“Helping other people in need is where civilization starts” is a powerful statement attributed to renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead.
As Oman gears up for the 10th Majlis Ash'Shura elections, where we will vote digitally in around one minute for the first time, I have some simple lessons, which I learned during my campaign.
Communities that fail to look after its members risk missing out on progress and prosperity.
In 2013, linking helping others to civilization formed a significant part of my drive to represent my hometown — Salalah — in Majlis Ash'shura, the lower house of our parliament Council of Oman.
It is always exciting to run for public office in a place with one of the highest rates of voter registration and voter turnout such as the governorate of Dhofar.
Running for office is certainly not for the fainthearted, because despite any candidate’s good intentions of paying it forward to your community, contesting in elections entails competition, smear campaigns including personal attacks.
After a year of campaigning on a platform to find my voice and help others find theirs, my campaign team and I learned three valuable lessons; without a sense of belonging there is no team, love your neighbors, and be inspired by your losses as much as your wins.
Sense of belonging
If there is one difference between communities who can advance, and those who do not it’s a community’s sincerity in embracing its members, granting them a real sense of belonging. You will only contribute your best when you and every member of your team matter. It’s the role of leaders to nurture a safe and happy place with a sense of belonging and mutual destiny. During the campaign, spend time with team members, listen to them, share thoughts and food with them to understand their aspirations to truly represent them. One of the most severe punishments communities applied in the past was keeping members at a distance and ostracizing them, as if he or she no longer exists as far as the community is concerned.
Love your neighbors
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the real wealth of the Sultanate of Oman is not oil and gas, rather it is the friendly relations with its neighbors. Your neighbors are the main reference about you and your character. One of my campaign’s proudest moments was when an aunt from our neighborhood told me at the end of a public Q&A session, “I may not have understood some of the big words used in elections today, but I have faith that your intentions are in the right place”. Ultimately, all campaigning fades and what remains forever is how many people have faith in us and pray for us.
Leveraging loss as an inspiration
Losing is one of the effective ways of learning and influencing behaviors. On the night of announcing the results there’s always a lot of anticipation, especially from the campaign team. One of the hardest roles as a candidate was sharing with the campaign team that we lost after waiting many long hours for the results. Yet, the team’s solidarity and resilience pleasantly shocked me and taught me that winning votes in ballot boxes grants a seat for four years or more yet gaining people’s hearts and minds grants a legacy and positive impact.
Wishing the right candidates all the best in the upcoming Shura elections.
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