A Beacon of Hope In a Sea of Despair
By Wafi Abdulla

"I choose the poverty of our poor people. But I am grateful to receive [the Nobel] in the name of the hungry, the naked, the homeless, of the crippled, of the blind, of the lepers, of all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone."
     --Mother Teresa, accepting the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize

Vision, extraordinary compassion, complete dedication - these are but few of the characteristics Mother Teresa embodied as founder and former leader of the Missionaries of Charity. Of course, these alone do not make an influential world leader. Winston Churchill may have lead the winning side in World War II, Nelson Mandela may have lead the struggle to end apartheid, Mahatma Gandhi may have lead the Indian Subcontinent to independence, and Martin Luther King may have lead the fight against segregation in 50s and 60s in America - but what did Mother Teresa do that makes her so unique, so influential?

Mother Teresa’s story, of a woman beginning by founding a Catholic order in Calcutta devoted to marginalized individuals, and ending with a live global broadcast of the coming together of international leaders in a celebration of her life, is grounded in humility, honesty, and generosity - attributes present only among the greatest of leaders.

Unlike the above mentioned individuals, Mother Teresa struggled not against personal oppression, but had goals that were selfless in nature: she was fighting to help those unlike her, from different cultures, traditions, countries, and religions. She focused on the poorest of the poor, the sick and malnourished, and the diseased - people suffering from such ailments as leprosy and AIDS.

Often, the diseased were shunned from their homes and communities, but Mother Teresa helped change misplaced perceptions by going

…where others feared to go. She never hesitated to kiss the hands of India's lepers or pick maggots from the wounds of people found lying in the streets. She helped change attitudes about AIDS by hugging patients dying of the disease.

This example of not just tolerance, but of acceptance, is an ideal still sought - especially in the face of recent atrocities in Kosovo, East Timor, and Rwanda. Rather than winning conflicts, Mother Teresa personified the potential goodness of humankind, a vision of kindness, generosity and blind love for global siblings.

Many "good" people have served the world over the past century, but Mother Teresa stands out not for her goodness, but for her success in carrying her message forward. The figures speak for themselves:

Today, her order includes nearly 600 clinics, orphanages, soup kitchens, maternity homes, refugee centers, and homes for the poor, sick, and dying in more than 100 countries. They operate in 25 of the USA's 193 Catholic Diocese. They're staffed by 4,500 nuns, 500 brothers and thousands of volunteers, all of whom take their model from Teresa.

Many other agencies use this unrivaled success as the best example of excellence. However, her success lies in absolute numbers and in her position as role model - a lifestyle and mindset voluntarily emulated by many thousands from around the world. This begs the question: how did Mother Teresa conduct herself and her organization to ensure success?

From humble beginnings in Calcutta, Mother Teresa had no aspirations for the greatness that would eventually engulf her life. She started small, "refus[ing] to engage in fundraising or to accept a steady source of money from government, private business or even the Catholic Church," and used her actions as her vehicle to further her goals. Marshall McLuhan would contend that her medium - her actions, her self-imposed poverty, her lifestyle amidst the slums of the world - epitomized her message. Mother Teresa was the strictest practitioner of the medicine she prescribed.

Mother Teresa did not covet the limelight, and tried to win national and international support without attracting media attention. As greatness was thrust upon her, the media and individuals did come, seeking ways to contribute. New York Mayor Rudolph Guiliani once remarked: "I would give Mother Teresa anything she wanted" - indicating her ability to galvanize the hearts and minds of the most powerful in the world. Mother Teresa met regularly with world leaders to discuss the marginalized. However, her movement was not active in the traditional notion of a political organization trying to address issues through the modification of governing structures. Perhaps unbeknownst to her at the time, this policy was not only politically astute, but also yielded success unparalleled in this century, since governments were not threatened by what she represented.

Mother Teresa’s greatness is symbolized by the global mourning of her passing, her 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, and her various government distinctions. The U.S. awarded her the Medal of Freedom in 1985 and a Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. Her most unique distinction was her receipt of an honorary U.S. citizenship on November 16, 1996 - only the fifth person in U.S. history to be given the honour. However, this view does injustice to her influence as a twentieth century world leader. Only recently, through various actions like the humanitarian intervention in Kosovo by NATO, the formation of the International Criminal Court, and the arrest in the U.K. of Agusto Pinochet, have we begun to realize the vision set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Mother Teresa internalized this message, and began acting upon these beliefs in 1947 when she founded her first school - a year before the Declaration was signed. Through perseverance, vision, a sound foundation of morals and values, selfless dedication, and leadership by example, Mother Teresa has become the most recognized and accepted example of goodness in this century. In fact, one can justifiably argue that her message of the past 50 years is only beginning to be realized. One can only hope that Mother Teresa’s example and legacy will dominate and be victorious in the twenty-first century. If not, the prospects for humankind are grim indeed.

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