Five Universal Citizens - Their actions transcend the geographical boundaries.
Dr Kalam, a saintly scientist who rekindled the imagination of Indians, rose from humble origins to become the President of India. This ‘People’s President’, as he affectionately called, was beyond caste, creed and political boundaries. This ‘modern day Gandhi’ was widely respected by the common men and intellectuals alike. In his passing on Jul 27, 2015, the world has lost a true leader who inspired generations through his pioneer services in science, technology, writings, teachings and visionary leadership.
Pope Francis, first Jesuit priest to become a Pope, affectionately called the common man’s Pope is reshaping the Catholic Church and also giving new directions on how to make the planet a better place to live. Pope Francis is well known for his humility, concern for the poor and also his commitment to interfaith dialogue.
Patriarch Aphrem II, leader of the ancient Orthodox Syriac Christian Church, came to lead the Church at a very difficult time in the Church history. He took over from a saintly predecessor and in no time has shown his ability as a worthy successor by fearlessly staying with the oppressed and raising the awareness of persecution people in the Middle East where Christianity was originated. He is also working hard for church unity and universal brotherhood.
The 14th Dalai Lama, arguably the wisest man living in this planet today, is well known for his discourses on wide ranging topics. His focus is on the promotion of basic human values or secular ethics in the interest of human happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony and the preservation of Tibet's Buddhist culture, a culture of peace and non-violence.
The most controversial and potentially the most powerful among the list is President Obama, leader of the most powerful nation in the planet. President Obama, first African American President of United States, had to overcome early childhood challenges and social and racial prejudices to reach the highest office. He brought stability to the crumbling US economy and there by avoided global recession. He is also working hard to avoid wars and bring peace among nations.
What make all these people tick? What’s their life mantra? If we look at their life history, all of them have come up in life through hard times. All are great visionaries and outstanding communicators and devoted their life for a common cause; to serve the humanity. These are universal citizens and their actions transcend geographical boundaries. Let’s pick some lessons out of their lives and follow them to make the earth a better place to live.
