Conflict seems to be the virus spreading in our contemporary world. But, what happens when that directly impacts you? What do we do, what do we say? Oftentimes it isn’t so clear and we’re left with a sense of despair. A feeling of seeming entirely powerless against the knowledge that there is violence and relentless chaos growing rapidly across the globe. 

This is the unfortunate reality of today’s world, and our instinct to care for it.

When a video or headline reaches our screens once in a while, the urge to reach out and do something grows within us. This feeling is no longer a rare occurrence – it is almost everyday that we see something that will trigger this subconscious urgency. Nevertheless, conflicts do impact each one of us. Though indirectly, we still know what it is to experience panic or worry and empathize with the feeling of possible instability and chaos.

It is difficult to find a middle ground when starting to talk about a certain issue or contribute in some way or another. We do not have the platforms to do so, and it is not necessarily our fault. It seems to be the way things go, the way society is set up. Speaking up often feels like a risk, and so people usually avoid it. This is valid, since several of these topics can feel heavy and may bring the mood down – or even cause arguments and disparity. But, that doesn’t mean that they don’t hold importance and relevance to us. Especially not at this very moment.

As an example for the topics that could do with a little more limelight, Sudan has been facing an ongoing lack of humanitarian aid. It has been classified as a “forgotten crisis” because of how little recognition it has gotten. Over 12 million people have been displaced, and it is the only place left in the world currently classified as experiencing famine. 

This is not the first time we have seen this. 

What about the lack of humanitarian funding and international media attention? What of Gaza? Of Congo? All three of these regions are facing, and have faced throughout history, the complete and utter scarcity of aid and basic human necessities. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been suffering from various aspects of state failure since the mid-90s, with unprecedented records of violence and displacement throughout the last three decades. 

The instability we see abroad is starting to leak into our own realities. With rising rates of conflict across the globe, our futures seem to be uncertain to say the least. Something as simple as setting up a Common App account falls under just another one of the “what-ifs” in this process. Through the hallways of this school, murmurs of applying to the US or backpacking across Europe are easily the most popular conversation starters. But what happens when those dreams are compromised by rejected visas and growing regional vulnerability in places we have dreamed of as kids? 

Coming from a country that has such a rich history as well as importance only emphasises that knowing or not knowing what to say are complicated things to navigate. The gap between our individual voices and the colossal scale of this international crisis can feel hard to bridge from a small school in Mussoorie, India. 

Perhaps the solution is to refuse to stop talking about it all. In order to bridge the gap, starting to build on conversations surrounding these topics can get us far. As students with the tools, voices, and willpower, the potential for us to begin somewhere is immensely powerful. While we cannot control the world stage, we can control how we interact with our communities, how we educate ourselves, and how we choose to speak out. I believe that we can build a collective empathy in order to engage with and discuss these things, instead of retreating from them.

We need to collectively advocate for the right things at what feels like the right time, coming together to strive for peace.

Written by Shivani D. Journalist at The Woodstocker

Edited by Tisya K. and Norzin Y. Co-Editor of The Woodstocker