Why should we care about a humanitarian crisis that's happening on the other side of the world which will not directly affect us? While most of us will be bothered when we hear about people being unfairly punished or persecuted, much less of us will be compelled to take action. Even getting people to listen or pay attention to what's happening is difficult.
On Thursday an activist from the Uyghur, a minority Muslim Turkic group persecuted in China, came to UCF to talk about the genocide their people are facing. He founded East Turkistan National Awakening Movement, an organization to advocate for the rights of the Uyghur people.
You would probably be surprised to know that the Chinese government is holding three million Uyghur people - yes, you read that right 3 million! - in concentration camps, where they are subjected to rape, food and sleep deprivation and organ harvesting, among other things. Outside of the camps life is not much better. Most of us do not even know about what's happening in China, because the media has barely covered it. Three million is a huge number, it's more than the population of Chicago or the same as 40 Superdome stadiums filled to capacity.
Persecution on such a massive scale is reminiscent of the Holocaust. At that time we said never again. Never again will humanity allow this to happen, but will we? There's a moral obligation to care, but that doesn't resonate with everyone. Why else should we care?
The United States' place in the world and the fact that we have freedoms that do not exist in many places makes us more responsible to do something. We, the people, have greater power to make a difference and create change than ever before - these days it doesn't require as much sacrifice.
For example, the Me Too movement was started with a hashtag and that led to real effects on the ground, inspiring protests and impacting public officials. Of course, it involved much more than that, but a lot of the work was done by sharing on social media and writing about it. It had such a big impact that the pressure it created brought down or exposed the seemingly untouchable powerful and famous.
This is one example of a simple action that can make a big difference.
Even if we're not directly affected by what happens on the other side of the world, it's repercussions can reach us. It has happened in the past and is happening now. People fleeing from wars in other parts of the world have come here to seek refuge. Displacement creates pressure on the whole system, strapping resources and driving up costs among other effects.
And think about this, if a country is left to eradicate a minority group it sets a precedent that it's OK to do this. Then who's to say we won't be the next victims? What about Americans abroad? It's "First they came for the socialists…" all over again.
No matter where they are, in this day and age, as Americans, standing up for the oppressed and the voiceless is really about standing up for ourselves and our collective future.It's on us to speak up against injustice, wherever it may be.
