World wide learning

The week of classes was phenomenal! Each day, we had a host of presenters that gave an overview of their position and their organizations. As graduate students, we were encouraged to ask many questions and even take the speaker off topic. This was literally the best week-long training I have ever attended.



My favorite speakers were from the United Nations' OCHA office and the International Red Cross. The UN presenter explained that there are parts of the world assembly that need improvement. He said that the best way to influence this change is from the inside. I really related with this message. I thought about my work at the student association, knowing that we accomplished much more by working within the system than by working on the outside against the system. I could really see myself in a position like this in the future.



In contrast, the speaker from the Red Cross touted the importance of neutrality. When completing missions, these workers do not take a side. Meaning, if warring governments are fighting, the Red Cross comes in only to provide services. The work stays completely neutral. This allows the Red Cross to uniquely coordinate with both sides. For instance, the Red Cross is able to retrieve bodies of fallen soldiers and return them home. The Red Cross also works with Prisoners of War. By staying neutral, they can bridge gaps and fill a very important and necessary role. For this reason, I thought I could really identify with the mission of the Red Cross and the work that they fulfill.



I also had a strong lesson in what I don't want to do-work in "horrific" (my word) field settings. I say this because I know that I am not strong enough to see starving children or witness people losing limbs from landmines. The pictures of these events are too much for me to stomach. I can't imagine seeing this first-hand.



The thought of this makes me wonder how humans can treat each other in this way. How can someone rightfully watch another suffer or die? How can you sit by and see starving children? How can you put in mines in the ground knowing that innocent people will be hurt? Destruction and retaliation makes no sense to me. I just don't understand how far hate can move and impact. I think "winning" is a very selfish motive, especially when the innocent are hurt.



Overall, I was very humbled by the work of these service providers, especially those that worked in the mission field. I was truly grateful for the work that they were doing because I know I could not do it myself.



I did, however, find that I would love to be part of the post-conflict recovery efforts. Perhaps I could work in a school or set up schools after a conflict. Another exciting opportunity would be setting up elections or working to create a functioning government. I truly love seeing people come together to provide services, find commonalities and accomplish a task. While I have no idea what my ideal job is, I know that my many interests will keep me curious. I also believe that God provides you opportunities as you are supposed to take them. I think that many of my classmates and I finished the week with a question mark as to our futures. However, we were all very enlightened in the process. We were able to calculate ourselves how the international community works and how services are provided in time of conflict. It was a big-picture approach that most people do not learn at our ages. That, in itself, was pretty amazing. Like I said at the beginning, a phenomenal week!