Exercise for 'Radical Empathy'

Dear Friend,

I know that in our daily lives it feels natural to burn waste, use plastics freely, or ignore the smoke and pollution around us. But these habits are quietly harming the air we breathe, the rivers we depend on, and the soil that feeds us.

The evidence is already visible: children coughing from polluted air, rivers turning black with industrial discharge, and forests shrinking year after year. These are not distant problems — they are signs that our actions today are stealing health and safety from tomorrow.

You may not mean harm, but by staying silent or continuing as usual, we become complicit in a tragedy that future generations will condemn. Caring for the environment is not just an ideal; it is a duty to protect life itself.

Please pause, notice the damage, and act differently. Even small changes — refusing plastic, planting trees, questioning wasteful practices — can make a real difference.

Take care my friend,

Vijay

Dear Friend,

I know we don’t see eye to eye on this, and I’m not writing to scold you. You’re a serious person who cares about the future going well. That’s exactly why I want you to look at something you haven’t examined closely: why is this community, working on a problem meant to matter for everyone, so overwhelmingly missing Black researchers?

You’ll say it’s the pipeline. I used to think that too, but look at where the actual friction is. Funding here runs on warm introductions and trust built over years in the same handful of universities, forums, and social circles. If a Black applicant didn’t grow up adjacent to those circles, they’re not failing on merit; they’re failing to have a name a grantmaker already recognizes. Fellowships often ask for a track record in a field that has, until recently, made almost no effort to recruit from HBCUs or Black-led computer science programs, then treat the resulting gap as evidence of lower interest rather than lower access. And hiring leans hard on “culture fit,” which in practice means fluency in a specific set of forum threads and thought experiments, not fluency in the actual underlying math or safety problem.

None of this requires anyone to be prejudiced. It just requires nobody to check where the money and mentorship are actually flowing. A community that extends moral concern effortlessly to future generations and hypothetical algorithms, but can’t get funding to the Black researcher applying for a fellowship right now, has a gap worth sitting with rather than explaining away.

What would change my mind: look at the last ten fellowship cohorts and see who’s missing. Ask whether the application process assumes access most Black applicants haven’t had. And ask whether “we’d fund anyone qualified” is doing the same quiet work “we just prefer people like us” did before.

Letter to a high-caste Hindu in the early 19th Century. 
Dear Friend,

As someone who respects the teachings of our shared heritage, I'm compelled to address a distressing issue. Your actions towards those from lower income classes and marginalized castes contradict the principles of compassion, equality, and humanity.

Untouchability and mistreatment perpetuate harmful cycles of oppression, causing irreparable harm to individuals and communities. 

This behavior:
1. Perpetuates systemic injustice: Reinforcing social hierarchies and discriminatory practices.
2. Inculcates generational trauma: Passing down pain, fear, and mistrust to future generations.
3. Contradicts Brahmanical values: Negating principles of ahimsa (non-harm), karuna (compassion), and dharma (righteous living).
4. Undermines social cohesion: Fostering divisions, mistrust, and hostility.

Consider the long-term effects of your actions:

- Intergenerational trauma: Children learn from what they witness, perpetuating cycles of oppression.
- Social isolation: Marginalized communities become increasingly disconnected from mainstream society.
- Loss of human potential: Talent, skills, and contributions are wasted due to systemic barriers.

Our scriptures emphasize:

- "Vasudhaiva kutumbakam" (the world is one family)
- "Ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti" (truth is one, wise men call it by many names)
- "Ahimsa paramo dharma" (non-harm is the highest dharma)

I urge you to:

1. Reflect on your actions: Recognize the harm caused and take responsibility.
2. Educate yourself: Learn about the experiences of marginalized communities.
3. Engage in self-critique: Question your biases and challenge harmful traditions.
4. Foster empathy: Treat others with kindness, respect, and understanding.

Break the cycle of oppression. Embody the values of compassion, equality, and justice.

Sincerely,
Kuhoo 

Dear Friend

I know we don’t see eye to eye on this, and I’m not writing to scold you. You’re a serious person who cares about the future going well. That’s exactly why I want you to look at something you haven’t examined closely: why is this community, working on a problem meant to matter for everyone, so overwhelmingly missing Black researchers?

You’ll say it’s the pipeline. I used to think that too, but look at where the actual friction is. Funding here runs on warm introductions and trust built over years in the same handful of universities, forums, and social circles. If a Black applicant didn’t grow up adjacent to those circles, they’re not failing on merit; they’re failing to have a name a grantmaker already recognizes. Fellowships often ask for a track record in a field that has, until recently, made almost no effort to recruit from HBCUs or Black-led computer science programs, then treat the resulting gap as evidence of lower interest rather than lower access. And hiring leans hard on “culture fit,” which in practice means fluency in a specific set of forum threads and thought experiments, not fluency in the actual underlying math or safety problem.

None of this requires anyone to be prejudiced. It just requires nobody to check where the money and mentorship are actually flowing. A community that extends moral concern effortlessly to future generations and hypothetical algorithms, but can’t get funding to the Black researcher applying for a fellowship right now, has a gap worth sitting with rather than explaining away.

What would change my mind: look at the last ten fellowship cohorts and see who’s missing. Ask whether the application process assumes access most Black applicants haven’t had. And ask whether “we’d fund anyone qualified” is doing the same quiet work “we just prefer people like us” did before.

Yours truly,
Lawrence

Dear Friend,

I’m writing to you from two centuries in your future. I know you strive to be a thoughtful, compassionate person who lives a good and principled life according to the standards of your time. But I want to ask you to pause and examine a practice that feels entirely normal and routine to you: the industrial exploitation and consumption of animals.

In your era, raising animals for food and labor is treated simply as a necessity of life, a natural order, or a harmless tradition. Because almost everyone around you participates without a second thought, it is easy to assume there is no moral issue at stake. But consider what we now know: animals possess complex nervous systems, clear capacities for joy, fear, and social bonding, and a deep ability to feel physical and emotional pain.

When we confine them to tiny spaces, separate mothers from their young, and end their lives prematurely for our convenience or diet, we are inflicting immense suffering on sentient beings who have no voice to protest.

If you agree that causing unnecessary suffering is wrong, then the circle of who deserves our compassion cannot stop at human beings. It must expand to include all creatures who can feel pain and desire to live.

I ask you to look past what is culturally convenient and begin questioning these practices. What small choices can you make today to reduce the harm caused to the animals around you?

With hope and respect,

A friend from the future

Dear Young Linda,

Hi from 2026! You’re about to graduate and head into Applied Sciences—that analytical mind is going to be your superpower.

Right now, you probably don’t think twice about what’s on your dinner plate. You eat whatever mom makes and you want to join your friends at the fast food places.  But I’ve been studying Effective Altruism (EA) and learned a sobering reality: factory farming. In the '80s, this is becoming the silent standard. Imagine intelligent animals squeezed into cages so small they can’t move, living in darkness without fresh air.

Agricultural expert Bailey Norwood rates animal welfare from -10 to 10. Pigs and caged hens score a -5, meaning their lives involve so much suffering they would be better off dead. It’s a strange contradiction: we’re starting to treat pets like "fur babies," yet we subject animals of similar intelligence to industrial misery.

You’ll want to go vegetarian immediately (delicious meat alternatives and vegetarian options on the menu will  become more readily available), but as an "Applied Science" person, consider how to have an even bigger impact than just changing your own diet:

• Earning to Give: Your future career will allow you to donate to high-impact charities like Mercy for Animals. One professional salary can fund campaigns that spare millions from those "-5" conditions.
• Career Strategy: You can use your data and science skills to work directly for animal advocacy, fixing the food system from the inside.

Use that big heart and sharp mind to help those with the least power.

Love, your 2026 Self

Dear friend and manager of a 19th century industrial whale slaughterhouse.

First of all, I hope you are well and happy and your family is likewise well and happy.

This may seem like the most radical idea and message, which I share to you without personal, political or religious bias and based on the most rational and reasonable evidence.

I kindly ask you to consider every word - because this message is from the future, 200 years in the future, where your actions are still felt but since made an illegal act.

You are actively and unknowingly participating in a major moral catastrophe of your time.

The animals you hunt and slaughter share the same joys, feelings and emotions you share with your own family. This means they also share the same pains, loss and suffering you share each time you initiate your practice.

We know this because in my time we have audio or sound technology that is capable of hearing and listening to their conversations known as Echolocation. We have been able to play their form of communication and engage in conversation proving non-human intelligence. We have been able to observe communication between groups of these animals over very close and very vast distances, proving social bonds, play, hierarchy and interconnectedness. To your ears it would sound much like music, and not only that, the animals have been singing like this for over 50 million years.

We know this because of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Which, although a new fringe idea for you, is in my time a proven science used to explain the entire natural world that you, I and all life is connected via a chain and process of natural selection, including the point at which a species goes extinct and dyes out forever.

We know this because in my time we have a record of your industry's total impact on the animal population you hunt which reduces the species by 98.5% and consequently severely impacts the rest of the ocean food chain right down to the smallest organisms and creatures. The animals you hunt and slaughter feed on these organisms which in turn changes the oxygen, carbon and nutrient levels in the entire ocean significantly impacting or denying the existence of trillions of other animals that would have lived had the animals been able to maintain their numbers to much healthier levels.

Whilst today you are partaking in proven unimaginable levels of pain and suffering through your practice, you have the capacity to recognise it, to feel the same compassion you feel to your family as to the animals, to stop, to research, to plan a different course of action for the future. A future where the valuable ocean knowledge and experience you have acquired can be put to other purposes such as sourcing alternative fuels or educating others about the suffering of these incredible animals.

This letter is both a warning and an opportunity - choose wisely.

Yours sincerely

John

Letter to a Friend in 19th-Century Nepal

Dear Friend,

I hope this letter finds you well. I write to you with the hope of engaging in a meaningful discussion about an issue I’ve come to believe is deeply important—our treatment and perception of women in our society.

You and I have grown up surrounded by beliefs that women are naturally less capable or deserving of freedom and opportunities than men. These beliefs are so ingrained in our daily lives that they seem like unchangeable truths. But what if they’re not? What if we are overlooking something crucial?

Have you ever noticed the talents and strengths women display even within the confines of their restricted roles? Think of our mothers, sisters, and wives—how they manage households, nurture children, and often contribute to our farms and businesses, all without recognition or equal standing. Does it not strike you as strange that their contributions are treated as less important than ours simply because of their gender?

I’d like you to consider this: if women were truly less capable, would we need to restrict their education or opportunities so severely? Wouldn’t their supposed "limitations" be obvious without these barriers? Instead, I believe we fear what they might achieve if given the same freedoms we enjoy.

Moreover, I invite you to reflect on fairness. Imagine being born into this world and being told that your value is less—not because of what you’ve done, but because of something as unchangeable as your gender. Wouldn't you feel that this was unjust?

The evidence is all around us if we look with open eyes. In communities where women are given even small chances to learn and lead, we see families thriving and societies growing stronger. This isn’t just a moral issue—it’s also practical. Empowering women is empowering humanity.

I know it can be difficult to challenge the norms we’ve inherited. It feels safer to go along with what has always been. But I believe you are someone who values kindness and fairness, and that’s why I’m sharing these thoughts with you.

If you ever wonder what kind of world you wish to leave behind, think of one where every person, regardless of gender, can live with dignity and opportunity. That is a world worth striving for.

Yours in friendship and hope,
Suman

Hi Dear Friend,

I’m writing this letter to address an important matter that can significantly change your perception around the non human animals and how that has a negative impact on our planet, being one of the most atrocities in our history. 

I know you love animals, as i saw your behaviour when you went to the zoo. You fed them and you were enthusiastic being around those animals and i remembered one sentence that i hope you can start using it in the future: “When i was a kid i went to the Zoo because i loved animals. Today, i reject to go the Zoo because i love animals”. This means the connection to animals always was there, but our perception should go from egocentric to an “empathiccentric”, meaning we should start putting ourselves in the animal position. You start thinking about how free we are to enter the zoo with your family and get back comfortable to our homes, while those animals still get jailed, just for the amusement of human beings in the next day. That’s the most compassionate expression you can take to really demonstrate affection to non-human animals and stop supporting this industry. If we want to connect with them, we should visit their homes and not force them to come to ours. Also if the argument is preservation, I believe a question should arise in our minds “Is it ethical to take some individual beings from their family and homes, to save the species?”. Bear in mind the animals which are born inside Zoos never can go back to the wild. Also one more question can deeply change how we view preservation: “Save them from what?”.

Agriculture land is mainly to feed livestock. The impact to change our diet to a plant based is so big we could free the land by 75%. This would increase the chances to give space for other animals to progress in their lifes, not only that but to give the opportunity to emerge new species. Maybe at the end we are trying to save them from how we behave by jailing them, but in this case the most effective way is to change our behaviour. 

Also circuses, which you also normally go, have no other purpose besides entertainment. Animals in the circuses suffer and live their lives far from their home and families. They are sentient which means they have the capacity to subjective experience life through their senses, just like us. The fact they do those acrobatics is a reaction to an order which is linked with fear.

To conclude, empathy is the strongest weapon we have and can save lives, not only human lives but non human lives as well. I know you care about non human lives, there’s only a small step you should take to give them moral value, which is looking from their eyes. Hope you can change the course of humanity.
 

Regards,

Your friend from the future

Dear Animal Culler,

I write to you in alarm to ask you - why!? Why have you ordered for the culling of your community animals with whom your people have had a symbiotic relationship with? The same animals who benefit you in ways that are tangible to you? And why haven't you considered the implications of your actions that you're blindsided to that could backfire on your people? I am from a couple of hundred years into the future, and even the most sophisticated today aren't anywhere close to figuring out nature properly.

I implore you to reflect on the following points:

1. Animals too feel pain.
2. Animals were born on this planet with you, they have the same right to live as you do.
3. You are teaching your people's children cruelty - what if they learn to translate that into cruelty towards humans?
4. These animals have much stronger instincts than we do - what if there's an earthquake or a tsunami, but no dogs to bark their early warnings?
5. The animals you've branded as "nuisances" contribute to your ecosystem in ways you are not aware of. In fact, a number of decades into your future, the municipality in Surat, India, will cull a few thousand stray dogs in their city. What happened in the following months harrows the heart - thousands of dogs mercilessly slaughtered for no reason other than hate, the explosion of the snake population that proved to be much harder to manage, and the explosion of the rodent population triggered an epidemic that took a few hundred human lives, spreading across 5 states, and eventually going down in history as the infamous Surat Plague of 1992.

I am not aware of the reason you chose to go ahead with this cruel execution. If it was for keeping your community safe, that's a bad step - other animals who are probably going to pose a bigger threat will replace them. If it was for hygiene - think of the worse hygiene practices that badly affect your children that you willfully overlook. If it is to impress visiting dignitaries - what if they're pro-animals?

You may not know this yet, but a long time ago, giant monstrous creatures called the dinosaurs once walked the planet and were wiped out in a flash by means of natural disasters. If these magnanimous creatures that sound like they're straight out of a fantasy could be brushed off by nature so nonchalantly - so can you. 

We as a species are neither more powerful than the planet we live on, nor a greater life than the others. We may have this false sense of supremacy, but in suffering - all animals are equal.

Kind regards,

Rakesh

A letter to a 15th century person
 

Dear friend from the past, this letter might surprise you. I'm also surprised to have this weird opportunity.  Sadly I am writing to you with some bad news. You have been involved in some moral tragedy (although not directly) you had contributed implicitly to perpetuate the exclusion and extermination of an important lineage of people , they called themselves the protectors of creation, the carriers of  thought and the imagination of all the things to come.

Although it is true that  their practices and rituals might seem strange at first sight: they praise the sun instead of God and feel a deep connection with the land and not for mankind. Furthermore, they leave some parts of their body uncovered without any kind of guilt.  But for some unknown reason ,they are the carriers of an important message, one that  has been forgotten by  our own culture a long time ago:  we are part of the whole and we need to be respectful and grateful with all living things. You might be wondering about the meaning of these words? trust me I  didn’t understand them fully either. But I think there is no other message that could resemble  the solutions for one of the important problems that we are facing as humankind.

I don’t have much more time left ,  there aren't enough words to condense to you  all the great inventions and ideas that have changed our story in many ways. But for now I want you to reconsider your  importance and your special role  in an unprecedented historical moment, which will expand the limits of what geographers consider as written. Please don't underestimate your value , and the value of your relatives , you still got the chance to make an impact with your own actions. You still got the chance to preserve wisdom and let future generations benefit.  

I'd argue this exercise takes more than 10 minutes if you want to do it well. The point is that the person from the past would find your ideas extremely fringe and absurd, so it would take a great effort to convince. In the same way that we now probably consider some moral views absurd that will be common in the future.

Carta a los primeros hombres y mujeres

Queridos amigos, les escribo desde el futuro. Sí, no se asusten, podría decirles toda una serie de cosas que  han sido inventadas y/o resueltas por la humanidad, pero no quiero abrumarles. Ustedes las irán descubriendo.

Lo que aún no ha sido resuelto, en cientos de años es la falta de empatía con el prójimo, entiéndase por prójimo al conjunto de la humanidad y más allá de ella, a todo ser vivo con capacidad de sentir y relacionarse con su entorno. 

Les invito a realizar un ejercicio de empatía y ponerse en el lugar de cada ser vivo que camina, se arrastra, nada o vuela por la tierra. Pensar en cuáles son sus intereses al amanecer de un nuevo día y cómo quisieran ser tratados por el resto de habitantes de la tierra.

Terminado el ejercicio estoy seguro que serán una mejor versión de si mismos y que en adelante su trato con nuestros compañeros de vida en esta tierra hermosa será mucho más respetuoso.

Debo despedirme, les deseo lo mejor.

G

Hey Clara,

I hope you don’t mind me writing to you like this. I’ve been thinking a lot about you and Amara lately — how close you two have become, how much you clearly care for her. It’s obvious to anyone who visits that she’s not just another servant to you. You trust her, you laugh with her, and I’ve even seen you cry together. There’s something real there.

But I can’t help but wonder — what if things could be different? I know everyone around us just accepts things as they are, but what if we’re all missing something important? What if the love and respect you feel for Amara means she deserves so much more than just being your maid? What if you could actually be together, as equals, not just as lady and servant, but as partners in life?

I know it sounds wild, but think about it: what if you could marry her? Not just in secret, not just as a fantasy, but openly, with pride. Imagine a world where nobody would look twice at two women who love each other, no matter the colour of their skin. Imagine how much happier you both could be, not having to hide or pretend.

I think sometimes we get so used to the way things are that we forget to ask if they should be that way. People say it’s just the way of the world, but who decides that? Why shouldn’t you be able to love who you love, and treat her as your equal?

You’ve always been brave and kind. I hope you’ll think about this — not just what’s expected of you, but what could actually make you both happy, and what’s truly right. Maybe, one day, people will look back and wonder why we ever let anything as silly as skin colour or old rules get in the way of real love.

With all my love and hope,
Krystyna

My friend,

I know you think the world you live in is ordered as it should be. That some people are born to serve, while others are born to command. That men are meant to lead, while women are meant to follow. But let me ask you this: when you laugh with your child, or listen to music, or dream about what you might become, do you believe those joys belong only to you?

The people you call “lesser” dream in the same colors as you. They love, they hope, they fear loss just as sharply. You already know this you see it when your daughter asks “why not me?” after being told she cannot learn, or when a slave sings a song that moves you, though you pretend not to notice. You look away not because you don’t see their humanity, but because admitting it would force you to question everything.

But here’s the truth: history is already listening. The future will not remember your comfort, only your choices. Imagine your grandchildren asking, “Where were you when people were suffering?” What would you want to say? That you turned your head because everyone else did? Or that you found the courage to see what was always in front of you that no one is born to be a tool, or property, or shadow.

You don’t need new evidence, only the courage to follow the empathy you already feel. You know that chains are not natural, that silence is not consent, that difference is not deficiency. What makes life precious for you, makes it precious for them. If you cannot yet see them as equals, start with this: they are not things. They are not yours. They are you.

With hope from a future where this truth is clear,

Eunice

Dear 21st Century Guy (that seems to be from the past),

I understand that you don’t see yourself as someone who discriminates, and I appreciate that we can have honest conversations about this. That said, I’d like to challenge some of your beliefs with facts that might offer a different perspective.

You mentioned that “if everyone were gay, the human race wouldn’t survive.” While this may have been a concern in the past, technological advances like artificial insemination and surrogacy have made biological reproduction independent of sexual orientation. More importantly, homosexuality has always existed in human societies and nature, yet populations have continued to grow. Additionally, if homosexuality were unnatural, why would two men or two women be capable of experiencing natural physical pleasure together?

You also argue that people are “influenced” into being LGBTQ+ by media and trends. If that were true, then by the same logic, wouldn’t a lifetime of exposure to heterosexual culture have made every gay person straight? Historically, LGBTQ+ representation has been scarce, and even today, the overwhelming majority of movies, music, and media still portray straight relationships. If visibility alone determined sexuality, we wouldn’t have had openly gay figures like Alan Turing—who, despite contributing immensely to computer science, was chemically castrated for being gay—or Bayard Rustin, a key advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., who was marginalized due to his sexuality. Why would anyone choose to face such persecution if being straight were an option?

Finally, you say that LGBTQ+ people should live their lives privately, without the need for parades or activism. But the reality is that, throughout history and even today, people are denied basic rights, employment, safety, and even their lives just for being who they are. Pride events exist because, for most of history, LGBTQ+ people were forced to hide. And protection laws aren’t about special treatment—they’re about ensuring people aren’t attacked simply for existing. Take the case of Roberta da Silva, who was set on fire and killed just because she was a trans woman. These are not isolated incidents; violence against LGBTQ+ people is a documented reality.

I’m sharing this not to argue, but because I believe you care about fairness and human dignity. I hope this gives you something to think about.

Best,

Gabriel Barboza

Dear friend,

I write to you with respect and kindness. I know that in your time, many people believe that women must be kept in a limited role in society. However, I want to share with you that today we understand that women are equal to men. Women have strong minds, great talents, and deep feelings. They work hard, care for their families, and help build communities. When we do not allow women to have the same chances as men, we lose the benefit of all their abilities. This is why I ask you to consider that treating women fairly is not a new idea but a truth that makes our society stronger.

I also ask you to think about the harm that comes from oppressing women. When women are not allowed to study, work, or speak freely, it hurts not only them but also everyone around them. The stories of many women show that they can make great improvements if given a chance. There is much evidence that societies where women are respected and supported become more creative, peaceful, and prosperous. Ignoring the talents and rights of half of the population makes our society weaker and limits our progress.

I understand that your views come from the traditions and ideas of your time. But I hope you can see that these ideas may be incomplete. I ask you to open your heart and mind to the possibility that women deserve the same respect and opportunities as men. By accepting this, you will help create a kinder and stronger community for all people. I believe that fairness and respect are the true foundations of a good life, and I hope you can join me in this belief.

Hope this finds you well and your doing great,as it's been awhile.just taught to notify you of an issue,which needs better view,as against the perception,many hold,as regards the issue of racism ,that have been affecting alot of people and it's ongoing, despite variations,in it's engagement. The importance of we humans, cannot be overemphasized,as the choice of coming into a particular tribe, color, religion,and other socio-economic standing's,happen as natural and simple,to all and sundry, without permission. which means, the same blood ,air, alongside other outcomes that flows for all,falls in place,with no boundaries,as nature has bestowed , upon delivery to any individual,asuch, why the hate,based on external appearance and make up,which comes naturally , thereby exhibiting displeasures ,which ushers in disservice to humanity. In the words of Luther king ,who stated he seek of a day,were people would be judged,by the content and capacity they wills,than the color of their skins, because,that only amounts to discrimination and segregation,which can be attributed to a word,Called Racism.As the spirit that binds us all as Humans,implore us,at all times,to reflect that , which aids making the world a better place,for you and for me,than engaging in prejudices, alongside other reasoning,that portrays superiority of one race over another,which have brought about genocide, mass killings and violent measures,which have negatively impacted humanity at large,as we seek to chatting a better direction, through unity and harnessing our diversity as strength.At this point, I seek to remind you,to say no to racism, as we seek our political, economic, social progress, in line with the spirit of humanity that binds us all, towards improving and having a better world.And am wishing you the very best,as I hope to see you soon.

your one and only zumji!!!!

Letter to Slave trader Kassim of the 16^th century

Dear Kassim,

I hope this letter finds you well. I write to you from the 21st century not to condemn, but to open your eyes to something, I believe you may not have fully considered my friend. You are a kind and thoughtful person, and I know you strive to live a good and just life. However, I need to share something that may challenge your beliefs about slavery. 

The idea that one person can own another, simply because of their skin color or their birthplace, goes against the very essence of humanity. Every person, regardless of their circumstances, is born with an inherent dignity. To deny someone their freedom is to deny them their humanity, their dreams, and their right to live as an equal member of society.

I understand that slavery has been practiced for generations and that it may seem like an unchangeable part of life. But let me ask you this: if someone were to enslave your friend Lute, or your big brother, how would it feel? Would it not strike you as the deepest injustice? The truth is, the people you see as property are no different from you in their capacity to feel, to think, and to love.

Consider, too, the evidence all around us: enslaved individuals demonstrate intelligence, resilience, and creativity, despite the horrific conditions they endure. If they were truly “lesser” beings, would they show such remarkable qualities? Look into their eyes, and you will see the same humanity you see in yourself.

As pointed out in something I have been reading, equality is a moral idea, not an assertion of facts. There is no logically compelling reason to assume that a factual difference in ability between two people justifies any difference in the amount of consideration we give to their needs and interests. If it were, then the most intelligent among you would claim the right to dominate and exploit you, a notion that is both absurd and deep flawed.

I urge you to reflect on whether it is fair to build a life of comfort on the suffering of others. History will not look kindly upon those who turn a blind eye to injustice. But you, my friend, have the power to make a different choice. You can be the one to stand for what is right, even when it is difficult.

I believe in your capacity for compassion and change. Let us create a world where every person can live with dignity and freedom.

Yours sincerely

Lutebemberwa Isa

Dear Great-Grandfather,

I understand that, in your time, it seemed justified to view certain groups as less valuable. But does dividing "us" from "them" really make sense? Those divisions are built on ignorance and fear, and they harm everyone involved.

No matter where someone comes from, what they believe, or how they look, we all share the capacity for suffering, joy, and love.

Christian values teach us to love our neighbours and treat others as we would want to be treated. Have you ever thought about what it would feel like to be in the position of those you’ve been taught to devalue? What if empathy, rather than fear or indifference, guided our actions?

In my time, I advocate for non-human animals, whose capacity for complex emotions and social bonds is now well-proven by modern science. While the issues are different, the principle is the same: empathy reveals the value in all living beings. Through reflection, we can learn to treat others with the love and respect they deserve and I truly believe this can even help us find more love, respect  and ultimately contentment for ourselves.

So.. hoping you might consider to stop hunting down polish people… and maybe go vegan too. cheers.

Dear Atit,

hope you are doing well with your life. i think its long since we talked to each other.its a news from your town which reminded me of you and feeling good to connect with you once again.

today i was going through a news of an unwelcome and unwarranted event in which some people from your town harassed  few individuals just because they belong to sexual minority.

and the worst thing is that whole incident happened in a marketplace and at its peak hours. still there was not a single resistance in favour of the victims. people of all ages,men and women, of all religions,sects, cults,status,backgrounds were present and witnessed the incident.

you may wonder why you whom i want to share the incident?

because i found you quite sensible and reasonable on the issues of equality and justice.I still remember the protest against college authorities not conducting a majority of events for women in the annual sports meet.

you were also an active participant for that protest.that made me think you an reasonable and just person.

i am sure you differ in opinion that sextual minorities are not any different than the rest in any of the normal societal characteristics,inttellect,behaviour,apearence.they also follow the same physiological and biological processes every other humans do.except they cant follow the same reproduction process which a normal person do. 

because differ in some aspects of biological or sexual orientation which is by no means their own choice or the choice of anyone else relate to them.

for some this sort of orientation is a kind of imperfection. and even if we agree not to differ imperfection is very common in all spheres of life and nature around the earth.to be very true imperfection is rule of nature.

most importantly these imperfections has nothing to do with treating such minorities with discrimination,criminalizing their sexual act or selection of life partners etc. those are very private business and does not any harm to anyone.

most of your society has silently accepted the myths and stigmas attached  to these minority of people who dont even dare to esquire about their rights and why they are discriminated upon, what is their fault and how they can get the freedom to live a life of their choice?

i am very concerned about the thought of people like you on the issue. who i think has the power to move the society to a level where at least such matters can be discussed and the voice of the victims will also be heard. 

Dear Friend,

It's a pleasure to be writing to you from the future. The world has changed a lot in recent times and I am glad to see women thrive and become all they ought to be while not allowing their gender to limit them.

I know you are passionate about humans although you do not fully understand that women are first humans before being women and therefore they should be treated as humans should be they should be given a right to be educated, make informed decisions about their bodies, stay and feel safe without fear of violence, take on leadership positions, etc.

I would therefore love to encourage you to take this into consideration and reconsider the harm that the patriarchal society is having on women. It is possible to have a world where everyone irrespective of their gender is treated fairly as humans.

Dear friend, 

Greetings from the future. I’ve come to learn that you are currently the owner of a slave. With all of the love in my heart, I’d like to appeal to you to free her. 

With that in mind, I’d first like to ask you a question; When you observe other people in the world and think to yourself, “that person did a good thing” or “that person did a bad thing”, by what metric are you judging the goodness or badness of their actions? Whatever your answer, are you applying that metric and a consistent manner? Please take some time to really think it over. 

My intention is not to tell you “you are wrong” or “my answer is the correct one”. But rather I’d like you to come to your own conclusion on this matter. To help you along the way, I’d encourage you to consider the work of other clever people from throughout history who have dedicated their lives to this question (and other related questions). People like Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham. They will each attempt to provide a clear answer to this question, and give compelling reasons to adopt their viewpoint. Their views are wildly different from each other and here in the future, there is still no consensus regarding who is ultimately correct. 

Lastly, I’d like to tell you about a man who will live in the future. A man named John Rawls will be born in the year 1921 and in 1971 he will publish a book called “A Theory of Justice”. In that book he will suggest that the best way to design a just world is from a position of impartiality. He notes that in life we do not get to choose when or where we are born, or to which parents. You and I are fortunate in that we were born into relatively comfortable circumstances for our time. Others are less fortunate and are born into very difficult circumstances through no fault of their own. I ask you; is it fair or just to punish somebody for circumstances that are entirely out of their control?

Rawls presents a thought experiment. Imagine you are a god-like figure floating in the clouds trying to design a just society. Tomorrow you will enter this world (the one you create today), but you have no idea who you will be. You could be a person of colour, or a woman, or a chicken or a rock. From this position, go ahead and design the best utopian society you can possibly imagine. 

If it turns out you are a rock, presumably you won’t know you’re a rock (you won’t know anything), and so it doesn’t really matter what kind of society you design. But suppose you are a woman of colour. In that scenario, you will have interests, such as avoiding pain and your own freedom. You will have an interest in not being a slave. The nature of the society you are born into will matter to you very deeply indeed. And so, this suggests we ought to design a society in which owning slaves is not allowed (because, after all, it could have been you).

I sincerely hope you’ll take this letter seriously and adjust your actions accordingly. If you're still not convinced, I hope that this letter will at least leave you with some doubts about the moral status of slavery, and at a minimum, you might treat your slave better than you would have done otherwise. 

Your friend from the future,
Ben

P.s. Malaria is transmitted from person to person via mosquito bites.

Greetings  friend,

 I trust this letter finds you well in the midst of the challenges and changes of our post-colonial era. I have been reflecting on the state of affairs, particularly regarding the struggle for democracy and human rights, and I find it necessary to engage in a conversation with you about a matter close to my heart: the oppression of women.

In our current reality, the plight of Kenyan and African women remains a significant concern, marked by challenges such as gender-based discrimination, and violence against women. Cases of femicide have been on the rise, just the other day Kenyan women had to take it to the streets for a peaceful plea to the government to put measures to end femicide. I struggle with understanding how much can be done now  that our society has been shaped by the aftermath of colonial rule, and the consequences of an autocratic government combined with underdeveloped economies.

I like the term empowerment because no one has defined it clearly yet, so it gives us a breathing space to work it out in action terms before we have to pin ourselves down to what it means from one friend to another, implore you to consider the elimination of gender-based discrimination as a fundamental step towards a more just society. Women, just like men, are entitled to equal opportunities, access to education, and the freedom to pursue their aspirations. Denying them these rights not only hinders individual potential but also undermines the progress of our entire community.

Violence against women is a scourge that must be eradicated. It not only inflicts physical harm but also perpetuates a culture of fear and silence. By championing the cause against gender-based violence, we contribute to the creation of a safer and more compassionate society.

I want to draw your attention to the remarkable achievements of women in our present world. Starting with our very own Wangari Maathai a Kenyan politician and environmental activist who was awarded the 2004 Nobel prize becoming the first black African woman to win a Nobel prize. Today, Africa stands as a global leader in women's public leadership, with several nations, including Rwanda, demonstrating exemplary representation in parliaments and cabinets. African women are not confined to national institutions; they play pivotal roles in international organizations, contributing to vital issues such as peace and security, gender justice, climate change, and economic development.

As we navigate the challenges of our time, let us work towards a future where the rights and contributions of women are acknowledged and celebrated. By embracing equality and fostering an environment that values the agency and potential of every individual, we contribute to the betterment of our society as a whole.

I look forward to engaging in further dialogue on this matter, hoping that together, we can sow the seeds of positive change.

Wishing you strength and wisdom in your reflections.

Hello traditional Maasai Elders

I hope you are doing well and that the community is thriving. I am reaching out to you from the future with some information that is crucial to changing the direction of our community. This information is about the patriarchy practised in our community and why things should change.

It has long been held that men are the leaders of the community and that women should be subversive to them. In the current world, this is called sexism - the idea that people of one gender (women in this case) are inferior to the other. There are many reasons that you might have to think this way but they are unfounded. 

Think of the things that women are put through in your time. Girls are taken out of school and married off early to older men of your choosing. They are then made to have children from an early age, without taking into account their consent. This is a violation of their rights - why would a person be denied the right to an education, the right to a life of freedom, the right to a choice of their life partner, the right to choose when to have children - just because of their gender?

Another great atrocity that your daughters, sisters, and wives have been put through is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Imagine the pain they go through and the danger it poses to their health. In the modern world, this practice has been outlawed because it is such a massive violation. Please consider the effects and you shall see why this decision was made.

In the modern world, women are treated equally as men. This has led to incredible gains in development and societal growth that your descendants enjoy. Women are just as intelligent and hard-working as men and given the opportunity, they shall help your generation make changes that shall forever reverberate in the community all the way to my present times. Please give equality a chance, for everyone in the community and ensure for each to count for one and none for more and you shall reap the fruits.
 

Thank you,

Your son from a thriving future in which all genders are equal

Dear friend,

I am writing from the future 

I know that being a leader in your era comes with difficult choices to make and that is why you have so many slaves working for you and women of color being raped and mistreated. But I want you to imagine if you were in the same shoes as they are in what could have happened and how could you have felt? Do you think it could have been a good feeling?’

I understand that you are doing this because of the society and what they perceive to be right but things will change. Every human being is equal and has the same rights and should be treated well. It might be difficult to choose the right path but things will get better.

I am looking forward to write more letters but for now, please remember that being a kind and good person always has a positive impact on others. 

Thank You!

Hello my Cold-War friend,

I am aware that homosexuality is a scare of your time. Believe me, it is not nearly as bad as its made out to be. I understand that film often portrays them as selfish and villainous, but that's untrue. That's not even necessarily what film writers believe (though some surely do). There's actually specific codes in place that limit the way many characters like that are written--art under that isn't exactly a reflection of reality. Many of us have the same desires you do, of happiness and prosperity, a life of acceptance. They aren't deviants either. Statistics of my time show that they're no more or less likely than heterosexual people to be such. That's another damaging stereotype. The worrying reality is, a lot of such stereotypes come from people in power, and their own misguided fears. Though it's not necessarily easy for you, in such a politically rigid time, I hope that you and anyone else keeps a healthy questioning of power, using their own logic and knowledge to evaluate the soundness of their decisions. Recall, the government is for the needs of the many--and this includes people unlike yourself. And if you're worried of betraying religious teachings, the bible makes no mention of homosexuality (scholars believe that was a mistranslation). Furthermore, Jesus himself loved the outcasts--be like him some more. And this open attitude doesn't stop at sexuality. Some people are at odds with the gender they were assigned (their mind is truer than their body), but that doesn't get much attention until later. Still, keep an open mind to them and try to empathize with the struggle of being inside a body you don't believe to be yours. Act with compassion and consideration. 

I believe in you,

MD

Dear Friend from the past,

I’ve been thinking deeply about our society and how it treats those who do not fit into the traditional norms we’ve accepted for so long. Specifically, I’m writing to you about sexual minorities—people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. I know that you believe your views are in line with what is morally right, and that you’re just living the life that has been handed down to you by our culture. But I ask you to consider whether the treatment of sexual minorities reflects the moral values we truly hold dear, such as fairness, kindness, and the right of each individual to live a dignified life.

One thing that often goes overlooked is that sexual minorities are not choosing their identities any more than you or I chose ours. Just as you did not choose to be heterosexual, they did not choose to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. The assumption that being different in this way is inherently wrong or immoral has been shaped by cultural and religious narratives that have long gone unchallenged. But if we take a step back, we can see that these narratives are based on fear of the unknown rather than any inherent wrongdoing. We are all simply trying to live according to who we are. If we, as a society, demand that sexual minorities conform to an identity that isn’t theirs, we’re forcing them to live inauthentic lives—a fate that would surely feel oppressive and cruel if we were subjected to it ourselves.

Sexual minorities experience a great deal of suffering, much of which is preventable. Discrimination in housing, employment, healthcare, and education creates barriers that rob people of opportunities to lead fulfilling lives. Even worse, many endure violence, rejection, and isolation simply for being who they are. Can we really call ourselves just or moral if we ignore these realities? If we believe in human dignity, then we must accept that it applies to everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The evidence is there if we are willing to open our eyes to it—people who are free to express their identities without fear or repression lead happier, healthier, and more productive lives. We should want this for all people, not just those who are like us.

I encourage you to think deeply about what it means to live a moral life in this respect. Does it not include standing against unnecessary harm? Consider what it would mean for us to be complicit in this harm, even passively, through our silence or inaction. We have the ability, through understanding and empathy, to transform the world into one where everyone, regardless of their identity, can thrive. I hope you’ll join me in this.

Prezado Aristóteles,

Escrevo para você do futuro! Nesta semana  mesmo toquei em seu nome... Falava sobre a ética da virtude. Como , supostamente, para você a ética deveria ser racional, baseada em suas consequências. Por isso, penso que deve realizar um exercício ético para a sua própria posteridade! O Sr já pensou em sua morte?! Calma... não venho alertar-te sobre ela, não tenho possibilidade sobre isso... Gostaria que pensasse... Depois de sua morte.. quem estaria sofrendo por isso?! Filho...netos? De seus filhos e netos sabemos que pensa em seu futuro depois de sua morte. Mas e de sua esposa? Gostaria que fizesse uma reflexão de como ela ficaria de sua morte. O que pode acontecer de extremo? Ela tirar a própria vida?! O que pode acontecer de sua falta de reação? Não ligar para a sua morte e continuar a vida da mesma forma? Pois então, penso que o caminho seria o do meio! Como você, Aristóteles, pode assegurar-se que sua esposa não irá detesta lo para o resto de sua vida ou não irá sequer lembrar de sua existência?! O que você teria que propor em seu testamento para chegar a este meio termo?

Seu Eterno Aluno, Flavio Bartoszeck. 

Dear friend,

I hope you don't get scared by the content of this letter. Believe it or not, I am writing from the future! I know that you, as a woman, have had a lot of questions about your sense of belonging, and what you think is fair. I know it has been difficult, and your thoughts about the world are different from the rest of the people you usually to talk to. I want you to know that this thought is not true; you are surrounded by a lot of people that, just like you, is noticing that are things that have to be changed, but talk about it takes time and courage; give everyone a little bit of time!
I can't tell you everything that is going to happen, it would be too difficult. But you need to know that even your smallest actions will have an impact. Thank you for having the courage, for never giving up, and for staying with your ideals. Things are going to be better.

I am looking forward to share you more things. For now, please remember that everything is worth it. Good luck and keep going. 

My dearest Wolfi,

I was reading the Zeitung on Sunday morning. You know that I never skip this self-care ritual of mine, and I was surprised to see your familiar face in a photo taken by a journalist in your town covering a Pro-Rasse rally. I am very supportive of you taking action about the causes that you believe righteous, and this made me ponder whether I should join your National Socialist cause in order to enable the best possible version of the homo sapiens.

I first skimmed Darwin´s Natural Selection theory. It´s indeed impressive. I see how you might be worried about spending resources on taking care of the sick and the weak because we don´t want them to have equally sick and weak offspring. We have done this with dogs even well before we developed script! I understand, why should not we do this with our own species? Good, healthy loyal dogs were fed and had offspring. Unfriendly and sick dogs weren´t fed and taken care of, and eventually, their genes died out.

What I however could not integrate into this reasoning is the argument against tanned people, people belonging to other ethnicities or having particular sexual orientations. This is why I spent my Monday afternoon in the library, reading the scientific research on the differences between Aryans and the rest of homo sapiens. In the past, scientists have made mistakes and new scientific methods and tools have proven them wrong. What if we were wrong here as well regarding which humans should be spared to secure the human species´s best possible evolution?

I could not but think of the African slaves in the US. Ancient empires also allowed slavery, but they didn´t target 1 particular race. Anyone: white, dark, short, tall, strong, or chubby could be a slave and often, slaves would buy their freedom and become citizens. I recently had the opportunity to read more about this topic. Do you know why black Africans and not any other people were enslaved by white colonizers? Apart from taking advantage of the already-existing slave trade in Africa by Europeans and the geographical closeness, of course, it wasn´t because they were inferior, quite the opposite.

White colonizers and native people were dying of diseases against which our African fellow homo sapiens had already developed resistance. So what if black Africans have evolved and are biologically better equipped than Aryans already, and whites have been wasting their precious genes by killing them with hard labour for centuries? We could have saved a lot of money trying to cure diseases for which their genes already had an antidote. It would be a shame that we didn´t interbreed earlier.

Please, consider my observations and I will be looking forward to your next letter. I hope you can give me more insight into the White Supremacy Humanist cause, taking my worries into account.

Liebe Grüße,

Your Victoria G.

Dear Mr Neville, former Chief Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia,

I'm writing to you with some rather unpleasant news. The cause which you devoted your life to, the extinction of Australian first nations people through policies of child removal and assimilation, has been disproven fully scientifically, ethically and practically. The theory of eugenics, which you used to justify the superiority of the "white race', has been thoroughly debunked by modern research which shows that there is no such biological hierachy. The majority of people in the world today would regard you as an extreme bigot because most of us think all humans are equal and valuable, regardless of ability, race, religion or sexual preference. In addition, most people today regard your actions as Chief Protector as morally reprehensible- in fact you are now regarded as one of the main perpetrators of the "stolen generation", the term most Australians use to describe the policy of governments which you implemented. As a result of being forcibly separated from their parents and culture, first nations Austualians are still suffering from intergenerational trauma, reduced lifespan, and poor physical and mental health. As a result, the nation you called Australia has become poorer as a whole; economically, culturally and environmentally. We have spent millions of dollars, lost whole languages and traditions, and ignored indigenous knowledge about how to live sustainably with this land. In saying this I do not mean to belittle or berate you. Every person is a product of their culture and at the time the ideas and customs which fuelled your passionate implementation of this attempted genocide were widespread and popular. Although you might have been complicit in this tragedy through indifference or ignorance rather than malevolence or ill-will, I would like to ask you to reflect on the damage your actions have caused and take some responsibility for this. The Prime Minister of Australia formally recognised and apologised to the the stolen generations in Federal Parliament in 2007 and I hope you may find it in your heart to do the same. On a positive note, many modern ancestors of the stolen generation are now learning about their heritage and are proudly identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. They are working hard to relearn past customs and reinvigorate traditional knowledge to the benefit of all Australians. Like me, I hope you can also find respect and love for their resilience and wisdom.