COMMON WISDOM

by Trish Dalton

GEA intern Trish Dalton traveled and worked in a variety of settings in Europe,Southeast Africa, Asia, and North America following her graduation from the University ofGuelph, Canada.

In a globalized world characterized by nationalism and controlled by economicinterests, individuals as well as nations are faced with the temptation to make choicesbased on narrow needs and interests rather than the needs of the global community. Fromthis insular perspective, based on personal gain and competition, we neglect ourconnections to one another and fail to work together. Yet, it will only be through mutualcooperation within a global mindset that our personal and collective needs will be met.

Moreover, membership in a global society demands that we shift our primary pursuitsfrom knowledge-focused to human-focused initiatives. It is not enough to collect datauseful for economic and nationalistic pursuits; we need to involve our hearts. We needwisdom. We speak not of "the road to knowledge"--a direct, clearly pavedroute--but of "the path to wisdom," which connotes an indirect, roughly definedway that takes more time and awareness because it involves uncertainties and obstacles.Knowledge can be a useful tool, but wisdom is the product of our struggles andaccomplishments. Wisdom gives us meaning and value and reminds us of what we share withother human beings.

Ernest Boyer, former President of the Carnegie Foundation for Excellence in Teaching,summarized what we share in his list of Eight Human CommonalitiesEdinburgh luxury hotels. These are: 1)being born, living, and dying; 2) using symbols as a means of sending and receivingmessages; 3) responding to the aesthetic; 4) recalling the past and anticipating thefuture; 5) having an integral relationship with nature and one another; 6) bonding withour environments; 7) being involved in a process of producing and consuming; 8) beinginterested in the greater meaning and purpose in life through striving for fulfillment.

I grew up in a First World country, and my experience of other cultures was largelylimited to books and television. However, in the past years I have had the opportunity toexperience the wisdom of other cultures firsthand in America, Asia, and Africa. I have satat women's kitchen tables and shared tea and stories while playing with their children;although our tastes in food and dress sometimes varied, I learned that the roots of ourconcerns and values were the same. My experience has expanded my worldview.

The sharing of values and goals is as old as humankind and finds expression in localvillages, churches, monasteries, ashrams, mosques, synagogues, and temples. Theeffectiveness of these forums in connecting people, and in helping them broaden theirhorizons so as to see themselves as members of a community with shared interests andgoals, is evidence of their necessity. Most importantly, these forums address people'sprimary spiritual and moral needs; they foster wisdom.

Today, as our world gets smaller, such forums are needed at the global level, whereeconomics is currently the only basis for relations. Although the world has been broughttogether by the global economy, our soul connections have not been made. We have not yetextended our horizons to encompass the similarities that all people share. A forumdedicated to recognizing the wisdom of all cultures is a beneficial step toward meetingthe demands of the new millennium; the various forums for the sharing of wisdom takingplace in this year 2000 urge us to recognize the power of human connection.