Life is a funny thing. You never know where it will take you. I realized something. I am over something. Something I thought it would take me a long time to come over and it did…
Right now I am sitting and enjoying an afternoon coffee listening to Annie Lennox – “Into the West”, the end song of the third and last part of Lord of the Rings. I cannot help thinking back on a year that has changed my life tremendously. A friend asked me how my year has been so far and I tried to summarize it, but probably did not make it justice. I think it is hard to summarize the year in any fair manner as there are so many episodes, events and meetings that has built it up. The year of 2007 is one of the most impactful years in my life. I have learned a lot of myself – both strengths and weaknesses.
This year has very much been woven up by seeking answers – either in business or personal as for what I wanted to do. The summer as probably one of the most experiences of my life time. It was a big roller-coaster ride in any possible way. Very intense indeed.
I remember one turning point. I think it was late August and I was taking a long walk listening to music and ended up sitting at a bench at Stanford Campus looking at the stars. Thinking of what made sense to do. Or how to go there. I made the decision there under the stars. Since then I have stayed honest to that decision. What the decision was I will leave out but I believe I made the right choice. Time will tell.
After a few days with less intense work at the end of 2007, I have gotten some perspective over things and I believe I know how I would like to take on this new year and what I would like to do.
I look with anticipation and comfort to the year of 2008.
“What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home”
Around the world. Constantly. Something is happening. The snap of the moment. A flash. A picture. A video. A short text message. A reflection. In the flash of the moment this might seem insignificant. Non-important. Random. Often these reflections, perspectives, observations are the first evidence of an event. It is the whisper of the wind that something is on the horizon. Something is bubbling up. It is the glow before the fire starts… Something is about to happen or is happening as we speak. The importance may vary, but it’s the breaking moment of the event… Snap, snap…
It is the need for the open forum. The personal angles of any event. The human side of the event. The community.
It is the breaking events that appear all the time around us. All around the world. The impact varies, but the characteristics are the same. They matter to all of us. They influence us all.
These events are built up by people. The individuals. The participants. The observers. The influencers. The enforcers. The average Joes or Janes. The politicians. The police men. The demonstrants. They all play their part of the event. They weave the plot. They are the plot.
This is the need for the open forum. The people. The community around the event.
All these elements should be put together into the unique event experience. The user should be given all perspectives. The user should be given all the news stories. The user should be given all the blogs and opinions. The user should be given all the images. The user should be given all the videos. The user should be given all the relevant content of the event….
The users should be given the possibility – by the means that are available to them – to bring forward their message, shared globally for the benefit of mankind.
But… For any event…
The forum will need you – yes you – to tell your side of the event, whether it is a political event, business event, sports event. Yes, any event. The forum will need you to give your perspective. It will need you to share your feelings and emotions. It can be as short as a sentence. It can be the cellphone picture. The cellphone video. An article. A perspective. Yes, anything. It all weaves the mosaic of angles of the event. The human side of the event. It gives the “right” perspective.
Right now Pakistan is being impacted in every possible way by the death of Benazir Bhutto. Regardless of your political agenda you will have an opinion, an emotion or just a comment. This is why this forum is needed where you can express yourself – unedited, unmediated and in context of an event.
I woke up this morning with around 10 missed calls, 15 SMSs and a truck load of emails about the tragic death and assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan earlier today Pacific Time. I cannot say I know so much about Pakistani politics, but I do believe that violence is not the right way to go and that it never has been. We need to as a global society understand that only through dialogue we will be able to sustainable move forward into the future.
Too many global issues we have at hand – global warming, the war on terror, the global economy – are now being controlled and their solutions are being directed by a smaller number of people trying to obscure the path to the future. I have said this before that it is not a political statement but a human statement for the future. We all need to realize that the only sustainable way to walk into the future is to start to shape a global society and thereafter behave as such. This is truly not an original thought. Does United Nations and European Union ring a bell? The difference however is that we today via technology can build these borderless friendships if we only learn to embrace our differences and realize that we are very similar when it comes to it. When it comes down to it we want to live a peaceful life, work, eat, have kids sleep and most of all be with friends and family without feeling threatened. This is so simple.
Events such as the assassination of Benazir Bhutto makes me sad not only because of the death of a person, with significance whether you liked the political agenda of her or not, but it also makes me angry because we are letting the bad elements of this world to control and to some extent shape our future. Why do we let them? It shouldn’t be that way. It can change. Call me naive, but I will continue to believe this is the right way.
A friend said it so well: “Sitting here catching up in a pine and aspen grove on the slopes of the Jackson Hole ski resort. Bhutto’s death seems so far away, and so discouraging…”
I agree…
Sitting in the comfortable environment in Palo Alto is also a bit strange as you think back on what is happening around the world right now. However we should all try to find our role here and see how we should influence the future. I believe my role is here now.
Personally and all my friends knows this, I am such a profound believer of the open dialogue and the true freedom of speech. The first step is to embrace the differences with your enemy but you should also always, always look into yourself what you can do, what your part of the issue is. We are all part of a global society and we should start to realize that. Call it butter fly effect, the “pass it forwardâ€-effect, but all our actions have some effect and the best way is to start to reflecting on how our behavior influences other people and if we have the right to do so. When it comes to violence I believe this is such an easy answer – violence never work.
In order for us to move forward here we need a global dialogue between all the world’s citizens about every issues – huge, small, big or just the average everyday issue we face. This is how we will progress as a society and this is what I sincerely believe we can do at http://www.allvoices.com.
Therefore, please help me spread the word as a sincerely believe the only way to move beyond this endless violence is to promote dialogue between citizens across the globe. The future lies in the unedited dialogue between the citizens of the world so let us start this dialogue now.
Very much as I did for the events in Lebanon last summer I thought it would be good to get people around the world and in particular in Pakistan to share their views about what is happening there after the assassination of Bhutto. Please spread the word about the pages below where anyone can contribute their opinions, ask questions or just let the world know how you feel. We will not edit any content at the site so everything is unedited. It is a free, unedited, unmediated forum for everyone to give their side of the story and to tell the rest of the world about events that matter. If you choose to contribute via cellphone (SMS, MMS and email) use the following numbers: +45-609-91-0280; +61-427-22-9537; mms@allvoices.com (for images).
Here is the event page for the tragic death of Benazir where you will find news stories, blogs, first hand accounts, videos and images about the assassination showing you all the angles of the event, please give us yours.
http://www.allvoices.com/benazir-bhutto-is-dead
A page with any content related to Benazir Bhutto including other parts she was part of. Let us know what your feelings are about her and her work.
http://www.allvoices.com/people/Benazir-Bhutto
(A more general presentation of allvoices is found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAM1y_Qb9Do )