During week 13, we read The Reluctant Fundamentalist. It was during this last week of classes that I truly recognized the importance of global solidarity. All individuals are susceptible to radicalization based on instability in their daily life. As shown by Changez, emotional life is not completely separate from religious or political life. When it fails, it can lead an individual to search for stability in any way possible. In the cases of radicalized youth, they have found feigned stability in the radical message of their group, faith, or political leader.
In this last week, I was really eager to use paint is my medium. Though I wouldn’t call myself artistically gifted, I chose to find deeper meaning in what I was actually capable of creating. I spent the majority of my time with this piece using my hands. The title of the piece is “Global Solidarity.” My initial idea was to reflect that we could prevent fundamentalism and the radicalization of youth by creating stable networks and communities. Individuals should not feel segregated by their faith. Rather they should be supported and uplifted based on their diversity. When we see an individual struggling, it is the duty of the global community to lift up that individual and save them from slipping into radicalization.
On the painting itself, I used my fingers to write “Solidarity,” for this is the primary message of the work. Above the painting, the green and blue circle represents a modern look at the world. Rather than encouraging the separation of understanding by water, I linked all of the landmasses together to form an inner ring. This symbolizes the concept of universal understanding and the breaking down of physical barriers in our quest for global solidarity. On the far left of the painting, I wrote love in three different languages: Chinese, Arabic and English. This section represents the universal aspect of love while recognizing the presence and beauty of diversity. Finally, in the top right corner of the painting, I have placed three different colored hands. In order to make this section of the project, I had to paint my hand, wash it, and paint it again. This section symbolizes that in order to achieve true global solidarity, all individuals, no mater their race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status, must learn to “get their hands dirty” and fight for the human rights of their neighbor.