"We live in a world where every career you may have is a global career." The words of Vali Nasr, keynote speaker at the opening dinner of the World Affairs Councils of America national conference held in Washington, D.C., Nov. 5-8, echoed across the ballroom of the Fairfax at Embassy Row. And they resonated with me as I contemplated the significance of that statement.
What does it mean to live in such a world? It means that cultural awareness is not just a nice thing to possess. Cultural awareness is of paramount importance to anybody wishing to succeed in our rapidly changing world.
I had the honor of attending this conference, thanks to the Minnesota International Center's nomination as well as generous scholarship funds from the Gambrinus Co. I assumed that most of my fellow scholarship recipients would be roughly 20 years old, intending to pursue a major in international relations and yearning to land a career in diplomacy.
In fact, I found that some were economists, business majors or historians. Yet we all shared a common passion in familiarizing ourselves with the world's political complexities. I was later told this diverse selection was an accurate representation of what the Foreign Service is striving to become: a group of culturally aware and passionate people who collectively hold a well-rounded education.
Education is the key to unlocking the future. One of the most profound messages I took away from the conference is that the short-term answer is rarely the long-term solution. For example, a universally fearful current event is the recent Ebola outbreak. Many believe that the obvious solution to this problem is to quarantine the infected and to cut off the worst-affected countries from trade until the crisis is staved off.
This, as I've been told, is merely a short-term solution. While in a few months we may feel as though we have averted crisis, we won't have prevented, say, cholera from becoming the next pandemic 10 years from now. Quarantining a growing continent with such promising GDP will only suppress further growth, which is vital to improving infrastructure.
Regarding social upheaval among youth, many of these uprisings can be partly quelled through economic sanctions and political pressure, but they will be just that: partly quelled, at best. Peace achieved by force will only foster stronger upheaval later on. It is fear and a lack of respect that leads to violent social uprisings.
Vaccinations and sanctions, though important, are only short-term answers to a problem that needs a long-term solution. The problem: education and infrastructure. The solution? Sustainable development that will promote higher economic growth, improved education, and efficient energy and infrastructure to last for centuries, not decades.
