is there still hope?

It's funny how many philosophers have debated over and over again about the nature of the human being. Are we good, are we evil, are we a little bit of both? Hobbes thought men couldn't be trusted, that we would destroy the other as soon as we had the chance, and that cooperation was simply out of the question. I believe he would have a hard time explaining what is going on in Haiti right now. Considered the poorest country in all the continent, the tiny left-part of an island in the Caribbean Sea suffered what is considered the worst earthquake they've seen in more than a century. 7.1 on the Richter scale, more or less the same as the Mexican earthquake back in 1985. Except Haitian buildings apparently lacked the advanced infrastructure many Mexican buildings had and which prevented them from suffering much damage. Most of Port-au-Prince was completely devastated, leaving millions of people with nothing, and taking even the lives of several thousands.

Once news of the disaster reached global ears, the effect was immediate. Exactly what Hobbes predicted could never happen, happened. People from all across the globe, with nothing in common except a desire to help and offer their services immediately boarded planes and ships destined for the tiny nation.

So how can we explain this behavior? How can we explain the fact that Haiti has become the number one priority for the government of the United States, that countries like Mexico (who were shunned once by the very government of Haiti before, fearful of the AH1N1 flu) immediately began collecting food and medicine and neighboring countries such as the Dominican Republic allow a constant flow of sick and wounded into their territory to be treated? Can one really say men are selfish and evil, when we have hundreds of UN personnel willing to risk their lives in order to continue searching for survivors? When you have hundreds of people, alone and in groups, waiting for a flight or a bus that can take them from the Dominican airport to the Haitian capital, all wanting to lend a helping hand amidst the disaster?

So maybe Hobbes got it wrong. Maybe, when faced with disaster and catastrophe, men can cooperate and help one another. When things get rough, we find a way to survive, together. Boundaries that mattered before, like race and gender and culture and religion, come shattering down and all that matters is that we are human and sometimes we need one another. Amidst the terrible news of people dying, of families torn apart, of people losing everything they owned, it is inspiring to read about all he help that is already there, and all the help that is on its way. Despite the difficulties, experts didn't hesitate to hop on a plane and see if they could be useful, bringing hope to a devastated society. I applaud the world, for finally realizing territorial and cultural boundaries don't matter when it comes to disasters, and that differences can be set aside when it is needed. I applaud fast, effective reactions, and the complete support every single person has given the Haitians, who need all the help they can get.

In the end, I keep getting more examples (few, but more nonetheless) that convince me more and more that realists had it all wrong. Cooperation is possible, wether there are interests in the mix or not. Humans are capable of thinking in someone else other than themselves, and just as we have proved that our creativity and imagination know no bounds, so does our soul. It's just a matter of realizing what is important, and knowing we simply cannot survive without occasional help. Even if that help comes from the most unlikely places.