by Samuel Herrington

Created on: January 01, 2011   Last Updated: January 02, 2011

The world is an interesting place; the world is a troubled place; the world is a shrinking place. With more information in our hands than ever before, the average person is bombarded with all that our world has to offer. Within the same second, one can hear of a terrible tragedy and a great act of mercy. People from different continents cannot only talk to one another at any time, they can even see each other without leaving their living rooms.

As a people, we are beginning to come together, often whether we like it or not. Problems that we did not cause now directly affect us, and actions we give no thought to can cause hardship and suffering to those we share this planet with. Knowledge is a wonderful and terrible thing, giving both power and responsibility in the same box. Now that we know of the great many problems plaguing our neighbors, we cannot sit idly by.

For example, in the past century, violence in Africa has shifted from the west to the east. But this is not necessarily caused by local factors. In fact, there is a high correlation between the areas of conflict and the proximity of international trade. As powers such as China and India began to ship more goods to the United States and South American countries, the conflict began to shift towards those new oceanic trade routes, and away from the ones maintained between the United States and England.  Factors such as the quality of food, the value of local money on the international market, and the influx of weapons from Eastern Europe must also be considered.  

Similar to picking up part of a fishing net, picking up one aspect of a situation will bring along all of the others. We must find a way to make this world a better place. It goes without saying that this is an enormous task, and to accomplish any sort of lasting achievement it may require an almost paradoxical approach. We must embrace what we have in common, through ways that make us unique.

There is no denying that we are all different, on multiple levels. Conflict is rife across the world, and whether it is because of religion, social structure, or politics, it all seems to stem from differences. One would be hard pressed to find a war that started because two people agreed on something. That said, there is potential for community across almost any boundary. Abstract nouns such as love, peace, and truth have a way of transcending national borders and uniting people of all backgrounds, and that is something that can be harnessed.

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