Berkley Center

Mr. Mukhane, a tribal agricultural laborer, sits in desperation as he watches the face of his ailing mother in the last stages of lung cancer, a victim of atmospheric pollution. What were his options? Traditional faith healers (bhagats), the ill-equipped public health center five kilometers away, or a private health clinic which would suck out his entire life savings, leading him into the black hole of poverty. Like people in most other countries, Indian rural inhabitants and the urban poor are no strangers to the lack of access to even basic healthcare, and affordability is not the only reason. The old adage ‘Health is Wealth’ can be extended to understand that good health is an important component of generating wealth, and a sound conscience is instrumental in the appropriate allocation of wealth. We see that all world issues such as hunger, climate change, and lack of access to basic facilities, are all arranged in converging circles, with the “Mr. Mukhanes” bearing the brunt of most of these.

The world is changing so rapidly, and the focus on economic growth is taking over all activity at a pace so fast that we, as a global family, are caving into the pressures of selfishness. This has manifested itself in the stark realities of great disparities across the globe in varied socio-cultural-political settings, affirming Gandhi’s words that “The earth provides for all men's needs, not for all men's greed.” I would like to cite the opening lines on the ‘Situation of man in the world today’ stated in Gaudium et spes: “The Church has the responsibility of reading the signs of the time and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. [...] We must be aware of and understand the aspirations, the yearnings, and the often dramatic features of the world we live in.” Linking universally witnessed inequality with this Catholic social teaching encourages us to let our choice amongst the alternatives be based on compassion, hope and belief in the possibility of bringing about ‘common good.’ We are called upon to be witnesses against factors, conditions, and policies, as well as people, who reinforce vitiating traits against true development, even if the offending person is our own self. We need to ask challenging questions which lead to deeper insight into social problems. The answers we discover help shape our mental frame and make paradigm shifts to respond to situations that affect the common good—as individuals in society, members in institutions, and citizens of a nation who are all part of the world community genuinely seeking to find a working solution.

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