A Different Kind of Aid

I have been writing this column for a few months now, and I feel as if I am touching upon the same points, week after week. But am I convincing anyone? I sure hope so, because there are plenty that need convincing.

For me, the world is a neat place. So many different types of people inhabit this planet, and everyone of them can contribute something to what I believe should be the common goal: improvement. And this goal can range from anything: improvement in way of life, improvement in happiness, improvement in education, improvement in the lives of family members, or anything else that HELPS us as a human race.

That is why I don't understand some things. War. Death penalty. Abortion. Sweat shops. These things don't better peoples lives, but worsen then. Sure there are people benefiting in these cases, or people using them as excuses for poor judgment, but in the long run all of those cases are preventing humans from excelling in this world.

And then there are guys like my friend John Biesnecker. Last month he traveled to the northern part of China to teach English to students at a large school. As someone who has spent time in a foriegn country, I know how wonderful and important that experience can be. It changed the way I think and the way I act. But my time abroad was different than John's, because I failed to give anything back to the country and the people that were hosting me. In John's case, he is giving the gift of education, bettering the lives of the students in his classes, but at the same bettering him self as a person.

I have known John for a long time, and at this moment, I have never admired him more. I read his well written journal entries each day, and marvel at the experience he is embarking on. Just today, he was commenting on how much his tastes for movies and music have changed since leaving high school. This isn't a huge personality change by any means, but it is the start of something. When, and if, he returns from China John is going to be a better person that when he arrived, and the people that he encountered are going to be different too.

What does this have to do with globalization? Nothing, but I can't just bash something week after week. What does this have to do with the Third World? Plenty. What if everyone in the world switched places for a year. What if everyone went to live in a different part of the world, and spent their time just living? Forget about money, forget about credentials, and forget about class. Please, just for a few more paragraphs, forget about class. It doesn't mean anything to me, and it shouldn't to you.

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