A Vision for the Future

My vision for the world is to create a space where each human being is able to realize her or his full potential—whatever it may be—unconstrained by societal expectations about gender, race, culture, religion, language, class, or other such factors. I believe that we as a global society will not be able to address our most pressing concerns (hunger, violence, disease, poverty and environmental sustainability to name a few) without the full participation of each member of our community. I believe that each person has a unique talent and purpose to contribute in society, and far too often that purpose is lost due to oppression, stereotypes, and a lack of opportunity. For example, until each person is able contribute fully to society, we will never know whether or not the young girl growing up in Somalia would have become the doctor to discover the cure for AIDS had she only been given the chance to go to school.

I believe that many people in my community as well as around the world are doing incredible work to ensure that each person has such opportunity. I believe that the courageous women of Liberia, who together were able to peacefully end years of civil war in their country, need to be lifted up as an example, a resource, and an inspiration to others who are also seeking peace around the world. I believe that the children who fearlessly marched through Montgomery Alabama (United States) to end racial segregation—standing up to fire hoses and police dogs to do so—still have an applicable lesson to teach us today. These are just two examples of people who don’t traditionally have a loud voice in society (women and children) working together to create a world in which all people can come closer to realizing their full potential. There are many more whose stories have not yet been told.

In my own life I believe that I, like these women and children, also have a responsibility to contribute to this global vision. I cannot expect to help create a world where everyone can reach their full potential (whatever that may be) if I am not willing to strive for the same in my own life. I recognize that I have come from a position of privilege, in which I have not faced many of the constraints faced by others in my personal development. I have had access to education, healthcare, nutritious food, water, economic stability, relative freedom of movement, and relative safety my entire life. As a young girl, I remember my mother always telling me that with privilege comes responsibility. Today, precisely because of this privilege, I believe I have a responsibility to fight for others to have the same opportunity. I believe that working for a world in which access to such is not considered a privilege, but rather a right, is in the best interest of “privileged” and “oppressed” communities alike, so I am constantly seeking my own way to contribute.

I wish to be a Voices of Our Future Correspondent for two reasons. First, I believe that social media such as Pulse Wire has the potential to challenge the societal expectations that constrain us from reaching our full capacity. Second, I believe that it has the potential to help us connect and coordinate resources with one another so that we can address the barriers we face together—increasing our capacity to overcome them. As a Pulse Wire correspondent, I would seek to do both of these things, thus contributing to the realization of my vision for the world and moving closer to achieving my personal vision for my own life.