I am deeply concerned how many blank stares I’ve received in response to any attempt to engage in dialogue about the conflict in the Middle East and North Africa. For countless reasons, the events that are unfolding there are enormously significant to the people of those regions, to us and to the world at large.
Yet, most people I’ve attempted to talk to seem uninterested. In some instances, they’ve almost seemed offended, indignantly batting away my attempts to converse with them.
The cultural mindset of much of our populace seems to be quite isolationist. We scarcely concern ourselves with meaningful news, and when we do, its focus is on what most immediately affects us.
This seems tragic to me. Granted, I’m no saint. Sometimes there are weeks at a time I falter and lose track of what’s going on in the world, but it’s never something I attempt to justify by demeaning the importance of the world at large. In fact, quite the opposite: I tend to feel embarrassed for my lack of knowledge.
That might sound pretentious, but I really don’t think it is. Your perception of the world is as broad or narrow as you choose it to be. The more you concern yourself with the events of the world, the larger your perspective becomes. In that way, being informed is not the endeavor of elitist snobs, it is the pursuit of any mature adult.
Moreover, in the age of technology, there is absolutely no excuse for being uninformed. Information is immediately and almost universally accessible. This is most especially true for any college student. There are several relatively reliable news networks, newspapers and a nearly limitless database of accurate information on the Internet.
To those who already make an effort to be informed and stay updated on world news, do not be bashful. Wear your knowledge on your sleeve, because doing so spreads awareness and thereby combats ignorance.
Once again, that may sound arrogant, but I feel no need to apologize for it. The world is becoming so incomprehensibly interconnected. Ripples in one hemisphere carry the potential to incite tsunamis worldwide. This is not simply a clichéd parody of the butterfly effect—it is reality.
Due to rampant globalization, the entire world is so irrevocably intertwined. In order to understand our own socioeconomic plights, we must understand those of others.
On a more poignant and idealistic note, we owe it to ourselves, and to our fellow human beings worldwide, to be informed. In the global pursuit of freedom and universal human rights, we must act as an international community. We must look out for each other. This is due partly to compassion but also to the idea when the rights of a few are withheld, the rights of all are jeopardized.
Granted, reading a newspaper article about genocide that’s taking place half a world away might seem ineffectual. However, ignorance and apathyh aid the agenda of evil people. Therefore, just by being informed, you are fighting evil and taking part in the global commitment to progress.
Even if you cannot directly intervene in times of turmoil and prevent evil people from committing criminal acts, by striving to be informed, you are taking part in the jury that is the scrutiny of the global community.
