Bianca Bosque
FS 301
Dr. Bump
27 November 2006
George Eliot said, ÒThe responsibility of tolerance lies in those who have the wider vision.[1]Ó I see this as George Eliot saying to me, ÒWiden your horizons and perspective. Do not just focus on yourself and the small frame of life that you have. Realize that if you are to make a more tolerant world, you must first create a vision of what you would like to change and then transfer it to a larger canvas.Ó
A United Nations volunteer[2]
George Eliot is correct. To make an impact, I have to push myself to my full potential. I know that I will not become a world-famous philanthropist. Frankly, I do not want that. I would rather do something meaningful and create a lasting impression on few people. The experience of helping people is more moving than floating in and out of the public eye for the sole sake of being known as a ÒtolerantÓ person.
There is not a clear plan set out for one to spread tolerance. There is no recipe. I found this daunting and somewhat discouraging. My field of study is Psychology; that does not necessarily relate to creating a more tolerant world. My hobby is dancing; it also does not relate directly to what I want to do. However, once I figured out the smaller steps of action I could take, the more complex and higher steps seemed to fall into place. It will be a bumpy road with many obstacles ahead, but the upcoming journey will be a character-building one. I also know there will be people along the way who want to help me spread this tolerance.
My goal is a long-term one, most likely longer than my life span. But the steps I take during my life will set an example and hopefully move the coming generations to want the same kind of world as I do. Setting an example by acting tolerant and joining an organization that promotes diversity will be the small steps. Then, by joining the Peace Corps, and afterward, becoming a United Nations volunteer, I will be able to promote my passion on a larger scale.
Setting
an example for those in my life will be relatively easy in comparison to my
other goals. I have already begun to act more tolerantly since high school.
Coming to a large university such as the University of Texas, has also helped
me. To be in contact with different types of people from so many walks of life
has created an environment for me in which I can practice being tolerant. On a
more personal level, moving into a supplementary dorm has shown me how
tolerance is not only a good thing, but also necessary to my happiness. When students are placed in
supplemental housing, they cannot meet their roommates until the day they move
in. ÒMooov-in dayÓ came and I was meeting the three girls whom I was supposed
to live with for the very first time. My roommates and I are all different
people. We are from all over the United States, and the world—Denver,
College Station, San Diego and Nigeria. From our personalities to our majors,
we never thought we would have as much in common as we do. If there were no
tolerance in our room, we all would have moved out by now. We probably would
have ended up hating each other. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical when I
first moved in. Of course it would have been difficult adjusting to one
roommate, but three? How was I supposed to be happy with this situation, especially
since I have had a room (and bathroom) to myself since I can remember? With
some compromise from each of us, though, we have all learned to live happily
with each other. We all enjoy each otherÕs company and, as diverse as we are,
have built upon our similarities. We each add something new and different to
our room. We have introduced new ideas to each other and have found things in
common, such as our favorite place to eat in Austin, Pluckers. I believe I will
be friends with these girls for a long time. Obviously, if I had not come into
this situation with an open mind, I would have ended up miserable.
My
next step is a work in progress. The other day I read a news article about a
gay Christian minister who recently wrote a book about his religion and how it
needs to expand its views and preach more tolerance. There was a support group
mentioned in the article that is based here in Austin. I plan to find out more
about this group and join it. The vision of the group (to promote tolerance and
provide support for those who are considered ÒdifferentÓ) mirrors what I would
like to do. Also, the group works with youth as well as adults. I would be promoting
tolerance among younger generations. This will hopefully create a chain effect
in which the youth that I teach about tolerance will teach others about
tolerance, who, in turn, will teach even more people about tolerance.
I
am also considering joining the Peace Corps in order to achieve my ultimate
goal of becoming a United Nations volunteer. After achieving my Masters degree
and graduating, being in the Peace Corps would be an interesting and rewarding
experience. Because this organization is involved in many countries, I would
have the opportunity to bring unity to the world. There are many tasks that
Peace Corps members undertake. The areas in need of aid include Education,
Youth Outreach, Business Development, Community Development, helping with
Agriculture, working with people affected by HIV/AIDS, even Information
technology and helping communities capitalize on technology. I want to be a
volunteer involved in community development. As a community development
volunteer, I would coordinate with other Peace Corps projects, and help conduct
community outreach and needs assessments. Because this is the easiest job to
get involved in, it would be a good area for me to start out in. After some
time, I would like to move on to other areas in need of aid, such as
counseling. Because I would have a background in Psychology, I could counsel
people in war-torn countries. I would also like to promote awareness of
HIV/AIDS and other health issues in underdeveloped countries. Ideally, I would
like to work in Sub-Saharan Africa. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is something I
believe needs immediate attention. This is also an area in the Peace Corps
where not much experience is needed and my area of expertise would not have to
be HIV/AIDS. I would not be providing direct medical care. However, I would be
educating communities about HIV/AIDS and its impact, and would help communities
respond to HIV/AIDS by initiating businesses and using computer resources.
An AIDS demographic of Africa[3]
Because
I would have a background in the Peace Corps, it would be easier for me to
become a United Nations volunteer. The pool is highly competitive and I would
need to figure out a specialized area in order to qualify for the position. This
is a mountainous task and requires cooperation from everyone, but it especially
requires tolerance. I would fit better in a volunteer position than I would as
a delegate, as I am looking for hands-on experience. Legislation and getting
many countries to agree on one thing takes time. As a volunteer, I would be
able to touch peopleÕs lives, and also, be able to give those people the
immediate attention they deserve. Kofi Annan influenced my decision to be part
of the United Nations family when he stated that ÒWe need to promote greater
tolerance and understanding among the peoples of the world. Nothing can be more
dangerous to our efforts to build peace and development than a world divided
among religious, ethnic or cultural lines. In each nation, and among all
nations, we must work to promote unity based on our shared humanity.[4]Ó
If I should spread tolerance, what better organization to do it with than the
United Nations, under a leader that promotes the same views I would like to
promote? Kofi Annan has worked very hard to create a world in which people can
lead more peaceful lives and where the stronger countries aid the developing
countries. He worked his way up from Budget Officer for the World Health
Organization (which is within the United Nations) in 1962 to Secretary-General
of the United Nations in 1996. He says that the Mfantsipim school, a Methodist
boarding school in Cape Coast taught him Òthat suffering anywhere concerns
people everywhere.[5]Ó
I also like this quote of his.
The tasks that the United Nations
undertakes, such as stopping the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and creating a world where
fewer people go hungry, as the years go on, require the cooperation of
everyone. I have the utmost respect for someone who is willing to be the head
of an organization like the United Nations and would love to help aid the cause
in any way I can.
A drawing of Kofi Annan[6]
My
lifeÕs goals had never included joining the United Nations. Now that I have
discovered a passion for tolerance that is greater than I had imagined, though,
joining the United Nations seems like an appropriate goal to have. It may not
be achievable at this moment, but if I keep striving toward it, I will be
striving toward the ultimate life of tolerance.
As
prevalent as intolerance still is today, tolerance is spreading quickly. I am
only here to fan the flames. I want the same things as I did before: to be
successful, to raise a family, to live comfortably. Now, however, knowing that
I would like to spread tolerance, these dreams have changed. I now dream of
meeting someone in the Peace Corps and marrying them. I want to travel the
world, bringing aid to people who desperately need it. My children will be
well-rounded in ways they could not have been, had they grown up in one place
their entire lives. Tolerance will be instilled in them from the time they are
born. I will be pushing the next generation toward a world more tolerant than
this and showing that life is more beautiful with tolerance.
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