Oppression: Different Masks and One Origin

Oppression is not only disturbing and overwhelming, it is also disgusting! As humans we need to transform greed, and egoistic desires into conscious understanding and resolution of long standing power differentials, conflict and aggression. We need to confront the root cause of injustices not only on the societal level but also on the personal level. As a clinical counsellor who works from an anti-oppression approach, I personally felt angry, then sad then ashamed of our fellow humans who harbor hatred and grudges towards their fellow humans. Regardless of the perceived difference between ourselves and our fellow humans; whether it is based on skin colour, socio-economic status, religion, origin or whatever it is always the same! Oppression has one face; that of fear, scarcity, and disconnection. Oppression actually comes from a place of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy. It feeds on beliefs of scarcity as opposed to abundance and welfare. Nonetheless, it is a never satiated ghost that will come around and back to where it originated from unless we break the vicious cycle of greed and fear.

We as conscious humans need to advocate for individual and societal wellbeing. We cannot be neutral in the face of oppression. We need to unveil its face whether it is hiding behind violence, exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, or cultural imperialism. Nowadays, we live through times during which everyone needs to remind themselves that doing nothing in the face of oppression is complacency. Divisive beliefs weaken our public lives and destroy our personal wellbeing in the process. Societal wellbeing is holistic and integrative similar to that of an individual. Everything is connected and impacted by everything else. Taking care of your physical health, for example can never compensate for ignoring your mental health. Similarly, focusing on your social wellbeing while suppressing your emotional needs will only maintain your agony and alienation. By the same token, turning our backs to the damage of oppressing and suppressing social justice will only perpetuate the vicious cycle leading to collective demise.

I invite you to observe oppression in your personal life as well on the public sphere.  How does this instead of balance and harmony affect your overall wellbeing? Think about your own specific role as a game changer. What role can you play towards your own holistic wellbeing and that of your community and society? What responsible role can you play towards social justice, equity, and inclusion? Remember, we all are responsible in a way or another! Oppression is a contagious virus that everyone can play a part to maintain or extricate. It is a choice that we need to consciously make! We have a role to notice it and catch it and fight it whether it is wearing racial discrimination mask, domestic violence mask, or gender inequalities mask, homophobic-oriented aggression or any other mask. Never underestimate your role regardless how tiny you believe it is! Educate yourself, your children and immediate family about the various masks of oppression. They all boil down to greed, taking advantage of, disrespect, and exclusion. We need to operate from a place of curiosity and willingness to question our preconceptions, prejudices and biases so that we do not unconsciously play a complacent role in the maintenance of oppression. We need to become agents of growth and transformation towards harmony, wellbeing and balance on the personal and societal levels.