Using Our Voices - Indifference by

Personal Indifference

ryan8780 — 2024-07-06 17:15:15 UTC

Indifference on a personal scale could be a situation where someone needs help, but you choose to ignore it or not get involved.

You see a stranger struggling to carry groceries to their car. You could offer to help them, or even acknowledge their struggle, but instead, you choose to ignore them and walk away without a second thought. The injustice here is that the stranger needs help and support, unable to carry their groceries independently, but instead of offering help the passerby ignores them.

Personal Indifference

ryan8780 — 2024-07-06 17:32:18 UTC

Another example of indifference on a personal scale is a situation where someone expresses feelings, and you show none.

A close friend expresses worry about a personal family situation. They open up to you, searching for reassurance, but instead of offering support or showing empathy, you respond dismissively and quickly move on to a new subject. This act disregarded their feelings. The injustice here is that a friend is coming to you in need of support, and you act as if their feelings and concerns are unimportant and not worth your time.

Local Indifference

ryan8780 — 2024-07-07 06:04:14 UTC

Local Indifference could be witnessing a local strike or protest, and showing no regard for what the people are fighting for.

Employees gather outside the Midland LCBO, partaking in the province-wide strike. The strike is because they fear losing their jobs due to the changes Doug Ford plans to make regarding the alcohol market. Instead of showing interest by reading up on why the strike is taking place, or making a post in a community thread to show support, you stay indifferent toward the situation, deciding to not get involved since it doesn't directly impact you. The injustice here is that people are scared of losing their jobs, and they're on strike to gather attention and support, but being indifferent shows you have no care or concern.

Definition of Indifference - a lack of interest, concern or sympathy; unimportance.

ryan8780 — 2024-07-07 06:43:31 UTC

Indifference is the quality of not caring about showing interest in someone or something. Being indifferent shows no care or concern. Indifference is never beneficial to those who suffer, because their pain is only magnified when they feel forgotten.

Local Indifference

ryan8780 — 2024-07-07 17:11:17 UTC

Local indifference could be found in a town with the proposal of building a new shopping centre.

For the centre to be built, the demolition of a forest which is home to many wildlife would have to take place. This would lead to countless animals needing to search for a new habitat, as theirs was destroyed. You could speak against the proposal and defend the forestland that is home to wildlife, or encourage the proposal and support the idea of a new shopping centre. But instead, you choose to stay indifferent, not standing for or against the center because it doesn't directly affect you, or you don't feel strongly for or against it. The injustice here is that the demolition of the forest would be catastrophic for the wildlife that live there,

Global Indifference

ryan8780 — 2024-07-07 17:49:07 UTC

One of the world's largest and most crucial issues is global poverty. Meaningful progress can be made to end extreme poverty on a worldwide scale, but the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing conflicts, and extreme weather events have caused major setbacks. This has led to the world not being on track to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of eliminating poverty in all its forms by 2030. The injustice here is that while many people struggle with poverty in their day-to-day lives, many people turn a blind eye, showing no support. This indifference leads to people not knowing the struggles poverty-stricken individuals face, or simply not caring.

Global Indifference

ryan8780 — 2024-07-07 18:29:57 UTC

Another pressing issue is Climate Change. Countless people turn a blind eye to climate change because it doesn't directly impact them, or some don't even believe in it. But the worse climate change gets, more and more people are affected by hurricanes, earthquakes, heat waves and other natural disasters amplified by global warming. The injustice here is that millions of people and animals are affected by the damage of climate change, and not much is being done about it because companies and governments are fueled by their greed. The injustice is that the state of our world worsens every day, and most people are uninformed about the effects this has on millions of people.

Protect Humanity, Stop Indifference

ryan8780 — 2024-07-07 18:33:16 UTC

Ways to reduce Indifference

ryan8780 — 2024-07-07 19:11:10 UTC

Stand up against injustice when you witness it
"If you choose to remain neutral in a situation of injustice, this means that you have chosen the side of the oppressor." - Desmond Tutu. When you see an injustice taking place, do the best you can to help and show support. Showing empathy is better than showing no care or concern at all.
Activism and supporting change
Supporting organizations and charities that work towards changes for the better at local, national and global levels is a great way to encourage people to speak out against things instead of being indifferent towards them.

ryan8780 — 2024-07-07 19:13:22 UTC

Educating and awareness
A third way to prevent indifference is by being aware of things happening and you, your community, and the world. Along with awareness, educating people on current events and changes that need to occur can turn more people away from being indifferent towards things.
Sharing your voice through media
Social media is a great way to spread a message. Speaking up against an issue on social media platforms can gain traction on the issue you're speaking out about, and using media is also a great way to educate yourself on things happening locally, nationally, and globally.

Citations

ryan8780 — 2024-07-07 19:23:52 UTC

TEDx Talks. (2022, April 1). The danger of indifference | Amy Sparrow | TEDxYouth@Haileybury [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnjcBaAHQXs

IFRC. (2015, September 17). Protect humanity, stop indifference [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uAC9Ks95Y8

Dozens of LCBO workers rally in downtown Toronto on day 2 of historic strike. (2024, July 6). CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ont-lcbo-rally-1.7256340

World Vision. (2024, June 18). Global poverty: Facts, FAQs, and how to help. https://www.worldvision.org/sponsorship-news-stories/global-poverty-facts#help

United Nations. (n.d.). Causes and effects of climate change | United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change

ryan8780 — 2024-07-07 19:32:03 UTC