Trouble in the Global Village
Excerpt from "A Patch of Paradise" By Gaia Grant September 2002
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"A Patch of Paradise"
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During the attacks on Afghanistan, there were constant embassy warnings for foreigners to leave the country. The US Ambassador announced that Indonesia was the most dangerous country for foreigners outside of Afghanistan. Those who chose to remain in the country were told to stay indoors. All foreign businesses shut down for a few days until the political climate in response to the situation could be properly assessed.
Many extremist groups had threatened to step up their sweeping campaigns as part of their contribution to the cause. The Balinese were livid. They couldn't stand the thought of their tourism industry being held to ransom yet again. The Governor of Bali held a press conference to assure foreigners that Bali would remain safe.
"The only sweeping that might go on around here," he emphatically stated, "Is the daily sweeping of houses and yards!"
Articles in the local papers showed Balinese men in their traditional tribal warfare outfits claiming that they would fight to protect Bali.
Many groups were certainly planning to do their best to fight against violence, all around the world. The problem is that I think we all got a bit confused about who the real perpetrators of violence were. The US claimed it had been present in the Middle East merely to help with security and curb violence. The terrorists who attacked the WTC did so because they said they were opposed to the violence caused by the presence of US troops in the Middle East. The Taliban claimed that the US were the terrorists after they started bombing Afghanistan. The US said that they were trying to deal with the violent actions of terrorists by bombing Afghanistan.
The Indonesian anti-US protesters that were threatening to "sweep" foreigners – drive them from the country, take them as hostages, or even kill them – said they were opposing the violent actions of the US. Soon after came the anti-sweeping groups that said they would defend foreigners by force if necessary in order to deal with the violence. There was a certain irony in the cycle of violence.
As difficult as negative experiences can be, they do not define the main part of our experience here. We do not deny them, we have not ignored these problems. We have merely contributed in whatever ways I can to assist with improving these conditions and accepted as "different" or "inevitable" that which we cannot change or which cannot be changed.
Even as our patch of paradise grows ever smaller, our appreciation for what we can experience and what we have here continues to grow. That has shown me that "paradise" really is just a "frame of mind."
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