"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” Mark Twain
It somehow seems appropriate that when I started my first blog all those weeks ago, I quoted from Mark Twain. Now that my time in Hong Kong is coming to an end, I thought I should seek further words of wisdom! Coming from Northern Ireland the words “prejudice”, "bigotry” and “narrow-mindedness” sometimes seem to go with the territory. So have I learned anything about the society and world we live in and gained anything from its diversity and variety?
I thought my blog this week was an important opportunity to think about how travel really does broaden the mind, now that our little group or “family” of international students are beginning to leave Hong Kong. Coming to Hong Kong has given me the most fantastic opportunity of meeting people from all over the world. Travel gives you a global perspective that allows you to view things through a much wider lens; to understand the world and its people; to appreciate the wealth of diversity you gain by such an assortment of cultures and beliefs. Most importantly of all however, is that it changes you in a totally unique way.
Getting to know the other international students over the past number of months has impressed on me how open-minded they are and how they are always willing to try and accept new things. This made me think about many people’s attitudes and perspectives back home where in spite of considerable progress over recent years, we can still be traditional in our views with uncompromising opinions and biased attitudes. This is exemplified by the widespread negativity surrounding the influx of new immigrants from Eastern Europe seeking employment (usually in jobs that no one else wants to do) or the continued sectarian violence between the protestant and catholic communities.
I think it is important that we realise society is now becoming a global one and that Northern Ireland in twenty years’ time will almost certainly need to be much more diverse and multi-cultural than it is today. As a prospective teacher, it is noticeable that the Northern Ireland Curriculum is strongly emphasising the importance of developing and encouraging children to be more open-minded and accepting of diversity and to be more tolerant in their views. Areas such as PDMU (Personal Development and Mutual Understanding) have now become an integral part of the Northern Ireland Curriculum with teachers being encouraged to strive to educate children to be open to diversity and accommodating of other cultures and traditions.
On a personal level, where I always considered myself to be broad minded and indeed, easy-going, I feel that having this great opportunity to study in such a cosmopolitan city, surrounded by people from all over the world has helped me develop personally with regards to becoming a much more liberal and tolerant person. I know that I now respect, and certainly appreciate, different cultures and traditions much more than before I came to study in Hong Kong. Hopefully we are all moving towards a global society, where diversity and inclusiveness are the norm. Travel and in my case studying abroad, is one sure way of bringing this about much sooner. As Mark Twain reminds us - "Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
Getting to know the other international students over the past number of months has impressed on me how open-minded they are and how they are always willing to try and accept new things. This made me think about many people’s attitudes and perspectives back home where in spite of considerable progress over recent years, we can still be traditional in our views with uncompromising opinions and biased attitudes. This is exemplified by the widespread negativity surrounding the influx of new immigrants from Eastern Europe seeking employment (usually in jobs that no one else wants to do) or the continued sectarian violence between the protestant and catholic communities.
I think it is important that we realise society is now becoming a global one and that Northern Ireland in twenty years’ time will almost certainly need to be much more diverse and multi-cultural than it is today. As a prospective teacher, it is noticeable that the Northern Ireland Curriculum is strongly emphasising the importance of developing and encouraging children to be more open-minded and accepting of diversity and to be more tolerant in their views. Areas such as PDMU (Personal Development and Mutual Understanding) have now become an integral part of the Northern Ireland Curriculum with teachers being encouraged to strive to educate children to be open to diversity and accommodating of other cultures and traditions.
On a personal level, where I always considered myself to be broad minded and indeed, easy-going, I feel that having this great opportunity to study in such a cosmopolitan city, surrounded by people from all over the world has helped me develop personally with regards to becoming a much more liberal and tolerant person. I know that I now respect, and certainly appreciate, different cultures and traditions much more than before I came to study in Hong Kong. Hopefully we are all moving towards a global society, where diversity and inclusiveness are the norm. Travel and in my case studying abroad, is one sure way of bringing this about much sooner. As Mark Twain reminds us - "Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
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