Nicaragua: You opened up a window
We most easily discover what our own society is like when we learn about a different society. As sociologists say, "the fish is the last to discover water."
As I begin to dive into a community analysis project here in Nicaragua, these words bring me to a moment of reflection. I spent the first two decades of my life in Uncle Sam's Midwestern society, so I should probably be an expert in all things red, white, and blue. However, would I truly know what it means to be American if that was the only life I ever knew?
My work here includes assisting with an entrepreneurship course for high school seniors, a job which has me sharing time among seven different high schools. In a get-to-know-each-other effort, I've been surveying my students with questions such as what they do for fun, clubs/groups they participate in, and business ambitions. At the end of the survey I give them a chance to ask me any questions they might have. And boy, these kids are curious.
How old are you? Are you married? Do you have kids? Why are you in Nicaragua? What made you want to join Peace Corps? What is life like in the states? What is your advice for me when I can't stand my family? Can we be friends? What do you like to do for fun? Can you help me start my own business? And my favorite: will you be my girlfriend? The answer is no, by the way.
Part of Peace Corps' mission is to exchange ideas cross-culturally. I am representing the United States for my Nicaraguan counterparts here and in return giving the people back home an idea of what life is like in Nicaragua. By asking questions we open up dialogue and have a great opportunity to recognize similarities and differences, and perhaps more importantly to reconcile any possible doubts, hurts, or uncertainties about "the other."
I picked up a sociology book the other day and came across this striking passage which I would like to leave you with in closing:
"Until very recently in human history, most people lived quite isolated lives, seldom meeting people from other societies. People readily believed that their own way of life was the only way, or the best way, and that other societies were strange or evil. In today's global world, condemning other societies leads to misunderstanding and violence. The world's people need to learn about each other. The more you know about different ways of life, the more profoundly you will appreciate how much all humans have in common."
As I begin to dive into a community analysis project here in Nicaragua, these words bring me to a moment of reflection. I spent the first two decades of my life in Uncle Sam's Midwestern society, so I should probably be an expert in all things red, white, and blue. However, would I truly know what it means to be American if that was the only life I ever knew?
My work here includes assisting with an entrepreneurship course for high school seniors, a job which has me sharing time among seven different high schools. In a get-to-know-each-other effort, I've been surveying my students with questions such as what they do for fun, clubs/groups they participate in, and business ambitions. At the end of the survey I give them a chance to ask me any questions they might have. And boy, these kids are curious.
How old are you? Are you married? Do you have kids? Why are you in Nicaragua? What made you want to join Peace Corps? What is life like in the states? What is your advice for me when I can't stand my family? Can we be friends? What do you like to do for fun? Can you help me start my own business? And my favorite: will you be my girlfriend? The answer is no, by the way.
Part of Peace Corps' mission is to exchange ideas cross-culturally. I am representing the United States for my Nicaraguan counterparts here and in return giving the people back home an idea of what life is like in Nicaragua. By asking questions we open up dialogue and have a great opportunity to recognize similarities and differences, and perhaps more importantly to reconcile any possible doubts, hurts, or uncertainties about "the other."
I picked up a sociology book the other day and came across this striking passage which I would like to leave you with in closing:
"Until very recently in human history, most people lived quite isolated lives, seldom meeting people from other societies. People readily believed that their own way of life was the only way, or the best way, and that other societies were strange or evil. In today's global world, condemning other societies leads to misunderstanding and violence. The world's people need to learn about each other. The more you know about different ways of life, the more profoundly you will appreciate how much all humans have in common."
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