Pro Humanitate | Atlanta, GA
A group of Wake Foresters gathered over dinner in Atlanta, GA on April 18, 2019 to discuss Pro Humanitate.
Overview and highlights of our Call to Conversation:
- Pro Humanitate is commonly translated as “for humanity.” The more complete translation suggests the cultivation of human flourishing. We discussed Pro Humanitate through the lens of our own lived experience, sharing stories of people that have touched our lives – from amazing teachers to 11 year olds, from co-workers to LGBTQ patients.
- One of the themes that ran through our discussion on Pro Humanitate was relationships. We see human flourishing as inextricably connected to the relational part of our being.
- Often when we think of Pro Humanitate we are thinking about how we are of service to others. When we give of ourselves, we are often getting something in return. When we can recognize this, it changes the power dynamic and allows us to relate to others on an equal footing. As one participant pointed out, an important piece of human flourishing is helping people recognize their own strengths.
- Another theme that ran through our conversation was that of difference. Part of being human is defining ourselves – both who we are and how we think – in relation to others. We are usually more comfortable with people we recognize as “being like us.” We saw Pro Humanitate as calling us to move outside our bubbles and our comfort zones to interact with individuals who come from different backgrounds and hold different beliefs. Much of our conversation revolved around this tension between acknowledging that differences are real and important but not focusing on them. How do we look for commonality and celebrate difference at the same time?
- One overarching theme was that of time. It takes time to give a co-worker encouragement, to get to know people, to treat them as whole beings rather than fixing a label and moving on. Too often we move too fast through life, focusing on outward symbols of status. Pro Humanitate is taking time to recognize the dignity of every human being and treating everyone with honor and respect.