Collective will and determination . . . how many times has that changed history?
March 1st marks a turning point in the Korean movement for independence from Japan, who had colonized it in 1910. On that day in 1919, protests were held in Seoul and a Proclamation of Independence was read. These protests launched a wave of 1500 protests involving 2 million people in Korea and other countries over the course of a year. With loud voices, Koreans moved to take back their own destiny and self-determination. They strengthened national unity and led to the leaders establishing the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, China.
What should our collective will and determination turn toward in 2024? I hope it can be directed toward evolving into a new humanity with values of compassion and coexistence. We have those values now, but because of various forces, our society does not embody them. However, by gathering our intentions and actions together, we can steer all people in every country toward a more peaceful, natural, and harmonious future. We can take back our own sovereignty from the internal and external forces that keep us from this future and lead us toward collective destruction.
We Can Overcome
As in any protest against a stronger power, the people involved in what is known as the March First Movement (3.1 Movement) faced a lot of resistance and obstacles, even violence. It took twenty-one more years for Korea to gain its independence. But they believed in their cause enough to persevere. We can be as strong as our ancestors, the many people around the world who believed in change and chose to work for it. We can overcome the idea that coexistence is impractical and impossible. With the force of our collective will and determination, we can turn the tide of resistance from scarcity to abundance and from fear and hatred to love.
The first step in that choice, I believe, is to connect. By connecting our minds and hearts, we get in touch with our true selves—the parts of us that already embody coexistence. And we feel the oneness that also characterizes our true selves; we connect with all people past and present, and with the earth and all the life on it. Through this connection, we recognize that there’s no real difference between countries, races, or religions. At the root, we are all part of one humanity living on one earth. We are Earth Citizens.
So on March 1st, whether we are Korean, American, or of any other nation, let us remember our connection. Let’s gather our collective will and determination for a peaceful and prosperous planet.
Learn more about what it would mean for us to be a new humanity in my latest book, A New Humanity: Embracing Our Responsibility for the Earth.
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