Curing the Hollowness of the Unkind

What if we changed history? What if we went back in time and made the founding fathers of America into brutal and vicious self interested dictators? Today, I would not be at my laptop I would not be sitting at the comfort of my home but rather I’d be a 22 year old that has already lived half her life seeing war and death amongst the sorrow of her country.

I create this scenario not because I’m crazy but I’d like you to see yourself for a second in that world. What if you were that child in Beth Ann’s picture holding a gun? Who would you become under corrupt governance? These are only questions that we can explore and discuss further but in reality you are still who you are sitting where you are and you won’t be drastically changing to that degree. However, I believe the reason we do not connect with those ‘others’ in the world who may not be in sight of us is due to this concept of “encountering the other”. We do not care nor do we empathize with those who we do not know. So it comes to be a difficult case of curing the hollowness of the unkind.

Question-Action-Shape-Inspire

Millions out there are writing and conceptualizing theories on how to better the world. Those same individuals are looking at some of these statistics to drive their theories;

“Besides lack of appropriate health care and nutrition, HIV/AIDS is a major health issue in Africa. Due to sufficient educational programs and financial resources, the number of HIV/AIDS cases has risen to tragic heights in Africa. In some countries, such as Zambia and Botswana, 20% or more of the adult population is believed to be infected with HIV. Tragically, the children of Africa suffer the most from this epidemic. Millions of children have been left orphaned because of the disease. ” –Africa Cultural Center

“With the highest birthrate of any continent, Africa is projected to grow to two billion by 2050. Women in sub-Saharan Africa bear an average of 6 children each. Life expectancy is low (Sierra Leone: 34 years, Zambia: 37 years, other countries: 40–49 years) compared to the developed countries.”-Africa Cultural Center

I’m not here to make up another theory on how to solve these problems nor do I have the knowledge to make any significant change but I am here to offer some friendly action steps. First, ask questions of things you don’t know about. For example, with our blog every week we choose a theme, this theme may be something that some of us know nothing about but it drives us to research and learn something new. This past week I have continuously read articles and learned new facts. Second, take action join an organization you don’t necessarily need to travel across the ocean to help out, you can help from here see what you can do locally to help out. Third, after taking action and signing up it’s important to stay persistent with your work meaning see how you can make something out of the knowledge you have gained and the work that you have done. At this point you may be ready to do something on your own. Remember that you may start with so little but you may gain so much and through this advancement of knowledge and experience you may be capable to inspire others to do something as well. Finally, be proud of the work that you do  and educate others about the various issues and disparities going on in Africa. You may find this to be very simple and something very easy to come up with but the important question is can you put it in action?

I am not good at Africa

Somehow I managed to get myself involved with a blog full of people who know a lot more about international things than I do.  I suppose being aware of international items in detail is part of being a high-functioning human being, but that’s definitely not me, so perhaps it makes sense that I have no idea what is going on.  Anyway, they say blogs are dead and that micro-blogging is the future (oh hey, Twitter) so I’ll keep this brief.

I keep up with inernational news through CNN, following a few other news services on Twitter, and that’s about it.  Aside from the occasional story out of Africa, most of the news I see is about Middle Eastern or Asian countries.  My perspective on Africa is fleeting. 

Recently though, I’ve been getting a different view, and that’s what I’d like to share.  When I was in high school (super awkward) I did some work for the Technology Coordinator of my school district.  It worked out well…I was a student who needed major flexibility in my schedule and it was a job that offered me that.  Since graduating from high school, and recently, college, I’ve ‘kept in touch’ in the way that I read his blog.

He’s currently in South Africa on a trip with Teachers Without Borders.  The entries on his blog are interesting – and they offer a perspective not yet brought out on this blog.   You can start pretty much from the beginning of the trip here.

What Africa Needs: A Tipping Point (Part 1)

I recently finished Malcolm Gladwell’s acclaimed best seller “The Tipping Point: How Little Things can Make a Big Difference”. Gladwell’s focus is on on the ‘how and why’ associated with social epidemics. How, Gladwell writes, did crime rates drastically drop in the 1990′s? Why did the outdated Hushpuppy shoe make an astounding come back prior to almost being discontinued? These social epidemics occur across a multitude of situations and events. Despite their differences, the underlying drivers of these social epidemics are three principles which Gladwell argues are the foundation for all social epidemics: 1)The Law of the Few, 2)The Stickiness Factor and 3)The Power of Context.

So, I thought, if epidemics are nothing more than the convergence of the above named principles then maybe, just maybe, we can create some social epidemics of our own. After all, the current situation in Iran is no seemingly different than many of the cases Gladwell writes about in his book. A couple key people, the stickiness of an idea, and the context in which the events took place catalyzed a tipping point in which Iranians stood up and fought back against their governments for a democratic Iran.

Africa, a continent synonymous with political turmoil, corruption, poverty, and no seemingly easy way of fixation, needs a tipping point. A situation in which the three laws converge to put an unprecedented end to HIV and Malaria. A shift in expectations towards education, in which it is an assumed right and not a privilege. Healthy, educated individuals are the key to a peaceful Africa.

“Easier said than done,” you are all thinking. But at some level it’s the desensitized cynicism that is partly responsible. Even as I sit here, piously blogging about Africa, millions are starving, while I pretend like I am accomplishing something. I do believe however, that by writing and discussing and speaking out we can work to create a tipping point of our own. I see potential to identify tipping point opportunities by analyzing tipping points of the past.

“Epidemics are strongly influenced by their situation-by the circumstances and conditions and particulars of the environments in which they operate. This much is obvious. What is interesting, though, is how far this principle can be extended. It isn’t just prosaic factors like the weather that influence behavior. Even the smallest and subtlest and most unexpected of factors can affect the way we act.” Gladwell goes on, saying “The key to getting people to change their behavior sometimes lies with the smallest details of their immediate situation. The power of context says that human beings are a lot more sensitive to their environment that they may seem.”

In Part 2 of this I will discuss a practical solution and an action plan to put that solution into practice over the next year. Yes, I’m talking about action. And I want help…