We do we need Human Libraries?

 Few years ago, I saw post on twitter regarding human library in Belgium and Denmark, thousands of people sitting and just talking. Obviously, that initiative would have been funded by their government and I was thinking about the prospects it brought along with it. Therapy, counselling, expression, healing, anger management, anxiety issues, stress techniques, creative solutions of how to deal with life, brainstorming on the ideas, resolution to rejection, personal loss, bullying and suicide and what not. You see, people are fond of talking, and we have always figured it out simply by talking to each other. 

The Z generation is not talking to us. They are avoiding us. They are hiding in their escape rooms and there, they are facing the crisis, all alone at such young age without experience, with so much going on in their lives. Family dinning discussions are so much crucial, when kids are facing influences of all kinds, religious unrest, identity crisis, psychological crisis, issues of self-esteem, self-abuse, victimhood, loneliness, grief, learning social skills, conflict resolution at workplace, career counselling...basically it is resolution to everything that we are facing. 

The adults' men can talk about the stress at workplace, the masculine expectations of patriarchy, pressure of males, functional marriage, seeking relationship advice, suicidal thoughts, dealing with unemployment, facing rage in thoughts, deconstructing problematic religious narratives, talking about health issues, parenting advice, discipline, building habits, routine, and seeking perfection in what they do and growing in that field. 

The issues in old age are also numerous, and our old parents need company, they want to talk about their lives, their struggle, their political orientation, their sacrifices, the confessions, the things they never said to anyone all their lives, what hurt them, what gave them hope, how they are dealing with health, the fear of death, expectation from kids and the list can go on. 

The kids can talk about their toys, they can be taught how to solve little problems, it can be educational for them, they can be taught to communicate effectively, manage anger, stress, manage study and personal life, sex education, personal development, counselling, they can make lot of friends at human library, people from all ages. 

The only problematic thing about such wonderful idea in country like Pakistan is the religious extremism, sectarian and political divide, the fear that the all the conversations will be destructive instead of constructive, there's fear of propaganda, manipulation by religious and politically motivated forces.

Instead, we would talk about ideas that liberate us, about philosophy, about music, about our favorite movies, about the novel that made me cry, about the poem that I remember since childhood and I need to be aware who to talk to, and what to talk and how to talk. 

These initiatives often take place with higher literacy rate, higher tolerance and diversity in the social fabric. 

The world desperately needs healers in the form of non-judgmental listers, someone who can absorb what I say, who could give long hugs, and cuddle me, not in romantic way...but with the sense of consolation that you are doing great, and you will be fine. We all need that person, and I think we can make such bonds if we have human libraries around us.