Have I Been an Active Character?

What would make or show my presence at the World Issues class through the year useful? I could say something as big as achieving the media's attention or something small as volunteering at a community centre or walking the downtown Hamilton streets raising awareness of a certain topic. Whatever it is, it relates to the purpose of the World Issues course and what it should have developed in me over the academic year.

World Issues is best when current news is discussed critically and to a point where one relates it personally.  This deepens the discussion as well as contribute new aspects that another individual may have never thought about. An example is how I never thought China is regulating and working to strengthen its base to overcome America's power and I can say that it may have been my negligence of not thinking in that way. Nevertheless, having been in that class and hearing that perspective, it made me realize that though China remains quiet in political issues, how would anyone not say that their regulations and economical structure suggests some competition to become the next World Power.

Furthermore, having constantly heard a new perspective, World Issues emphasized a teaching that I learnt from my parents. The teaching was that since I am an individual of my own character and have my own authority to thinking, it gives me the permission to believe what I would want to accept and reject what seems to be mockery, false or exaggerated. The recent news of Osama's death is a good example of how I synthesized what the broad media may have exaggerated and what is portrayed in true words. My first reaction to reading the 'destroyed helicopter', 'buried at sea' and '40 minutes' were indigestible since all of it was happening too fast. If I were a professional critique or even a journalist, would I not ask for proof to Osama's dead body or more over, why even shoot him when he was at home with his family. Why not arrest him and put him to trial? Over the next few days, I got new interpretations, some of which answered the questions I pondered to myself and some I heard but refused to accept.

Lastly, unlike maths and science, World Issues is a course that has shown me that there is no precise answer and methodology for one to go in their action of their belief. I learnt that anyone who wants to bring a change needs to know exactly what they hope to accomplish/achieve since that becomes their motivating force. In addition to that, that person should be well informed of what their opposition believes and how that differs to their objective.

It is therefore that World Issues has made me think critically, as an individual of my beliefs, to investigate and approach rather than approach and then investigate. These have brought a different reason to the way I interact with the news, peers and the outside world since I am strict to my beliefs but open to hear any other perspective which could result in enhancing my knowledge.