Public discourse today quickly descends into simplistic positions – allies or enemies, good or evil – in some righteous war of justice where I assume the end result is the moral victory of one perfect human who doesn’t seem much like you or me.

We live in inequitable systems that perpetuate injustice, which is why my team created Diversity Atlas, the world’s first holistic diversity data and equity tool: to help address these injustices.

Leaving Our Bubbles

Simplistic labelling and judging of people with views that differ from our own does not help anyone and may instead cause many people to retreat further into “safe” bubbles of distorted but communal understanding. The effect of this is more likely to entrench inequitable structures than help dismantle them.

The urgency of today’s problems calls for the courage to leave our bubbles. Life is complex and we need the humility and spaciousness to learn from a multitude of perspectives. We also need to know our own history and its complexities.

The Greek genocide that occurred between 1914 and 1923 was perpetrated by the Ottomon Empire and by the government of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk against the indigenous Greek population of the Empire, causing the loss of hundreds of thousands of Greek Ottoman lives. The lucky ones, like my father, managed to leave current-day Türkiye and find refuge in Greece, causing the prior population of Greece to swell by more than a quarter.

My parents eventually migrated to Australia, where the forced displacement and partial eradication of Aboriginal people had created an opportunity for them to forge a new life and raise a family in relative peace.

What Does Justice Look Like?

Today, we are unable to kick the can much further down the road on this planet. Humans, never before so instantly connectable between all places on the globe, are now having to reckon with our disputes over land occupation as never before.

How do we reckon with these circumstances? What does justice look like? How do we achieve it without inadvertently creating new injustices? Giving ourselves time to contemplate may be the most significant action we can take. As writer Bayo Akomolafe quotes from the Yoruba tradition, “The times are urgent; let us slow down.”

The world’s religious traditions contain immense knowledge on these questions.

What Would the Sages Say?

This is a small selection of quotes from a range of scriptures that address questions of injury and justice.

Dhammapada 3-5

“He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me!” In those who do not harbour such thoughts hatred is appeased.

Hatreds never cease through hatred in this world; through love alone they cease. This is an eternal law.

Adi Granth, Asa-ki-Var, M.2, p. 474

Whoever discriminates between treatment held good or bad is not a true lover – he rather is caught in calculations.

Analects (Confucius), 14.36

Someone said, “What do you say concerning the principle that injury should be recompensed with kindness?” The Master said, “With what will you then recompense kindness? Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.”

Qur’an 41.34-35

The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with a better deed, then lo!, the person one had enmity with shall become like a bosom friend.

But none is granted this save those who are steadfast, and none is granted this save a person of great fortune.

Bible, Romans 12-21

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Ramayana, Buddha Kanda 115

A noble soul exercises compassion even toward those who enjoy injuring others or those of cruel deeds when they are actually committing them – for who is without fault?

Tao Te Ching 63

Do good to him who has done you an injury.

Tosefta, Baba Metzia 2.26

Aid an enemy before you aid a friend, to subdue hatred.

And finally this one from a man after my own heart:

Bible, Peter, 3:8-12

You’ll catch more flies with honey.

May we all be people of justice. Or at least great fortune.