I’m sitting with the outcome of the recent National Election.
I supported the candidate that lost. So, I am grieving, as humans do, the loss of something that I wanted that I didn’t get. After breaking through the denial, I was angry, began to bargain about whose fault it was and what could have been different. The last few days I have sat in sadness. The final phase of grief is acceptance, and as I move into that phase I have embraced a reality that if 47% of Americans voted for Donald Trump, then there are some similar representative percentage of men in the Mankind Project that voted for him also. In a democracy that is their right and they have their own reasons which I may or may not understand or agree with. Inclusivity is one of the core values of the ManKind Project, and the current political climate that prevailed in the election is one of Exclusivity based on factors such as religion, sexual orientation, racial and cultural identity, immigration status or political perspective.
The paradox I am sitting in is how do we broaden our embrace in the Mankind Project to practice our commitment to inclusion, even with men who hold distinctly different values in these areas. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” As difficult as that is to do in the current times for either side of this highly contentious recent election, it seems I have little choice but to love my enemies until they become friends.
This does not mean that I disregard my values, go silent, or stop doing what I believe to be taking individual and collective responsibility for the future of humanity. I can attempt to remain in relationship with those I disagree with.
Steven Covey stated that he doesn’t need people around him that he always agrees with because he doesn’t learn anything. I have friends on Social Media that supported the Republican ticket and I resisted the temptation to unfriend them simply because I wanted to stay in relationship and understand what they are thinking and feeling.
I don’t use the word hate often but what I do hate is that vicious attacks on the opposition often give one side or the other the edge in close elections. Both sides in this last election used attacks on the other and even on the system itself. I would love to see an election where the issues were the primary focus.
In closing, I have no intention to veer from my commitment to manifesting our vision of creating “a safe world where all men are brothers, in relationship with one another, a world where conflicts are resolved peacefully; where torture, genocide, domestic violence and senseless war are only entries in the history books, where men are fully accountable and take responsibility for their decisions, where men stand tall and proud to be men, secure in their role and deeply committed to nurturing one another, their families, their communities and their planet.”
Who gets elected and what happens in Washington, D.C. is definitely context but our vision is bigger than one election or one candidate and there is so much to be done.
If you have some ideas about how the ManKind Project USA can be a stand for inclusivity and a place of safety and welcome for all kinds of men, please share them with me!
We came to change the world, so let’s do it!
Out with Determination,
Julien Devereux
MKP USA Chairman
