The World We Dare to Imagine - Part 1
While starting "The Blue Sweater", I found it hard to imagine myself being able to make an impact like Jacqueline's. As I got further through, I realized how much we can impact the world by doing small things. These things, maybe just an idea or act of kindness, do not have to be grand to make a change. Jacqueline was able to start big movements from small intentions, such as building up the bakery created by women. Reading more of this book helped me realize the impact I could have on the world.
When thinking about making the world a better place, it is tough not to think big. There are so many big issues that people all over the world face, and wishing for these issues to go away definitely would be a quick fix. Although it would be ideal, this quick fix doesn't seem very logical in my business brain. The book helped me look into smaller issues that could have a large effect on the world and through this, think about ways to combat these problems.
Another book I read that comes to mind right now is "How Beautiful We Were" by Imbolo Mbue. It is a fictional story, but feels real in the context of the world today. The story is about a girl raised in a village in Africa. The people in her village had their lives disrupted by a large oil corporation from America that set up a drilling site right by their land. This caused their land to deteriorate, people to get sick and die, and eventually a massacre. The girl grew up and became an activist, fighting the environmental battle for years and years. The corporation, backed by money and support from American's being told lies about what they actually do, was able to wiggle their way out of situations through deception and bribery. They supplied jobs to some village members and a multitude of other people, but ultimately brought havoc to the lives of those around them. I was reminded of this book when reading about the proposals Jacqueline tried to reject at the World Bank. Although these proposals had better intentions, it was once again people throwing money at a cause and not caring about the impact on people around them. Because a big corporation says it's okay, it doesn't matter who it affects, and oftentimes those voices are silenced.
When thinking about a world I would like, I would definitely advocate for the voices of people ALL over the world, not just in the wealthy areas, to be heard. I am not completely sure how to go about this, but I think a good first step is to educate myself on issues and try to find literature and information from direct sources, people who have been impacted by something going on, and voices that aren't typically represented in media or life. Listening to these people can help bring perspective, and with that perspective can come change.
After graduation is a scary topic for me, mainly because I don't have a job and am thinking of moving overseas! One perk of this is that I get to see and listen to more of the world. It will give me opportunities to get perspective from people that I might not have had access to living here in LA. With this information, I think I could do a lot of good, or just work with others to make some small changes that benefit people around me. I think if you find a good, hard-working group of people, there is a lot that can be done. I've spoken with my aunt a lot about her work in non-profits. She works at a company that looks to house families and individuals who are struggling to make ends meet. She is such a bright person and one of the kindest souls I've ever met. I look up to her ability to make a difference, and would love to go into non-profit work like her. I think in a job like that, I could find outlets to change the world. If not changing the world, I could maybe find some ideas that will help me get a good start!
Hi Kristin,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your reflections on "The Blue Sweater" and "How Beautiful We Were". They both highlight an important idea: change often starts small but can ripple out into something transformative. Like you mentioned, trying to fix all of the world's problems is just too daunting and near impossible. And yes, sometimes the smallest acts of kindness or the simplest ideas can set the stage for larger movements.
A great next step might be starting a local initiative that encourages simple cats of kindness within a community -- something as small as organizing a kindness challenge or creating a space to share stories of impactful actions.
DeleteI agree with you about how important it is to listen to others and understand their perspective. Starting with the issue of bridging the gap between big corporations and local communities is a great idea. Bringing in big companies could benefit both sides, but it often feels like a one-sided fight. Maybe creating a space—like a website or platform—that shares unbiased information for both sides could help, kind of acting as an unbiased mediator. This way, you could show how the changes impact everyone involved and help smooth out concerns or misunderstandings. It’s all about making sure everyone feels heard and valued in the process.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristin! I completely agree with you—there are so many issues in the world, and it can feel overwhelming to try to help everyone or address all the challenges at once. But your passion for helping others truly shines through in your blog post. Like Jacqueline Novogratz, she initially didn’t know exactly how she wanted to create social impact, but she was driven by her passion to make a difference. By using her skills, experiences, and a willingness to listen and learn wherever she went, she was able to tackle meaningful challenges. I believe you are taking the right step in reading and learning about other people's perspectives and issues on a personal level, rather than solely using social media for your news and literacy. Additionally, traveling to world is so valuable because it broadens your mindset and makes you more well-rounded when approaching these kinds of challenges. It's important to remember that starting small can lead to big things. For me, I also had aspirations of changing the world, but I've also realized if you even help one person, you can also change their world completely.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristin! I enjoyed reading about your reflections from "The Blue Sweater" and "How Beautiful We Were". It seems like you learned great lessons from both. I agree that corporations and other organizations are mainly focused on a "quick fix" that (oftentimes) are meant to promote their agendas. What they don't realize is that these changes take decades, if not longer, to see. I also agree that the first step to creating change is by listening to others. If you don't understand their problems, how will you be able to help them? It's also easy to say you want to change the goals. However, in practice, it's hard to know where to start. Moving overseas sounds like a great idea, though! I know you mentioned you studied abroad in Finland, so maybe it'll be a good idea if you decide to move someplace else to broaden your perspective on the world. I'm sure you will learn new, exciting things both about yourself and others while abroad!
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