Just some things……
Exciting adventures and bizarre discoveries take no
time at all! For sure, consumerism does
not bring happiness. The health of the middle class is key - Asian Tigers know
this. Abject poverty brings us all down.
And always, it is art that gives us beauty, hope, a
new understanding and joy!
Ai Weiwei
Succored by the South African principle of Ubuntu (my humanity is wrapped in yours), this superb voyage circumnavigating the world, connecting with cultures and people from so many countries opened our eyes, minds and hearts. The people we met with so little of their own, constantly gave what is most important – love. It was our life lesson.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu described Ubuntu as "I am a human because I belong. I participate, I share. In essence, I am because you are."
Much of the world already understands this principle and lives by it. For that transforming semester at sea and the beginnings of our global citizenship, we realized that we must rely on each other to lift our world from where it is now to where we want it to be in our lifetime.
Living by Ubuntu, our world has a chance.
At our closing convocation, Professor Huffman
reminded us: “To whom much is given, much is expected” ……
I thought to myself …..May I be worthy of this amazing experience.....
I thought to myself …..May I be worthy of this amazing experience.....
United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals: 2015
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; Achieve universal primary education; Promote gender equality and empower women; Reduce child mortality; Improve maternal health; Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; Ensure environmental sustainability; Develop a global partnership for development.
“This new millennium in which we are living
must be a millennium of life, not war, a millennium of the people, not of
empire, a millennium of justice and equality.”
Juan Evo Morales ( AYMARA), President of Bolivia
