A few weeks ago, I asked a friend what she wanted to accomplish with her life. After a few moments of thought, she claimed that she wanted to "save a human life." Although I didn't think much about her answer at the time, I later realized how thoughtful and unique her response actually was.
Despite my history with activism, it was the first time I had heard anyone talk about saving an individual's life. Regardless of the idealism we all possess and our strong desire to bring about change, we activists are losing sight of the very people we are actually trying to help.
If you were to ask the typical Brown student the same question I asked my friend, many would answer that they want to save the world. They would talk about ending global poverty, finding a cure to AIDS or rectifying Providence's housing crisis. These answers showcase the reason so many of us love Brown: our youthful idealism allows us all to want to make a big difference.
We all love to focus on providing solutions to the bigger problems in our world. We want to bring troops home from Iraq, curb global warming and end child poverty in Providence. We think we can single-handedly end these problems by lobbying high-level governmental officials, creating non-profit organizations and organizing peers. These steps do help. I do not think we shouldn't focus on the big picture in order to solve conflicts. However, we should never forget about the individuals we are actually trying to help.
This very opinions page often demonstrates Brown students' overarching attitude. Instead of relating individual stories of impoverished children in Providence or of students struggling to pay their increasingly expensive college tuition, we provide grandiose debates on the direction of Congress and the conflict in the Middle East.
As students, we sometimes feel we are capable of more than we really are. Alone, we cannot end poverty, housing inequity or genocide. We can be part of larger movements to help bring upon these necessary changes, but our impact is inevitably limited. We fight for abstract causes, instead of real people. This is not always detrimental; it can help prepare us for making larger impacts later in life and it can contribute to the greater good. But we should always look to maximize our impact while making a difference in the lives of others.
Brown students cannot save the world, but they can make a difference in the lives of individuals. We can spend an hour with an orphan, teaching him how to shoot a basketball. We can talk to a Brown food worker, asking what we can do to help improve her life. We can intervene in friends' lives, ensuring they make it through difficult times. We should never forget, despite our lofty aspirations, to help the individuals that surround us in our everyday lives.
I do not believe that we should only focus solely on smaller issues. The general attitude of focusing on individuals can extend beyond actions and into our mindsets. When advocating for a withdrawal from Iraq, we should keep in mind Sgt. Gregory Belanger, a Rhode Islander recently killed in combat in Iraq. Instead of solely focusing on ensuring Rhode Island goes green, we should remember Edith Moore, a 70-yea-old resident in New Orleans who lost everything she owned because of Hurricane Katrina. While trying to end the genocide in Darfur, we should remember to fight for Hasima Akbar, mother of a one-month old baby, desperately fighting to keep her child alive. It's these individuals we're fighting for; these individuals we are trying to save.
By always keeping the people we are fighting for in our minds, we become more effective advocates. We create a sustained amount of urgency, form more effective solutions and, most importantly, we stay motivated. Simply by maintaining our focus on the people we are trying to help, by trying to save lives instead of saving worlds, we can make more of a difference.
I am not trying to dissuade people from joining noble causes that tackle the bigger issues of justice, inequality, and poverty. But whatever you do, whether it's activism, business, or government, always remember the individuals you are fighting for. Always remember that you are not trying to save the world, but rather trying to save human lives. And always take the time to interact with the individuals that surround you.
At the end of the day, our world is only as good as the people that make it up.
Scott Warren, '09 thinks that Chicken Finger Fridays help save lives.
