives of this 3rd World March, I felt that their visit to Bangladesh was very important for the whole of Asia and Bangladesh as well.
The entire program plan of the seminar, the objective of the seminar, who will be the seminar speakers, the participants, why they will be there, we met with coordinator (Bangladesh) Sheikh Arif several times at different times.
Shanto Mariam University of Creative Technology warmly accepted the proposal to hold the seminar in their auditorium. All the arrangements for the seminar were almost complete; the activities will start from the Bangladesh Chapter. Everything started as planned starting October 17th. Declar and Antonio arrived in Dhaka. Rafael could not reach his scheduled time. Everyone left for Ishwardi to attend the neighborhood program on October 19th. So Sheikh Arif and Kawser took the responsibility of receiving Rafael at the airport. My children also joined me.
There are some people whom, when we meet for the first time, it seems like we have known them for a long time. Seeing Rafael, I felt the same feeling as my children. Seeing Rafael, who is calm and gentle, made me think that a fruitful tree always bends towards the ground. Such a knowledgeable, experienced person, yet his speech, movement, and choice of words are all so simple and unique! Being able to be with such a person is also a huge blessing. My luck was somewhat bright that day. We all had lunch together, and then Kawser took Rafael to where he would be staying.
My seminar was the next day. I put my best effort into making the seminar a successful one. Shanto Mariam University provided all the support. Some other government and private universities were with me. Justice Abdur Rouf, Chief Executive of the Daffodil University, Dean of Peace and Conflict Department of Dhaka University, Asian University, Barisal University and other academicians, poets, and eminent writers were present at this seminar.
The seminar audience was young students from the different universities. Arrangements had been made to preserve the message that we received from each speaker of the seminar from the Bangladesh Chapter. You will see its reflection in the Human Voice magazine. There were about 14 speakers in this seminar. Each of them was very knowledgeable and experienced. In a nutshell, you could understand that they presented a topic in their own ways. While conducting the seminar, I learned several things. My way of thinking has changed a lot, which I could never have imagined.
The day after my seminar, along with the base team members of the 3rd World March– Rafael, Antonio, Decler, and the Bangladesh representative (three of us) left for Nepal.
I was completely unaware of what my experience was going to be like in Nepal because I had no previous experience traveling with the Humanist Movement. As soon as I landed at the Nepal airport, I was impressed by the welcome I received from the Nepali members of the Humanist Movement. I was introduced to all the members. What was remarkable to me was the activity of the children of the members of the Humanist Movement in any matter. It can be said that the second generation of Humanists is very active. I am sincerely grateful to the Nepal coordinator, Tulsi Sigdel.
A schedule was given to us from October 21st to October 25th. The Nepal activity started on the morning of October 22nd. I had the opportunity to visit Nepal City Corporation, Tokha Municipality, Budhanikatha Municipality, Nepal Tourism Board, Buddha Stupa, Swayambhu Temple, Tribhuvan University, Panauti, Kathmandu University and several other places. Rallies, peace symbols, seminars, MOU, singing with the municipality corporations were held. Various government offices have already started their journey with Humanists. I am thrilled to see this and very hopeful that one day we will see the same scene in our country too.
We already know that Nepal is a tourist-friendly country. One thing very noticeable was that the Nepali members of the Humanist Movement embrace the ideals of Humanists in their personal lives.
Here are some photos of the 3rd WM in Dhaka and Nepal:
The slogan/motto of the Humanist Movement is “Peace, Force and Joy”.
If we look at the slogan a little more carefully, we will see that the first word that comes is peace. Peace or tranquility… From here, the journey of the Humanist only begins.
Actually, peace comes from within. Even if a person travels around the world in search of peace, he/she will not find peace. Until he/she sees it within himself. To put it a little deeper, it is said that peace has to be established within him/her first. Its reflection can be seen in the mind, thoughts, brain, thoughts, and lifestyle if a person has peace or tranquility within him. It is not just like one day you wake up and see that peace has started to exist in your mind. There are some things that a person has to practice and practice day after day. When you can create control over your thoughts, when there is clarity, when your moral compass is active, the answer to the question of what or why will be very clear to you. Then peace will take hold of your mind. It is something that you cultivate within yourself every day.
If you cannot maintain the cool touch of peace in your life on a personal level, then it will affect every aspect of your external world. First of all, your mind will be disturbed, and then your physical well-being will be added. If both your mind and your physical well-being are not under your control, then your thoughts will also not be under your control. Then you will see that you have no control over everything that is happening around you. The more terrible aspect of not having control is that those who are around you will also be affected.
If I want to say it a little more precisely, then I have to say that from the very first day of life when we have not seen the light of this world, our first existence in life begins, and we have to start our journey with peace. A child senses the environment around him from the time he is in his mother’s womb. If it is peaceful, he senses it and if it is turbulent, he senses it. Naturally, when a child grows up in a turbulent environment, we very subtly instill uncertainty in him. Which we never realize. If a mother cannot establish peace in her mind and at the same time gives birth to a child in a turbulent environment, then think about the situation of the child. This child is growing up and becoming an adult, sometimes being the leader of the society and in some cases controlling the country. Therefore, it can be said that peace starts from the personal life of a person.
If we talk from a religious point of view, then it must be said that no religion in the world teaches us to create differences with each other. As a practicing Muslim, I understand that if you lead your life within religious rules and regulations, it becomes easier to establish the foundation of peace within yourself. Because greed, jealousy, anger, pride, envy, hatred, fighting, and violence have no place in any religion. Religious rules and regulations keep a person within a healthy boundary.
We can change the course of the entire world. However, that work has to start at the individual level. If a person can maintain a little peace within himself, he will be able to help his family members so that they too can find that peace and create a peaceful world among themselves. When this first step is successful, then gradually on a large scale, meaning in the society he lives in and then in his country, he will be able to establish peace.
The interesting thing is that when a person feels peace, a different kind of power works within him. The second word of the Humanist movement slogan is “Force”. When there is peace in the mind, there will be an unshakable force in that mind. Because peace and force go hand in hand. When it is seen that peace and power are working together for each other, then the third word “Joy” will inevitably appear.
With the experience of many years in teaching and as an artist, I am saying that a child can easily absorb any subject if he understands the subject properly. An artist can touch the hearts of many people by singing a song only when he understands the essence of the song and sings it. Similarly, it will be possible for every person to create a peaceful world within himself if he understands how to do it.
A person is made up of a combination of family education, institutional education, likes, dislikes, love, anger, sadness, resentment, sense of life, experience, religious education. It is natural for one person to be different from another, their opinions and life philosophy will be different, and that is normal. A conscious person knows that he has the right to express his own opinion, and it is normal for that opinion not to match with the person in front of him. How I present this difference of opinion to the people in front of me is a huge issue. A peaceful person knows how to express his opinion and respect the opinions of other people.
Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent movement was able to change the entire map of a country. If we start walking, inspired by the ideals of the Humanist Movement, one day one word will echo in all countries of the world–we do not want war, we want peace.
Let there be a world free from war. I wish the success of the conference that is going to be held in Costa Rica on January 5, 2025.
Peace, Force, and Joy!
Sabrina Khan, a vocal artist and trainer. Uttara Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
