Today's post in the exemplary global citizens series addresses the synergy between the global and the local:
Seven, an exemplary global citizen appreciates and understands the tension between a global citizen and a local citizen, and plays both roles in a synergistic fashion. The local is always related to the global, and vice versa. A global citizen takes seriously the words of Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health, who said, “Humanity is the only true nation.”
We hear it all the time now - the world is getting flatter, smaller, and more competitive. What we do at home no longer impacts those just in our community; we need to think about the impacts and influences from partners and competitors all across the world.
The combination of global and local has created the hybrid word "glocalization". By its definition, a glocal citizen thinks globally and acts locally. This citizen takes perspectives and potential consequences from around the world and integrates them into his/her decision making.
Indeed, one can be global in his/her day-to-day activities, especially when consciously internalizing and learning from past experiences with different cultures. Many believe that they are not not “global” unless all they do is fly to different places. However, whenever you go somewhere or hear a new perspective, you internalize it and make it a part of your own. You make the global relevant to the part of the world where you are at the given moment.
When I think of glocalization, I think of the traffic situation display that air traffic controllers view. You see planes from all over flying out and coming in, with various points as hubs. This video gives a good idea of the concept, for the entire world:
Imagine that you are a dot on the map, right where you are now. I will pretend I am a dot in Washington, DC. Right now, my central focus point is in DC - all planes go to me and come out from me at that point in DC. I can carry influences from all over, but my impact is in DC. Now, let's pretend that you physically take a flight on a plane to a different point in the world, such as to Lusaka, Zambia. Suddenly, the point that is "local" for you changes. To act locally, you would be acting in Lusaka and no longer in DC. You would still bring influences from all over, but a place you once thought of as global would become the local.
The Periclean program changes the focus point for students and makes the global local through service that creates broader perspectives. Through the program, I have found that yes, you can have a greater global impact by engaging in the world through service in many different areas. However, you can have a different (and in many cases, equivalent) impact by bringing perspectives from all over into your local community. When we made our countries of focus our "local" for a period of time, it enabled us to bring stronger multicultural perspectives to our homes - places that are local for us year-round.
How do we work to spread glocalization? Not everyone can go on a Periclean trip, but everyone can speak up and work locally. Challenge those who think that their little world, their own activities do not impact everyone else. Help those around you to see the bigger picture and the necessity of becoming glocal - in a way that makes sense to them.
Showing posts with label exemplary global citizens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exemplary global citizens. Show all posts
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Exemplary Global Citizens: Free Will
The next entry in the exemplary global citizens series addresses item number six: free will.
Number six, an exemplary global citizen knows that human agency exists, that we have free will, and that human history will unfold as directed by all of our actions. It is not cuberous to assume having control over one’s destiny, just the opposite: it is the sine qua non of one who knows that we can change the world with our visionary works. An exemplary global citizen is thus the embodiment of the admonishment that comes from Mohandas K. Gandhi, namely, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Free will among mankind means that we have a responsibility and obligation to one another, if our aim is progress. It will not come from denial or laziness. The acceptance of responsibility is linked to success. Similarly, the acceptance of sustained responsibility is linked to long-term success. It is this knowledge that makes the success of Periclean projects so sweet; the long-term successes are directly tied to a deep sense of obligation to our partners. The change that has come from our projects is linked to our free will to live out these obligations.
As I perused the latest Periclean newsletter, I found an article about the Class of 2010’s new successes in Ghana that would not have been possible without a sustained commitment to being the change they wish to see in the world. The class has farmed exemplary global citizens who continue to act on behalf of their partners. Below I share the article, for your education and enjoyment.
Building lasting community partnership in Ghana: 2010s follow a project to an unanticipated turn, bringing healthcare to thousands of Ghanaians for years to come
Written by Carly Tustin, Class of 2010
“At the project’s beginning, those living in rural isolated Kpoeta who were in need of medical attention walked or were carried by others for seven miles to reach Kpedze, the only health facility for miles. During the region’s rainy season, the unpaved road leading to the Kpedze clinic became impassible and, in effect, the 10,000 people of Kpoeta were annually losing access to health care for months at a time.
“In a joint effort with the people of Kpoeta, Elon University’s Periclean Scholars Ghana Class established and opened the Kpoeta Community Clinic in January 2009. Its inception initiated a more stable source of medical care and before most of the class graduated in May 2010, plans were instated to launch a drug store and to obtain additional staff for the clinic.
“Although 29 of the original Ghana Periclean members have graduated from Elon and dispersed across the United States and the world, they have kept the global development initiative a dynamic part of their lives. Over the past three years, six students from the classes of 2012 and 2013 have become Ghana Periclean Scholars and joined Dr. Heidi G. Frontani, faculty advisor to the Ghana Pericleans, to support what was started by the 29 members of the 2010 class and sustain the partnership with the Kpoeta community. The younger members meet every other week and at their September 7, 2011 meeting, they became aware of news from the clinic in Ghana that took the group’s previous sustainability initiatives to a new level.
“Ghana’s Ministry of Health had announced plans to upgrade the Kpoeta Community Clinic to a Community Health Planning Services Center, allowing the facility to add both a community nurse and a National Youth Employment worker to the existing staff, the ability to accept Ghana’s Health Insurance Card, and receive stocks of drugs from the Ghana Health Services for the facility’s drug store. The upgrade will be completed by December 2011. In the meantime, additional on-site housing for the new staff will be constructed and is expected to be completed by early 2012.
“The upgrade to the clinic was celebrated with an official government ceremony and fundraiser (durbar) in Kpoeta on September 8, 2011. Congratulations to all who have been involved with this amazing project and thank you to those who have donated.”
Number six, an exemplary global citizen knows that human agency exists, that we have free will, and that human history will unfold as directed by all of our actions. It is not cuberous to assume having control over one’s destiny, just the opposite: it is the sine qua non of one who knows that we can change the world with our visionary works. An exemplary global citizen is thus the embodiment of the admonishment that comes from Mohandas K. Gandhi, namely, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Free will among mankind means that we have a responsibility and obligation to one another, if our aim is progress. It will not come from denial or laziness. The acceptance of responsibility is linked to success. Similarly, the acceptance of sustained responsibility is linked to long-term success. It is this knowledge that makes the success of Periclean projects so sweet; the long-term successes are directly tied to a deep sense of obligation to our partners. The change that has come from our projects is linked to our free will to live out these obligations.
As I perused the latest Periclean newsletter, I found an article about the Class of 2010’s new successes in Ghana that would not have been possible without a sustained commitment to being the change they wish to see in the world. The class has farmed exemplary global citizens who continue to act on behalf of their partners. Below I share the article, for your education and enjoyment.
Building lasting community partnership in Ghana: 2010s follow a project to an unanticipated turn, bringing healthcare to thousands of Ghanaians for years to come
Written by Carly Tustin, Class of 2010
“What the Kpoeta Community Clinic in the Volta region of Ghana is developing into is beyond anyone’s wildest dreams when the Ghana Class of Periclean Scholars was inducted in the spring of 2007.
“At the project’s beginning, those living in rural isolated Kpoeta who were in need of medical attention walked or were carried by others for seven miles to reach Kpedze, the only health facility for miles. During the region’s rainy season, the unpaved road leading to the Kpedze clinic became impassible and, in effect, the 10,000 people of Kpoeta were annually losing access to health care for months at a time.
“In a joint effort with the people of Kpoeta, Elon University’s Periclean Scholars Ghana Class established and opened the Kpoeta Community Clinic in January 2009. Its inception initiated a more stable source of medical care and before most of the class graduated in May 2010, plans were instated to launch a drug store and to obtain additional staff for the clinic.
“Although 29 of the original Ghana Periclean members have graduated from Elon and dispersed across the United States and the world, they have kept the global development initiative a dynamic part of their lives. Over the past three years, six students from the classes of 2012 and 2013 have become Ghana Periclean Scholars and joined Dr. Heidi G. Frontani, faculty advisor to the Ghana Pericleans, to support what was started by the 29 members of the 2010 class and sustain the partnership with the Kpoeta community. The younger members meet every other week and at their September 7, 2011 meeting, they became aware of news from the clinic in Ghana that took the group’s previous sustainability initiatives to a new level.
“Ghana’s Ministry of Health had announced plans to upgrade the Kpoeta Community Clinic to a Community Health Planning Services Center, allowing the facility to add both a community nurse and a National Youth Employment worker to the existing staff, the ability to accept Ghana’s Health Insurance Card, and receive stocks of drugs from the Ghana Health Services for the facility’s drug store. The upgrade will be completed by December 2011. In the meantime, additional on-site housing for the new staff will be constructed and is expected to be completed by early 2012.
“The upgrade to the clinic was celebrated with an official government ceremony and fundraiser (durbar) in Kpoeta on September 8, 2011. Congratulations to all who have been involved with this amazing project and thank you to those who have donated.”
Exemplary Global Citizens: Courage of their Convictions
Today’s reflection on Dr. Arcaro’s address on exemplary global citizenship addresses item number five:
Five, an exemplary global citizen has the courage of their convictions, and knows that what is right is not always what is popular or easy. Indeed, as observed by George Bernard Shaw, “All evolution in thought and conduct must at first appear as heresy and misconduct.”
When we think of people who embody this point, many think of a woman whose work was not heresy in the eyes of the faith community, but rather in the minds of human possibility. We think of Mother Teresa’s gift of her life to India’s poorest. Those she served had been deemed untouchable, as less than worthy of treatment as human beings. Yet, Mother Teresa’s love shone through by remaining courageous and not giving in to all sorts of pressure. She feared God more than she feared humans, and that moral compass never led her astray. Those she served were finally treated as humans in her presence. We hold her in high esteem for pursuing what was seen as misconduct in the eyes of peers and elites. She is popular now for going against what was extremely unpopular.
As we admire Mother Teresa, the Periclean program supports its “African Mother Teresa”, Anita Isaacs, a Namibian who dedicates her life to those living with HIV/AIDS. She herself became HIV positive after contracting it from the man who was her husband and had abused her. There is no doubt that in Namibia, contracting HIV sentenced you to silence and a certain death. Yet, as Anita went through the stages of grief, she came to a very different conclusion. It would be her responsibility to live a new life, a life that would bring hope and awareness to a group considered untouchable.
As Anita said, “When you are diagnosed HIV positive, that is the start of your life. That is when you start planning your future, when you put your goals into place and become conscious that you don't live forever. Despite being HIV positive, you can still be the best you can be. You can still grow to be old and wise.” Empathy and compassion for others with HIV began Anita’s life anew. Her past plans, her past life meant nothing without acknowledging the suffering of those around her. Speaking out against the suffering and the poor treatment has made her into a hero of many.
In the present day, from the other side, we would like to think that we would do the same thing. However, given the tide against coming out as HIV positive, I believe that few of us would have come out in favor of “untouchables” if it meant we would be labeled as a heretic. We would act myopically and preserve personal pride instead of the larger good. Therefore, we must acknowledge Anita’s accomplishments as nothing less than extraordinary - with the desire to soon make them ordinary. Compassion should be the norm in all instances. I believe that some day it will.
The Periclean program holds up high our partners who stand by their convictions. We aim to model their courage in our daily undertakings. By seeking out and working with exemplary global citizens who consistently do what is right, even when it might conflict with what is popular, we grow in moral character and in service potential to our local and global communities.
Five, an exemplary global citizen has the courage of their convictions, and knows that what is right is not always what is popular or easy. Indeed, as observed by George Bernard Shaw, “All evolution in thought and conduct must at first appear as heresy and misconduct.”
When we think of people who embody this point, many think of a woman whose work was not heresy in the eyes of the faith community, but rather in the minds of human possibility. We think of Mother Teresa’s gift of her life to India’s poorest. Those she served had been deemed untouchable, as less than worthy of treatment as human beings. Yet, Mother Teresa’s love shone through by remaining courageous and not giving in to all sorts of pressure. She feared God more than she feared humans, and that moral compass never led her astray. Those she served were finally treated as humans in her presence. We hold her in high esteem for pursuing what was seen as misconduct in the eyes of peers and elites. She is popular now for going against what was extremely unpopular.
As we admire Mother Teresa, the Periclean program supports its “African Mother Teresa”, Anita Isaacs, a Namibian who dedicates her life to those living with HIV/AIDS. She herself became HIV positive after contracting it from the man who was her husband and had abused her. There is no doubt that in Namibia, contracting HIV sentenced you to silence and a certain death. Yet, as Anita went through the stages of grief, she came to a very different conclusion. It would be her responsibility to live a new life, a life that would bring hope and awareness to a group considered untouchable.
As Anita said, “When you are diagnosed HIV positive, that is the start of your life. That is when you start planning your future, when you put your goals into place and become conscious that you don't live forever. Despite being HIV positive, you can still be the best you can be. You can still grow to be old and wise.” Empathy and compassion for others with HIV began Anita’s life anew. Her past plans, her past life meant nothing without acknowledging the suffering of those around her. Speaking out against the suffering and the poor treatment has made her into a hero of many.
In the present day, from the other side, we would like to think that we would do the same thing. However, given the tide against coming out as HIV positive, I believe that few of us would have come out in favor of “untouchables” if it meant we would be labeled as a heretic. We would act myopically and preserve personal pride instead of the larger good. Therefore, we must acknowledge Anita’s accomplishments as nothing less than extraordinary - with the desire to soon make them ordinary. Compassion should be the norm in all instances. I believe that some day it will.
The Periclean program holds up high our partners who stand by their convictions. We aim to model their courage in our daily undertakings. By seeking out and working with exemplary global citizens who consistently do what is right, even when it might conflict with what is popular, we grow in moral character and in service potential to our local and global communities.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Exemplary Global Citizens: Inclusion and Ecocentrism
Today's posting will combine parts three and four of Dr. Arcaro's thesis into one entry.
Three, an exemplary global citizen is inclusive and works toward the goal of creating a more just world for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, tribe, clan, or nation. To me, this means working especially hard for the rights of women and children. To paraphrase the activist Bono, “Neither distance nor difference determine who is and who is not your brother or sister.”
In one of my first blog entries, I addressed the concept of excluding people from consideration as fellow human beings, with all of the same rights, and how to go about removing the concept of "the other". Click here to read this post. This post will serve as my commentary for part three of Dr. Arcaro's thesis.
Four, critically, an exemplary global citizen realizes that we are one species among many, and that we must be keenly aware of our relationship to the environment. We cannot ignore, for example, global climate change. We must replace our egocentrism with ecocentrism.
I also touched on our relationship to the environment in a prior post, this one as part of the Millennium Development Goals series. MDG 7 is to ensure environmental sustainability. Click here to read this post.
To add to this post, I have a fantastic analogy (in my opinion). Imagine that you just used the restroom and left a mess in the toilet. Now, you have the choice to flush and to be courteous to whoever comes next, or you can choose to be prideful, think that your mess does not stink, and walk away without flushing. If we are to see the toilet as our planet, and flushing as reducing our carbon footprint and respecting our environment, we are refusing to flush. Our messes are starting to pile up, and they are becoming toxic for those who come after us - our children, their children, and so on. We should stop being so egocentric as to think that our messes do not stink. They, in fact, do, especially when we make an active effort not to clean up our act.
Inclusion and ecocentrism are tied together in an indelible connection. Exemplary global citizens see all of our fellow citizens as entitled to fair treatment - just the same as we would expect from them. We also see the environment we live in as worthy of being treated well. We are on this earth to be stewards of our environment, not to trash it, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Therefore, we must look after our fellow citizens, and those who come after us, by keeping ecocentric attitudes and making an extra effort to leave them with a better world.
Three, an exemplary global citizen is inclusive and works toward the goal of creating a more just world for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, tribe, clan, or nation. To me, this means working especially hard for the rights of women and children. To paraphrase the activist Bono, “Neither distance nor difference determine who is and who is not your brother or sister.”
In one of my first blog entries, I addressed the concept of excluding people from consideration as fellow human beings, with all of the same rights, and how to go about removing the concept of "the other". Click here to read this post. This post will serve as my commentary for part three of Dr. Arcaro's thesis.
Four, critically, an exemplary global citizen realizes that we are one species among many, and that we must be keenly aware of our relationship to the environment. We cannot ignore, for example, global climate change. We must replace our egocentrism with ecocentrism.
I also touched on our relationship to the environment in a prior post, this one as part of the Millennium Development Goals series. MDG 7 is to ensure environmental sustainability. Click here to read this post.
To add to this post, I have a fantastic analogy (in my opinion). Imagine that you just used the restroom and left a mess in the toilet. Now, you have the choice to flush and to be courteous to whoever comes next, or you can choose to be prideful, think that your mess does not stink, and walk away without flushing. If we are to see the toilet as our planet, and flushing as reducing our carbon footprint and respecting our environment, we are refusing to flush. Our messes are starting to pile up, and they are becoming toxic for those who come after us - our children, their children, and so on. We should stop being so egocentric as to think that our messes do not stink. They, in fact, do, especially when we make an active effort not to clean up our act.
Inclusion and ecocentrism are tied together in an indelible connection. Exemplary global citizens see all of our fellow citizens as entitled to fair treatment - just the same as we would expect from them. We also see the environment we live in as worthy of being treated well. We are on this earth to be stewards of our environment, not to trash it, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Therefore, we must look after our fellow citizens, and those who come after us, by keeping ecocentric attitudes and making an extra effort to leave them with a better world.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Exemplary Global Citizens: A Profound Sense of Urgency
Today's post in the Exemplary Global Citizens series addresses part two of Dr. Arcaro's thesis of who can be considered an "exemplary global citizen":
Two, an exemplary global citizen has a profound sense of urgency. According to UNICEF, nearly 30,000 children under the age of five die every day from causes directly related to poverty - and that number is certainly higher just now with the famine crisis in the Horn of Africa. There is no time to waste. Engaged citizens must act now in response to chilling facts such as these.
What makes a sense of urgency? With any product of events, there are causes that get us there. Just as we bake a cake, there are ingredients and a process in creating the final outcome. Here are some of the ingredients that make the sense of urgency that characterize an exemplary global citizen.
Knowledge and awareness of issues: Before we feel the urge to act on an issue, we must know that it exists. We must consume global media from a variety of sources to get a broad base of knowledge, beyond that which the mainstream media feeds to us. How often do we hear about rape and war in the DRC and in Sierra Leone in the mainstream media? Unfortunately, not enough. Yet, if we look to international development news, we will understand how much of a crisis it is.
Belief that we can do something about issues: What good is this knowledge if we do not feel empowered to act? In learning about issues, global citizens seek out ways to help. They research NGOs and international organizations that mobilize effective groundwork. They are compelled to believe that their knowledge of the issues can mean something, because they can channel this energy in a positive fashion.
Acceptance that the world is not perfect: So many of us are content with our lives as they are. We follow the path of least resistance, because we can. We will not starve or be killed if we do differently. We are sheltered day to day from these issues of global significance. Yet, this is not how most of the world lives. We need to accept that our lives of contentment are ones of privilege, and that we do have a role to play in bringing contentment to others.
Know the consequences of inaction: If I do not write my Congressperson, or support the right organizations, or speak out and tell a friend about an issue, what will happen? When we know these facts, the urgency in action becomes much more real. If I can write the letter that helps convince my Congressperson to support development aid in the Horn of Africa, millions of lives can be saved. Why would I help those lives to die by leaving my pen idle?
Feeling that success is possible, through past accomplishments and current vision: Urgency is fostered when we have the means to the end. If there is a proven blueprint for success, we want to be a part of that vision than something that has no plan. We act urgently to support the idea with the plan and demand more of ideas that do not have plans.
Out of urgency, we can get a response. From the exemplary global citizen, this is a response of compassion and love. We have a role to play, and we must play it now - for our global neighbors. We are interdependent and must be ready to act when called. Well, here's your call. Don't hesitate to act on issues of global significance.
Two, an exemplary global citizen has a profound sense of urgency. According to UNICEF, nearly 30,000 children under the age of five die every day from causes directly related to poverty - and that number is certainly higher just now with the famine crisis in the Horn of Africa. There is no time to waste. Engaged citizens must act now in response to chilling facts such as these.
What makes a sense of urgency? With any product of events, there are causes that get us there. Just as we bake a cake, there are ingredients and a process in creating the final outcome. Here are some of the ingredients that make the sense of urgency that characterize an exemplary global citizen.
Knowledge and awareness of issues: Before we feel the urge to act on an issue, we must know that it exists. We must consume global media from a variety of sources to get a broad base of knowledge, beyond that which the mainstream media feeds to us. How often do we hear about rape and war in the DRC and in Sierra Leone in the mainstream media? Unfortunately, not enough. Yet, if we look to international development news, we will understand how much of a crisis it is.
Belief that we can do something about issues: What good is this knowledge if we do not feel empowered to act? In learning about issues, global citizens seek out ways to help. They research NGOs and international organizations that mobilize effective groundwork. They are compelled to believe that their knowledge of the issues can mean something, because they can channel this energy in a positive fashion.
Acceptance that the world is not perfect: So many of us are content with our lives as they are. We follow the path of least resistance, because we can. We will not starve or be killed if we do differently. We are sheltered day to day from these issues of global significance. Yet, this is not how most of the world lives. We need to accept that our lives of contentment are ones of privilege, and that we do have a role to play in bringing contentment to others.
Know the consequences of inaction: If I do not write my Congressperson, or support the right organizations, or speak out and tell a friend about an issue, what will happen? When we know these facts, the urgency in action becomes much more real. If I can write the letter that helps convince my Congressperson to support development aid in the Horn of Africa, millions of lives can be saved. Why would I help those lives to die by leaving my pen idle?
Feeling that success is possible, through past accomplishments and current vision: Urgency is fostered when we have the means to the end. If there is a proven blueprint for success, we want to be a part of that vision than something that has no plan. We act urgently to support the idea with the plan and demand more of ideas that do not have plans.
Out of urgency, we can get a response. From the exemplary global citizen, this is a response of compassion and love. We have a role to play, and we must play it now - for our global neighbors. We are interdependent and must be ready to act when called. Well, here's your call. Don't hesitate to act on issues of global significance.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Exemplary Global Citizens: Seeing the Long View, Making a Better Life for Our Children
This first post in the Exemplary Global Citizens series addresses part one of Dr. Arcaro's thesis of who can be considered an "exemplary global citizen":
First and foremost, an exemplary global citizen always sees the long view and works toward the goal of making a better life for our children, their children, and their children, on to many generations. To quote the document written by the indigenous people we must “Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground - the unborn of the future nation.”
In this first description of an exemplary global citizen, we have two items to explore. The first is how we express our vision of the long view, and the second is how we make a better life for our children.
The long view is a fairly simple concept to explain. Rather than doing business in a day-to-day fashion, each day must have be linked to a long-term strategic plan. What is the purpose for each action? How will it make life better tomorrow, a year from now, or fifty years from now? I believe that seeing the long view is the great success of development aid groups. Rather than working only on what will relieve pain on a day-to-day basis, they are strategically focused to address root causes. Acting in this manner is akin to attacking the roots of the weed - the deeper part that we cannot yet see - instead of just the flower or stem - the part that has already come into fruition, but by no means the whole. This requires a great deal of patience and faith; we can only see one day at a time, so we have to trust that our actions in development aid will pay off in the end. As when a child is in kindergarten, we must trust that each small bit of education will foster fully educated, global citizens. I know that my kindergarten teacher cannot see who I have become today, but I have no doubt that by implementing the best teaching techniques, she saw the long view. She planted the right educational roots to grow the right educational fruit.
The second concept, the one of making a better life for our children, is a bit more complicated. I will break it down by two interpretations: thinking beyond the WIIFM philosophy ("what's in it for me"), and looking to the wisdom of experts to attain the best lives for our children.
The major tenet of adult philosophy today is WIIFM. We show people how they can personally benefit from our presence and ideas for just about everything, from getting a job to starting a relationship to buying a product. At its base, this idea is selfish and prideful, which means that it can be overcome. If we are to put others first, including our own children, then we must overcome it. Unfortunately, what's best for me may not be best for you, as in the delivery and misplacement of some forms of humanitarian aid. Creating a better life for others (and for our children - those who will live beyond us) asks us not to follow the golden rule of "do unto others as you would have done unto you", but rather the platinum rule of "do unto others as they would have done unto them".
Fighting the tenet of WIIFM is easier for those who care for other forms of human life - their children or their students - than for others who live alone or who are self-centered in most of their actions. The second part of making a better life for our children, however, is particularly difficult for all, no matter your status as parent or caregiver. The thought that we must listen to the experts on how to improve the world, and not always go by our own concepts - even in the way we want to raise our children! - is paramount to the creation of an exemplary global citizen.
There are as many ideas for creating a better world for our children as there are human beings. The lines of "How can you leave that for our children?" and "I'm doing what's best for our children" are often quoted by politicians. Failing to leave behind a world that is acceptable for our children is a button that hits home. Unfortunately, it is often misused and abused by those who want to get others to do what they want and not necessarily what is best for the coming generations. Many parents produce many children, and they all think they are doing what is best for their families and for the world as a whole. We must remember that terrorists have children; even they take the time to instill their own hopes, dreams, and desires into their offspring. Yet, these hopes and dreams are destructive to society.
So, how do we leave a better world for those who come after us, without destroying the world? The Periclean way states that it is best to listen to the wisdom of our experts. We, as individual humans, do not always have enough inside of us to determine what will be best for the coming generations. We are not God. We must show reverence toward the bodies of experts that live among us and those who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of this world. Unfortunately, this may not always mean listening to our elders. Those we see as elders might have lived a life of self-fulfillment and know nothing about serving their fellow human beings. Consider this: would you listen to advice on how to help our children from Robert Mugabe? Wisdom comes in many forms, and it is this search for wisdom that will yield us the greatest results in bettering our world. Just because a person has children does not make him or her qualified to determine humanity's path.
Seeking wisdom from our experts means that we must not ignore their calls for help, the calls from those who know what they are doing and have a clear mission to get us there. In Zambia, we had ideas and did research on underlying issues in rural Zambian development. We could be considered experts, in that we had studied the culture for a matter of years in a scholarly sense. Regardless, we had to listen to our partners on the ground to produce fruitful works. Without Charity's and Voster's unique insight and expertise, those houses would not have been built. They understood the dynamics of the community and what worked and why. When they spoke, we listened. When they asked us to jump, we asked how high. Even when some requests might have seemed outlandish, such as placing bricks in the water to help our bus move the day after, they had the vision.
This dynamic between Periclean Scholars and our partners would do well to play out on a grander scale. That being said, we must ensure that we are not following blindly - that we do listen to our internal compass on all matters. The advice of experts must always be seen in the eye of the long view. In this sense, they go hand in hand. This is the first way that we can become exemplary global citizens.
First and foremost, an exemplary global citizen always sees the long view and works toward the goal of making a better life for our children, their children, and their children, on to many generations. To quote the document written by the indigenous people we must “Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground - the unborn of the future nation.”
In this first description of an exemplary global citizen, we have two items to explore. The first is how we express our vision of the long view, and the second is how we make a better life for our children.
The long view is a fairly simple concept to explain. Rather than doing business in a day-to-day fashion, each day must have be linked to a long-term strategic plan. What is the purpose for each action? How will it make life better tomorrow, a year from now, or fifty years from now? I believe that seeing the long view is the great success of development aid groups. Rather than working only on what will relieve pain on a day-to-day basis, they are strategically focused to address root causes. Acting in this manner is akin to attacking the roots of the weed - the deeper part that we cannot yet see - instead of just the flower or stem - the part that has already come into fruition, but by no means the whole. This requires a great deal of patience and faith; we can only see one day at a time, so we have to trust that our actions in development aid will pay off in the end. As when a child is in kindergarten, we must trust that each small bit of education will foster fully educated, global citizens. I know that my kindergarten teacher cannot see who I have become today, but I have no doubt that by implementing the best teaching techniques, she saw the long view. She planted the right educational roots to grow the right educational fruit.
The second concept, the one of making a better life for our children, is a bit more complicated. I will break it down by two interpretations: thinking beyond the WIIFM philosophy ("what's in it for me"), and looking to the wisdom of experts to attain the best lives for our children.
The major tenet of adult philosophy today is WIIFM. We show people how they can personally benefit from our presence and ideas for just about everything, from getting a job to starting a relationship to buying a product. At its base, this idea is selfish and prideful, which means that it can be overcome. If we are to put others first, including our own children, then we must overcome it. Unfortunately, what's best for me may not be best for you, as in the delivery and misplacement of some forms of humanitarian aid. Creating a better life for others (and for our children - those who will live beyond us) asks us not to follow the golden rule of "do unto others as you would have done unto you", but rather the platinum rule of "do unto others as they would have done unto them".
Fighting the tenet of WIIFM is easier for those who care for other forms of human life - their children or their students - than for others who live alone or who are self-centered in most of their actions. The second part of making a better life for our children, however, is particularly difficult for all, no matter your status as parent or caregiver. The thought that we must listen to the experts on how to improve the world, and not always go by our own concepts - even in the way we want to raise our children! - is paramount to the creation of an exemplary global citizen.
There are as many ideas for creating a better world for our children as there are human beings. The lines of "How can you leave that for our children?" and "I'm doing what's best for our children" are often quoted by politicians. Failing to leave behind a world that is acceptable for our children is a button that hits home. Unfortunately, it is often misused and abused by those who want to get others to do what they want and not necessarily what is best for the coming generations. Many parents produce many children, and they all think they are doing what is best for their families and for the world as a whole. We must remember that terrorists have children; even they take the time to instill their own hopes, dreams, and desires into their offspring. Yet, these hopes and dreams are destructive to society.
So, how do we leave a better world for those who come after us, without destroying the world? The Periclean way states that it is best to listen to the wisdom of our experts. We, as individual humans, do not always have enough inside of us to determine what will be best for the coming generations. We are not God. We must show reverence toward the bodies of experts that live among us and those who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of this world. Unfortunately, this may not always mean listening to our elders. Those we see as elders might have lived a life of self-fulfillment and know nothing about serving their fellow human beings. Consider this: would you listen to advice on how to help our children from Robert Mugabe? Wisdom comes in many forms, and it is this search for wisdom that will yield us the greatest results in bettering our world. Just because a person has children does not make him or her qualified to determine humanity's path.
Seeking wisdom from our experts means that we must not ignore their calls for help, the calls from those who know what they are doing and have a clear mission to get us there. In Zambia, we had ideas and did research on underlying issues in rural Zambian development. We could be considered experts, in that we had studied the culture for a matter of years in a scholarly sense. Regardless, we had to listen to our partners on the ground to produce fruitful works. Without Charity's and Voster's unique insight and expertise, those houses would not have been built. They understood the dynamics of the community and what worked and why. When they spoke, we listened. When they asked us to jump, we asked how high. Even when some requests might have seemed outlandish, such as placing bricks in the water to help our bus move the day after, they had the vision.
This dynamic between Periclean Scholars and our partners would do well to play out on a grander scale. That being said, we must ensure that we are not following blindly - that we do listen to our internal compass on all matters. The advice of experts must always be seen in the eye of the long view. In this sense, they go hand in hand. This is the first way that we can become exemplary global citizens.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Exemplary Global Citizens
One of my goals of the marathon journey for Periclean Scholars is to recapture the spirit that I gained while in the program: the spirit of growing in virtue and service as a global citizen. By reflecting on my experiences in the program and thinking critically about how to apply my knowledge to everyday life, I believe I have done this. By maintaining this blog, I have shared my lessons with family, friends, and followers, thereby raising our level of both education and good citizenship.
As it gets down to crunch time (a mere 24 1/2 days until the race!), I want my posts' focus to be on the core of the Periclean mission. This will allow me to reflect on the program's mission, vision, goals, and accomplishments properly before the race and continue to share the beauty of them with the world.
What better place to go for guidance and inspiration on the Periclean way than Dr. Arcaro? The subject of his speech below will be my new post series. Watch the video, or click through for the transcript, for Dr. Arcaro's guidance on what it means to be an exemplary global citizen.
As it gets down to crunch time (a mere 24 1/2 days until the race!), I want my posts' focus to be on the core of the Periclean mission. This will allow me to reflect on the program's mission, vision, goals, and accomplishments properly before the race and continue to share the beauty of them with the world.
What better place to go for guidance and inspiration on the Periclean way than Dr. Arcaro? The subject of his speech below will be my new post series. Watch the video, or click through for the transcript, for Dr. Arcaro's guidance on what it means to be an exemplary global citizen.
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