Photo by timparkinson
The honorable South African Andrew Masondo, a former member of the armed resistance to the apartheid government, is well known for his statement, “Understand the differences; act on the commonalities.” While guiding the philosophy and approach of many change-making organizations and conflict resolution practices, I continue to ponder whether absolute understanding is possible.
I am not capable of standing in the shoes of another person though I sometimes try. For example, if I tell a Palestinian refugee that I understand her experiences after being told about her family’s home being bulldozed by the Israeli Army, I am denying their full legitimacy by comparing or referencing them back to my own. To respond by saying “I understand” just doesn’t sound right. I can listen, learn and ask questions, but I will never be able to fully comprehend her experiences for they are not my own.