“Be the change you want to see in the World.”- Mahatma Gandhi
"We
can do no great things, only small things with great
Love.” –Mother Teresa
Social change has transformed the world that we currently
know. I have just quoted two of many that have taken the initiative to mold
humanity into a snapshot to what God created us to be. They knew the only gift you can ever give
someone is your love and devotion to something greater than themselves. Their
paths through life were filled with hardships, shortcomings, and
disappointments,, yet through their perseverance they were able to accomplish
social change on a seismic level.
Luma in the novel Outcast
United does an amazing job of personifying the impact one individual
can have on social change in the 21st century. Her love and devotion
to the fugees showcases her passion to not only improve the lives of the
refugees, but also to share in a common goal for a whole community to take part
in. Creating the shared vision of what the refugees can do in this country will
allow for her goal to reach more individuals that just Clarkson, GA. (And
writing a novel about it can get the word out as well ;).
Luma has taken her personal values of how immigrants ought
to be treated and brought them to the small town of Clarkson, GA. An immigrant
herself, she personally knows the uphill battle immigrants have in the U.S. She
has made it her life goal to positively influence the lives of young
immigrants. She has also taken the time
to share her goal with others that have the same passion as her. Luma can not
do everything on her own, and has let people help teach the students, publish
her book, and allowed the community to help in her cause. She accomplished this
through collaborative approaches. Finally, she has taken population of
immigrants and created pride and value for the community. Together with all
three, she is creating social change.!
(Probably my favorite photo of all time. This picture speaks not only to the innocence of a child, but to the great love we can show to everyone! This photo reminds me also that we are not too old or too wise to make time for a child!)
Howard,
ReplyDeleteWay to bring up the collaboration element with Luma, especially "taking her time" to share her passion with others. She didn't have much time to spare, but she used it wisely in working with others. Also...I've never seen that picture before but it is great!