Rebuilding Zimbabwe through relationships

Our country is currently in a relationships crisis. The political and tribal polarisation created by a few self-seeking individuals is precipitating ‘heavy rains’ of division among Zimbabweans both at home and abroad. The level of relationships decadence is a sign that the level of trust in the country is at its lowest ebb and unless we make a drastic attitudinal change, the reconstruction journey will be an uphill task.

More than ever, we need to stand together as a nation, reconnect with Zimbabwe’s founding value of reconciliation and decry forces of division because a nation that is divided against itself can not stand.

In her article in the Zimbabwean Guardian, Nomsa Moyo has set the ball rolling in condemning the level relationships and moral decadence that is being spewed through the internet.

In the modern day, technology plays an important role as a social utility in either destroying or building up people. It is with this in mind that I am making a clarion call to us all to use technology as a unifying rather than divisive force because relationships are the glue that holds us together as a nation.

A few people who read my articles and comments asked me why I am so quick to compliment others even if they hold views that are divergent from mine. I explained to them what is called the Elevator principle in relationships which states that, “We can Lift People Up or Take People Down in Our Relationships.”

In this article, I would like to add a few principles that I have learnt from my mentor (John) over the years with a hope that we may all mutually benefit as we embark on the reconstruction journey together.

In dealing with each other, we need to know this about others:

1. People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care 
2. We must treat every person we meet as if they were the most important person in the world. If we do that we are communicating that they are somebody
3. Everybody wants to be somebody
4. Everybody needs somebody
5. Everybody can be somebody when somebody understands and believes them
6. Everybody who helps somebody influences a lot of bodies
7. We must choose to understand others
8. We must be quick to find the good in others and not only weaknesses in their views and quickly and genuinely verbalise our compliments

Finally we must always remember that Zimbabwe is composed of others apart from ourselves. Let us be considerate and tolerant, always looking after our neighbour’s interests and thinking first before judging them. As one writer quipped, passing an opinion before understanding a matter is only human, but judging before you understand a matter is foolishness.

Arthur Gwagwa

London