First draft of AKT speech for future presentation

Comments?

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I polled my online groups to help decide which topic I should choose for this presentation. I posted a list of possibilities, and their overwhelming response was to promote AKT.

AKT, simply put, means Acceptance, Kindness and Tolerance. While these seem like concepts which should not be difficult to promote, a number of obstacles present themselves nonetheless.

Civilized society must evolve to actually embody such terms, or relinquish the designation of ‘civilized' in favor of the truth. Are we civilized or are we barbarians? Where is the dividing line, anyway? I submit to you that we are just one crisis away from behaving in the most feral manner.

But the majority of our crises are man-made and preventable... and if we DID choose to prevent them, that would leave us free to tend to those who are affected by natural disasters with much more compassion and resource availability. For example, if we were not engaged in warfare and strife against one another, we could join together to brave the elements: including space.

In order to reach a stage of existence in which we all work together toward common goals, we must learn to set aside petty differences and squelch hatred. The cure for ignorance is education. The cure for apathy is to awaken each individual's hidden passion.

Acceptance

What do we really mean when we use the word acceptance, which can be defined as "favorable reception; approval; or favor"? It should not be mysterious and even the smallest child can learn to be accepting - so why do adults have so much difficulty with this term?

Perhaps it is the "pack" mentality, which tends to be exclusive rather than inclusive. But we are not a pack. We are so much more than that. Yes, mankind lives tribally in some remote quarters... and war still rages on multiple fronts worldwide. However, tribal living has advantages that we have forgotten in our quest to be independent and live in our own private apartments or single-family homes; single-family generally not to include one's extended family any more.

Individuality has been taken to such an extreme that I believe it has fostered a culture that seethes with intolerance on many levels. This is like a festering boil that must be lanced and healed in order for everyone to cooperate fully. We must learn to support the many facets of our society without prejudice and with an open heart.

When we can accept each other's differences without expecting everyone to conform to some arbitrary idea of what is normal, then we will begin to see breakthroughs. And do you know where it starts? It begins with ME.

Kindness

Kindness may be described as the quality of being warmhearted, considerate, humane and sympathetic. It is up to ME to be kind, and treat others with dignity and respect, regardless of their race, religion, ability to respond, or other factors, although I must admit it is most difficult to be kind to those who are exhibiting inconsiderate behavior themselves.

It is also not so easy to be kind when one is indisposed, under-the-weather or otherwise not feeling quite well. In fact, we may not even mean to appear nasty or rude but others may perceive us this way... and that is where communication barriers begin. A good example of this is when my husband is simply tired, but his behavior leads me to believe he is angry or sad. It is not always easy to tell, and people do not wear signs. Sometimes I wish they did!

Tolerance

Tolerance requires a good deal of acceptance and kindness mixed together. The best definition of tolerance is: "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry." But tolerance has also been described as "The endurance of the presence or actions of objectionable persons, or of the expression of offensive opinions; toleration."

As we can see, in the latter definition, there may be those who find the material or activities distasteful... but tolerance dictates that one exhibit acceptance and kindness nonetheless. It is a very genteel attitude, therefore, that one must possess, to be diplomatic in situations wherein one might be otherwise inclined.

In closing I'd like to say that this AKT campaign is meant to combat the bullying and teasing which lead to further strife, but this alone can not fix the world's problems. There are a number of people with mental illnesses who cannot be fixed with pretty words and silly pictures. Nevertheless, just because such people exist is no reason for the rest of us to give up.

I believe we can have a better future, if we get our AKT together and make a sincere effort. I'm ready to work toward that goal, how about you?

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I'm sure it will evolve through many other incarnations before I actually start giving this presentation... and I have tons of illustrations to develop for it, but any suggestions etc. are welcome. Please!