Image by Lorie Shaull via Flickr
with Chris Hedges
Renovatio: The Journal of Zaytuna College on Nov 8, 2018
During an event discussing his latest book, America: The Farewell Tour, Chris Hedges was asked about where he finds hope. His answer points to the power of faith, resistance, and the importance of values. This is from an event at Zaytuna College, America’s first Muslim liberal arts college.
From Dehumanized To Rehumanized – Zaid Shakir with Chris Hedges, Hamza Yusuf
Renovatio: The Journal of Zaytuna College on Nov 9, 2018
In this clip from an event with author Chris Hedges, Imam Zaid Shakir testifies to transformations he has seen during his time working with American prison populations. This is a selection from an event that took place in Berkeley, California, at Zaytuna College, America’s first Muslim liberal arts college, on September 9th, 2018.
“Shut Off These Electronic Hallucinations” – Chris Hedges, Hamza Yusuf, Zaid Shakir
Renovatio: The Journal of Zaytuna College on Nov 12, 2018
Chris Hedges, Hamza Yusuf, and Zaid Shakir give advice for how to deal with the constant barrage of bad news in our news feeds.
Updated
Selections: ‘The End of Hope’ with Chris Hedges, Hamza Yusuf, Zaid Shakir
Renovatio: The Journal of Zaytuna College on Nov 15, 2018
Selections from an event called ‘The End of Hope’ that took place on September 9th, 2018 at Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California.
1. The End of Hope 0:00
2. Hope Is Not Rational 12:52
3. Dehumanized to Rehumanized 18:52
4. “Shut Off These Electronic Hallucinations” 21:20Description from the event:
America, says Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Chris Hedges in his new book America: The Farewell Tour, is convulsed by an array of pathologies—the opioid crisis, pervasive economic distress, our pornified culture, a plague of suicides, and more—that have arisen out of profound hopelessness, a bitter despair, and a civil society that has ceased to function.
In the face of such devastation, what remains of hope? And, as human beings, do we possess the capacity within ourselves to transcend our circumstances? A thought-provoking conversation with Chris Hedges, Zaid Shakir, and Hamza Yusuf about hope, despair, and the future of our nation.
From the archives:
Chris Hedges: The Issue Before Us is Death
To the US Churches: Be Moved With Compassion Like Christ by Shawn S. Grandstaff
We Must Keep Despair At Bay In The Siege Waged By The Forces Of Destruction And Greed!
Chris Hedges: Muslim Extradition and Repression
Chris Hedges: Know That If We Resist We Keep Hope Alive
Chris Hedges: The Struggle to Reintegrate into Society After Prison
Capitalism’s Failure of the Flesh: The Rise of the Robots by Phil Rockstroh
Chris Hedges: The Power of Writing as Resistance + Q&A
If Hope Remains Dormant, Freedom Remains Elusive by ashiftinconsciousness
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The difficulty I have with hope, is that it may only be a promissory excuse for procrastination & inaction; it’s just not good enough to say “I hope to become a better person….” nor do you need to apologise for who you are or your limitations; it’s enough to just optimise your potential and exercise your latent abilities ~ encouragement helps, but sometimes overcoming obstacles is what really produces results.
The word “hope” has taken on two different, nearly opposite meanings among activists, and this may lead to some miscommunications and misunderstandings. One means inaction, and the other means action.
One meaning of “hope” is “procrastination & inaction,” as David Llewellyn Foster has said. It is used as in “I hope that this politician we elect will fix things for us.” Derrick Jensen, radical environmentalist, also uses the word “hope” in this fashion, and so he talks often about how he hates hope and would like to kill it.
But here is an entirely different meaning of “hope”: We are facing certain crises — war, economic collapse, ecosystem collapse — and we do not know what the outcome will be. We may have an unfavorable outcome (near term human extinction) or we may have a favorable outcome (humanity gets through this crisis, and we learn to live together, and our species continues for many more centuries). We do not have certainty of either of those outcomes. And our efforts — yours and mine — might make the difference. Certainly not the whole difference, but you and I might be part of a movement that makes the difference. The fact that we do not yet have certainty of the unfavorable outcome is what I call “hope.” The fact that we have certainty of neither outcome is what gives us motivation for action.
Well said; context is everything, & intention. The etymology of the word is quite interesting, and I rather like the possible association with ‘hoop’ in the sense that one might catch something ~ if circumstances are auspicious. So luck and knack come into it as well ~ all very Daoist. Of course we cannot second-guess the actions or attitudes of others, or even (especially now) the behaviour of the weather…but sometimes rather than surrender to cynicism or fatalism, it may be wiser to be optimistic & hope (even “pray”) for the best eventuality, come rain or shine! As the great Yi Jing counsels, even the superior ‘man’ must adjust to circumstance.
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Updated: added another video, “Selections: ‘The End of Hope’ with Chris Hedges, Hamza Yusuf, Zaid Shakir.”
Perhaps hope is easier for those with beliefs in the supernatural, as this video suggests. But hope is also possible for those of us who do not believe in the supernatural. Both for believers and for us, it comes from identifying with something larger than oneself. Most people can at least understand this in terms of family — e.g., the parents who will sacrifice much to give a better life to their children. Well, I have seven billion children, and someday I =hope= they will have a better life, and I will do what I can to help make that happen.