2008.06.30: June 30, 2008: Headlines: COS - Mozambique: Gay Issues: gaywired: Zachery Scott writes: Where There's Rain
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2008.06.30: June 30, 2008: Headlines: COS - Mozambique: Gay Issues: gaywired: Zachery Scott writes: Where There's Rain
Zachery Scott writes: Where There's Rain
Next time you get a news story, put down the paper or turn off the radio. Spend a few minutes to think about the ripple effect that it has on the local, national or global community and what it really means to the people involved. I think you’ll start to appreciate each narrative a little better and feel that much more connected to people possibly thousands of miles away.
Zachery Scott writes: Where There's Rain
Letters from Southern Africa: Where There's Rain
A gay life in transition, from Weho to Southern Africa
By Zachery Scott | Article Date: 6/30/2008 11:28 AM
In the states, I used to consider myself to be somewhat knowledgeable about national and global events. I could rattle off the latest gossip on Capitol Hill, tell you about what countries were bickering about THIS missile system or THAT broken treaty, and even give you a couple details about any disasters that might have recently befallen some third-world country. Sure, we all know these are somber incidents, but despite this awareness, these are still abstract concepts…
Those people… over There.
When you hear that there is a drought, you don’t imagine the fear that befalls regular families that depend on these crops to feed their children or sell at the market to make a living.
When you hear of floods, like the ones my country experienced a few years ago, it’s hard to grasp that thousands were not only displaced from their homes, but their farms were submerged and destroyed, wiping out their means of making a living and their self-confidence in one quickly rising tide.
Everyday we get hit with a barrage of news stories, from falling housing prices in the US to rising food prices in the rest of the world, and even the occasional poshlust on Britney’s personal life (How is she, by the way... it's been kind of nice not seeing her on CNN every day).
The problem is that we are so caught up in consuming all this information, the actual human story tends not to register in our mind. The facts are merely noted then filed away with the rest of the news reports.
Next time you get a news story, put down the paper or turn off the radio. Spend a few minutes to think about the ripple effect that it has on the local, national or global community and what it really means to the people involved. I think you’ll start to appreciate each narrative a little better and feel that much more connected to people possibly thousands of miles away.
I know I will.
- Zachery Scott will be contributing his experiences in the Peace Corps every two weeks to GayWired.com. Be sure to check back for updates.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: June, 2008; Peace Corps Mozambique; Directory of Mozambique RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Mozambique RPCVs; Gay Issues
When this story was posted in December 2008, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez. |
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Story Source: gaywired
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Mozambique; Gay Issues
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