The way in which we deal with the suffering of others reveals our humanity. But, in a world of increasing conflicts, how far does our solidarity extend? Following the West’s vastly different reaction to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, can the idea of global solidarity ever be anything more than just a myth?
Our journey begins in Eastern Poland in 2021. We drive to the Belarusian border where, for weeks, migrants have been trying to enter the European Union. Poland has completely sealed off its border, prohibiting and criminalising humanitarian aid. Citing ’solidarity’ with Poland, members of the EU support them. According to human rights groups, at least 87 people have died as a result of these pushbacks.
When Russia invades Ukraine, a wave of generosity sweeps across Poland, culminating in euphoric celebrations of humanity and solidarity. “The way the Europeans welcomed Ukrainian migrants, which were more in number than Syrian or African migrants, showed a double standard.” states Lebanese philosopher, Bashshar Haydar. “It doesn’t seem to be sufficient for humans to have only solidarity with victims. They need to have a bond that’s meaningful to them.”
Nowhere was the cost of this solidarity more apparent than during the war on Gaza. “If I stand with my group at solidarity, then this might come at a great human cost to those who are suffering from the impact of my solidarity with my group, because I’m no longer objecting to the actions of my group,” explains Haydar.
Solidarity seeks to do good, but at times it achieves the opposite. The more closed and uniform a community of solidarity is, the more dangerous it becomes for the rest of the world. What then does the world community have to do to breathe new life into ‘global solidarity’?