All of my posts up to this point have expressed my joy for my new community and the love that I am experiencing here in Kerala. These postings will always be real and relevant in my life here. There are also many things I encounter here that are difficult to process. This will also always be a part of my life here.
Before leaving the States I think I had lost a lot of pride in my country. In my eyes, The U.S. is guilty of so much corruption, so much systemic silencing of people, and so much blatant capitalism. These issues of course exist in India too, and in a globalized world these issues are everywhere. For the first month that I was here, my feelings of shame were still present as I attempted to "break into the Kerala consciousness". This is what I told myself, but truly I was just digging. I was digging to see what similarities and differences we held close to our hearts. I wanted to get into the "bigger issues" and delve deep immediately into the cultural iceberg. My digging has not been in vain, but it has resulted in some of the aforementioned difficulties. I can conclude now that maybe I wasn't searching for similarities, but only for differences. One of the main issues I was quickly struck by is the most complicated issue we face today. The issue of poverty. My initial reaction to the atmosphere of India was awe at so much poverty and so much wealth existing side by side. Every street is evidence of this intense separation. There was also something beautiful to me about seeing wealth and poverty co-exist so simply. It was honest. Each city was not trying to hide people in poverty. They were not shuttled off to one corner of the town in cardboard homes. Many people are in poverty here, that is a fact. There is still much work to be done to pull individuals out of poverty, but society is trying more and more to compassionately support their neighbors. I will spend all year studying the many systems that take away the voices of those in poverty in Kerala.
The quick conclusion I drew about the U.S. is that we are guilty of hiding our poverty. There is certainly an ever present stigma that comes along with poverty, yet so many live under the poverty line. Why do we insist upon making people suffer through our systemic injustice to the poor? Why do we insist that they remain voiceless? Why are so many people able to ignore this as an issue? I was finally proud of my country today after watching a program on www.democracynow.org. The Occupy Wall Street Movement, whether you agree with it or not, is evidence that the richest nation in the world is at least starting to believe in the voices of those who are in poverty. We are beginning to allow poverty, suffering, and injustice to surface in a big way. Voices are being heard and history is being made. Maybe my conclusion can be proved false. I am not physically invested in this movement because I am so far from home, but I am so thankful for the people who are going out there and peacefully protesting. I am really proud of my country's ability to finally admit that we have huge issues to face.
In conclusion, The U.S. and India have many similarities and many differences. It isn't my job to fully think them through, but I am proud to say that both of the places I call home are working hard to bring justice to those who have long been forgotten.
"None of us alone can save the nation or the world. But each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so."- Cornel West
Before leaving the States I think I had lost a lot of pride in my country. In my eyes, The U.S. is guilty of so much corruption, so much systemic silencing of people, and so much blatant capitalism. These issues of course exist in India too, and in a globalized world these issues are everywhere. For the first month that I was here, my feelings of shame were still present as I attempted to "break into the Kerala consciousness". This is what I told myself, but truly I was just digging. I was digging to see what similarities and differences we held close to our hearts. I wanted to get into the "bigger issues" and delve deep immediately into the cultural iceberg. My digging has not been in vain, but it has resulted in some of the aforementioned difficulties. I can conclude now that maybe I wasn't searching for similarities, but only for differences. One of the main issues I was quickly struck by is the most complicated issue we face today. The issue of poverty. My initial reaction to the atmosphere of India was awe at so much poverty and so much wealth existing side by side. Every street is evidence of this intense separation. There was also something beautiful to me about seeing wealth and poverty co-exist so simply. It was honest. Each city was not trying to hide people in poverty. They were not shuttled off to one corner of the town in cardboard homes. Many people are in poverty here, that is a fact. There is still much work to be done to pull individuals out of poverty, but society is trying more and more to compassionately support their neighbors. I will spend all year studying the many systems that take away the voices of those in poverty in Kerala.
The quick conclusion I drew about the U.S. is that we are guilty of hiding our poverty. There is certainly an ever present stigma that comes along with poverty, yet so many live under the poverty line. Why do we insist upon making people suffer through our systemic injustice to the poor? Why do we insist that they remain voiceless? Why are so many people able to ignore this as an issue? I was finally proud of my country today after watching a program on www.democracynow.org. The Occupy Wall Street Movement, whether you agree with it or not, is evidence that the richest nation in the world is at least starting to believe in the voices of those who are in poverty. We are beginning to allow poverty, suffering, and injustice to surface in a big way. Voices are being heard and history is being made. Maybe my conclusion can be proved false. I am not physically invested in this movement because I am so far from home, but I am so thankful for the people who are going out there and peacefully protesting. I am really proud of my country's ability to finally admit that we have huge issues to face.
In conclusion, The U.S. and India have many similarities and many differences. It isn't my job to fully think them through, but I am proud to say that both of the places I call home are working hard to bring justice to those who have long been forgotten.
"None of us alone can save the nation or the world. But each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so."- Cornel West
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