It's probably a safe bet to say that, at one point or another, most people with a general sense of activism find themselves propagating that sort of mentality- that this world of ours is a lost and broken place, filled with gaps and broken bones that we, the passionate ones (maybe even 'the few enlightened'?), are meant to rebuild and make perfect. For me, I think it came originally from a good place- a genuine care and compassion for the human race, as well as a love for life as a whole. But then, somewhere along the way, insecurity crept in, and what was a love of life turned into a cause to clasp onto. Compassion turned to pride and my life's direction started to become a resume, not to mention a desperate plea for self-worth and the admiration of others.
Well...that sucks. lol. But, thankfully, that was not the end. Cut Scene. Enter- growth.
This semester, I get to start a project for my Sustainable Development Solutions class, here at Lehigh. All I know about the project so far is that I'm going to be working with a NGO (Non-Government Organization) in Kenya, to help get boys off the streets and help them get an education. I think the thing I'm most excited about for this project is the opportunity to enter into the world with a different mentality than I've had before. There are many people in the world with real and extreme hurt- they suffer from poverty, oppression, discrimination, and much much more that I can't even really wrap my mind around. But I think, in order to really be a helping hand in the world, we have to first look inward and recognize our hurt and weaknesses, too. Maybe then, we can actually see our strengths instead of talking about them, and finally see ourselves as a people, level with the world- no longer saviors, but a connected family- helping those who could use our help and accepting the healing they have for us in return.
I joined this course, "Sustainable Development Solutions", intending to learn about what really helps, and what doesn't. I don't really know too much about the specifics: I'm going to spend a long time learning about a people I don't know anything about, and I may or may not be going to visit their world over spring break. I guess my hope for this semester is that through it all, I'll be able to remember that I'm probably going to learn more from 'Kenya' then Kenya is going to learn from me. Or maybe we'll all just end up learning a lot from one-another I'll keep you 'post'ed. :)
