We live in a world designed not for isolation but for interdependence. From birth to death, our lives are intertwined with others—often in ways we scarcely notice. Human survival and flourishing depend on cooperation, not just for comfort or convenience, but for life itself. The very creation of regional and global institutions underscores this truth: enduring human challenges demand collective solutions.
The pursuit of absolute self-sufficiency, of never needing a helping hand or never seeing another’s face, is not just unrealistic—it is a denial of what it means to be human.
The word synergy, derived from the Greek synergia, meaning “working together,” illustrates this well. In medicine, synergy refers to the interaction of drugs that, when combined, produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects. The same holds true in human relationships: cooperation creates something greater than the sum of our individual efforts.
Life inevitably brings both sorrow and joy—neither of which lasts forever. But both are best experienced in community. Pain and suffering become more bearable when shared. Joy becomes more meaningful when celebrated together. A feast is nothing if not shared with friends and family; its richness lies in the laughter, not just the food.
Ethiopian wisdom affirms this. Proverbs like “Unity is strength,” “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion,” and “He who eats alone dies alone” are not mere sayings—they are truths forged from generations of communal living. Our traditional institutions—edir, equb, mahber—are lasting proof of a culture deeply invested in collective resilience and mutual aid.
This spirit of solidarity is exemplified by the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), which recently marked its 90th anniversary. As part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the ERCS is one of 192 sister organizations bound by a principle of universality, sharing equal responsibility to support one another in times of need.
Consider a recent ERCS project carried out in partnership with the Netherlands Red Cross in the war-affected Lasta and Sekota districts of the Amhara region. One community member recounted that the water shortage was so severe that they couldn’t even wash their clothes. “We were paying 10 birr for 20 liters of water. Some of us were too weak to fetch it ourselves. But after June, the Red Cross built a water system. Now, even the plants benefit.”
This is only one story among thousands. Founded during the second Italian invasion to aid wounded soldiers and civilians, the ERCS has grown into Ethiopia’s most trusted and neutral humanitarian organization. Its work spans hygiene, sanitation, HIV/AIDS care, food distribution, blood donation, family reunification, first aid, and emergency medical services—always guided by the simple but profound principle: Humanity First.
It was the ERCS that launched Ethiopia’s first nursing school in 1949, at what is now Yekatit 12 Hospital. And in 2025, it opened the country’s first “School of Humanity”—a testament to its enduring vision and legacy.
While technology has surged ahead—transforming mobile phones from luxury items into basic tools of survival—something else has quietly receded: our humanity. Artificial Intelligence may be redefining communication, but trust, empathy, and human connection are in dangerous decline. We are more connected, yet more divided than ever.
The antidote to this erosion is not more code or innovation. It is investment in people, in compassion, in humanity itself.
As Nelson Mandela once said, “The spirit of Ubuntu—that profound African sense that we are human only through the humanity of other human beings—is not a parochial phenomenon, but has added globally to our common search for a better world.”
That search must continue. But it can only succeed if we walk it together.
Contributed by Selamawit Kidane
