Personal Statement
My interest in humanitarian affairs began in high school when I first participated in a volunteer service trip abroad. I was able to travel throughout Thailand, Laos, Burma and Cambodia and witnessed absolute poverty, food insecurity, human rights violations and the effects of disease and poor nutrition firsthand. Experiencing daily life in developing countries was both life changing and enlightening, and made me reflect on how I had lived my own life to that point. I made several close friends abroad and have traveled back to Southeast Asia to see them and spend time in what has become my favorite part of the world. The problems and traumas that they had faced in their lives became personal to me. These were people who I cared about and respected, and who I knew deserved the same security, safety, and access to resources that I’ve been lucky enough to have in my own life. I experienced a revelation that should have been more obvious to me long ago, and that should be obvious to everyone whose basic needs are met – I had done absolutely nothing to deserve the life I was born into, and my friends in Southeast Asia had done nothing to deserve theirs. We live in a very unequal world with unequal opportunities, and where we all fall on that spectrum has nothing to do with merit or worth and everything to do with luck. My interest in humanitarian affairs comes from a desire to give my own time, energy and resources so that others can live the life of safety, security and self-sufficiency that everyone on Earth is entitled to.
This class gave me a well-rounded education on the history of humanitarianism, some of the most pressing humanitarian issues today, organizations and agencies that work to combat these issues, and individual humanitarians themselves. I did not expect the readings and coursework from this class to impact me as strongly as it did, and was particularly affected by the personal accounts in Half the Sky and Triage. Studying humanitarian issues at the collegiate level can be very impersonal and detached, but this class was neither of those things. At times it was incredibly overwhelming, and this final project is no exception. Reading number after number in the hundreds of thousands and even millions of people who suffer from chronic hunger, insecurity, trauma or disease is difficult to really comprehend, and almost becomes routine until you realize that these numbers reflect individual human lives.
It is easy to hear and read about the abundance of humanitarian issues in the world and feel hopeless and helpless. But an education in humanitarian affairs has helped me to understand that while no one person can solve the world’s problems, one person can have a great impact. I think that the most constructive thing people can do who are concerned for the well being and safety of others is to channel that concern towards one particular issue or area. My personal interest is in landmines and unexploded ordnances that have been left over from wars and conflicts and continue to threaten thousands of people around the world. Every year, over 4,000 people are injured or killed by landmines or other antipersonnel explosives in 60 countries, despite the fact that demining and detection technology exists. The existence of minefields inhibits development and agriculture and forces people around the world to live in fear. In one month I am going to Vietnam with JMU’s Center for International Stabilization and Recovery to gain a better understanding of the landmine issue and to learn from the organizations that are addressing it.
This class gave me a well-rounded education on the history of humanitarianism, some of the most pressing humanitarian issues today, organizations and agencies that work to combat these issues, and individual humanitarians themselves. I did not expect the readings and coursework from this class to impact me as strongly as it did, and was particularly affected by the personal accounts in Half the Sky and Triage. Studying humanitarian issues at the collegiate level can be very impersonal and detached, but this class was neither of those things. At times it was incredibly overwhelming, and this final project is no exception. Reading number after number in the hundreds of thousands and even millions of people who suffer from chronic hunger, insecurity, trauma or disease is difficult to really comprehend, and almost becomes routine until you realize that these numbers reflect individual human lives.
It is easy to hear and read about the abundance of humanitarian issues in the world and feel hopeless and helpless. But an education in humanitarian affairs has helped me to understand that while no one person can solve the world’s problems, one person can have a great impact. I think that the most constructive thing people can do who are concerned for the well being and safety of others is to channel that concern towards one particular issue or area. My personal interest is in landmines and unexploded ordnances that have been left over from wars and conflicts and continue to threaten thousands of people around the world. Every year, over 4,000 people are injured or killed by landmines or other antipersonnel explosives in 60 countries, despite the fact that demining and detection technology exists. The existence of minefields inhibits development and agriculture and forces people around the world to live in fear. In one month I am going to Vietnam with JMU’s Center for International Stabilization and Recovery to gain a better understanding of the landmine issue and to learn from the organizations that are addressing it.