March 1st. New month. What else is new?
Not to sound melodramatic, but it seems as if the world stands on the brink of World War III.
War and rumours of war fill the airwaves of those of us who live overseas while citizens of Ukraine huddle in basements and metro stations for protection.
How did we get here? I’m not a geopolitical expert by any means. I’m just a humble linguist from the Caribbean, a region typically known as a zone of peace, where peace-loving people abide.
As a language lover and a person who has lived in foreign countries as a “migrant” or “expat” I have experienced the joy of speaking the language of the host countries that have welcomed me arms wide open. I have also experienced the frustration and insufficiency of not being able to communicate with those who speak a language I don’t understand.
When you speak the same language even some administrative barriers can tumble to let you in because there is a pure human connection between two people who are face to face, communicating in a common language that they both understand. Administrative errors happen. Protocols are broken at times. But any misunderstanding can be resolved by communicating openly, honestly, humbly and in the mother tongue of the one who holds the balance of power.
On the other hand, when you do not speak the mother tongue of your host or the one who holds the reins of power, you are even more powerless. The ability to speak another person’s language is a source of pleasure but also power and can become an equalizer.
My point here is people nurture peace. People pursue war.
We tend to think of war as an entity or a system when in fact it’s simply people following orders from people who are following orders from a person. If that one person understands the power that lies in his/her tongue, and if that one person had pure intentions of the heart, this person would be able to change the world literally with one word!
We must choose leaders who choose their words carefully.
We must be leaders who choose our words carefully.
We must choose language that nurtures peace.
