The Courage to Protect and Nurture Dignity in times of Humiliation, this lecture was hosted by the World Dignity University, by my mentor. Dr Evelin Lindner a medical doctor and psychologist who is a founding president of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies and the World Dignity University.
During her presentation, Dr Evelin acknowledged how globally we are either dealing with scandals or paralysed by drama such as the on-going wars, conflicts in mainstream and social media.
Inherently asking the pertinent question on whether there is hope, and are we living as optimist or pessimists? When taking into consideration how daily lives are dominated by scandals and dramas, which are contributing to the humiliation that is currently the sign of our times.
Dr Lindner expressed her anger as a woman born in the global North, in East Germany, therefore, they should be the generation that says: ‘never again to humiliation.’ As this is a courageous call to protect and nurture dignity during these humiliation times, thus, everyone with resources must stand up. As humanity has no other planet to send their enemies to, evidently, even in divorce there is shared custody, the same applies to shared responsibility during the prevailing humiliation times. Evidence of how humanity is living in paradoxical times that requires collective responsibility for courage to reemerge, for protecting and nurturing global dignity.
CREATING A DIGNIFIED WORLD
Dr Evelin called for new perspectives with the astronaut overview effect to enable humanity to create a dignified world.
These new perspectives that will enable humanity to transcend into new experiences currently challenging humanity, yet they present transformative moments. Just like how our forefathers who lived an egalitarian relational lifestyle during migrations as hunters and gatherers.
Utilising the circumscription theory of a limited planet Earth until they created a world of hierarchy and agriculture, thus, transforming from a win-win to win-lose society.
This is the society that created the security dilemma, best described as, if you have peace prepare for war, as war is for peace. The reality of global society finds itself needing courage to protect and nurture dignity as this war is for peace; created the security dilemma in humiliation times, requiring transformative interventions for a dignified world.
This security dilemma society has also created a dominator dilemma that must be understood by humanity when aspiring to create a dignified world.
The dominator model of society exemplifies the man at the top, the head of household, with women and children under his custodianship for safety. This emerged in the man having the duty to humiliate his wife and children, which must be understood when creating a dignified world.
Evidently, this dominator model created the glorification of combat within men, and the dutiful humbleness within the women. Thus, the manifestation of the survival of the fittest that is best described through the super chicken syndrome.
When the cooperative hen survived by creating competitive survivalist mode that massaged the male ego. While creating enmity between women, instead of collaborating with each other, women competed with each other. These are significant aspect when advancing the creation of a dignified world, such that these humiliation moments are never repeated by men and women.
A PRO-SOCIAL GLOBAL SOCIETY
When using the evolutionary heritage to create a dignified world, we can review our forefathers’ wisdom to build a pro-social society. Through the new opportunities such as digital transformation that could lead to effective destruction if not effectively guided into pro-social global society.
To create transformative platforms that can be used for people to people diplomacy that humanise humanity, create tourism opportunities by seeking places where trust can be built. Where people overcome the security and dominate dilemma fostered through all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
Such that the history of humiliation does not repeat itself, when creating a pro-social global society that is moving away from the business as usual paradigm.
Thus transforming for change by acknowledging denial of collective responsibility that has manifested into ecocide and socio-cide that is wearing down the global society. Particularly through its doomsday clock that is manifesting in global catastrophe currently emerging as scandals and drama.
While psychology is being used for denial to maintain the business as usual society that perceives global dignity as the big cover up when living in action denial. This negates the pro-social global society mindset, by perpetuating the nation state model of territorial sovereignty, religious homogeneity.
Without creating pro-social opportunities through the overview effect, within inter-world politics into a dignified global village, free of systemic humiliation emerging from united people.
THE UNITED PEOPLE MODEL
Dr Evelin Lindner presented a case for considering a united people versus a United Nations model, which can emerge from the creation of a dignified world and pro-social global society.
This requires rethinking whether the sustainable development goals will actually save the world and restore dignity and equality. While pursuing the opportunities for solidarity economics and unity in diversity when agreeing to disagree; acknowledging there have limited resources for fostering united people in problem solving.
This requires understanding how humiliation creates downward spatial movements that suppresses dignity and self-respect for someone, manifesting inequality while rolling back humiliation and fury within the humiliated people.
When creating a united people model, careful consideration is required to acknowledge how humiliation is more hurtful than honour. This emerges through the humiliation conquest that is reinforced when people are not united to manifest in relegation and exclusion.
In essence this invokes the humiliation of dignity that promotes humiliation entrepreneurship, entitled superiority and arrogant entitlement.
Therefore in envisioning the united people model into a dignified world that is pro-social, dignity values must anchor unity in diversity. To transform into a united people model, where every being is an envoy of human and nonhuman unity.
As this would manifest in the ending of humiliation cycles between humans and humans, and most significantly being humans and nonhumans. This requires entrusted leadership with messages that impact on human and nonhuman dignity while seeking infinity that can contribute positively to the united people model.
CONCLUSION
Professor Evelin Lindner’s story narrated by co-founder and friend Professor Linda Hartling:
“What makes Evelin’s works so vital, and what makes this particular publication so urgently needed, is her unique ability to illuminate connects that others miss. Where most scholars work within disciplinary boundaries, Evelin moves fluidly between history, psychology, anthropology, political science, and philosophy, not to blur distinctions, but to reveal the deeper patterns that shape human suffering, and to point out towards genuine transformation. Her theory of humiliation does not simply add another concept to academic discourse; it exposes a fundamental drive of violence that has intensified dramatically in our interconnected age yet remains dangerously under-recognised.”
This narrative speaks to why Professor Evelin is my mentor and role model that I celebrate on this women’s history month even though she is of European descent.
Her publications speak to humans and non-human existence and coexistence, while transcending academic disciplinary boundaries. Hence the Indigenous Knowledge Hub is a dignity institute that seeks to lead knowledge liberation towards genuine transformation.
By ensuring indigenous knowledge exposes the humiliation endured through knowledge politics of colonial and apartheid era. Hence the need for decolonization, Africanising and indigenisation processes that must take leadership within knowledge liberation through integrating indigenous knowledge and modernity.
