Jo Cox, a British MP (Member of Parliament) who fought for social justice, democratic values and equality until her death in 2016, is famously quoted to have said “we have more in common than what divides us”. What she said, is still true to this day in 2020. Yes, we have differences but we must see beyond those and importantly, to have the capacity to be in another’s shoes. To have empathy for one another, even if it is hard, even if there are historical divides. Because underneath, we are all the same, regardless of race, age, sexuality, gender, national origin…

Hate isn’t solid

Hate, hate, hate

Why do we hate?

We are not born to hate.

Hate is a synthetic substance that divides us – that’s hate.

When a child is brought into this world, their decided fate is not to hate.

In fact, they see everyone with open eyes and untainted minds, as equals

They see us as we are,

Free and equal in dignity and human rights

That, I shall remind you, is article one of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Regardless of differences, because underneath we are all the same

We are all playing the same ball game

We are all human

And we shouldn’t forget this

We can fight hate

Because hate isn’t solid, it’s a dangerous web

It is a manifestation of lies

Lies about inequality, superiority, inferiority and every other kind of ‘ority’

We must pull apart this web together, strand by strand

This web made of lies that taint, and twist the mind and minds

Hate isn’t solid – it doesn’t hold any physical weight

Loving, not hating is our human fate.

Jo Cox, a British MP (Member of Parliament) who fought for social justice, democratic values and equality until her death in 2016, is famously quoted to have said “we have more in common than what divides us”. What she said, is still true to this day in 2020. Yes, we have differences but we must see beyond those and importantly, to have the capacity to be in another’s shoes. To have empathy for one another, even if it is hard, even if there are historical divides. Because underneath, we are all the same, regardless of race, age, sexuality, gender, national origin…

Hate isn’t solid

Hate, hate, hate

Why do we hate?

We are not born to hate.

Hate is a synthetic substance that divides us – that’s hate.

When a child is brought into this world, their decided fate is not to hate.

In fact, they see everyone with open eyes and untainted minds, as equals

They see us as we are,

Free and equal in dignity and human rights

That, I shall remind you, is article one of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Regardless of differences, because underneath we are all the same

We are all playing the same ball game

We are all human

And we shouldn’t forget this

We can fight hate

Because hate isn’t solid, it’s a dangerous web

It is a manifestation of lies

Lies about inequality, superiority, inferiority and every other kind of ‘ority’

We must pull apart this web together, strand by strand

This web made of lies that taint, and twist the mind and minds

Hate isn’t solid – it doesn’t hold any physical weight

Loving, not hating is our human fate.

This article was written by Jess, volunteer at Sunrise Project France since April 2020. Jess lives in England, but she is also a global citizen. She LOVES travelling, languages and meeting people from around the world. She believes in cooperation and kindness!