Blog Post #1 – Leah Burcham – Global Issues
Growing and maintaining a global outlook requires consistent learning from various perspectives. A large part of my learning so far on this trip has stemmed from the other students. The nature of this trip facilitates a space where everyone is interested in global affairs and history; if we were not, then we would not have participated. Everyone has unique perspectives and cultural backgrounds that influence their perception of global affairs. While I put effort into staying informed about global affairs, my peers' comments and conversations have drawn my attention to points I would not have considered on my own.
Being surrounded by other students has helped me to understand the more intricate ways Europe operates as a whole vs. as autonomous countries. Other students have been to countries and cities I haven't been to, so we can compare and contrast our experiences. It was interesting to learn about Germany’s specific anti-nuclear attitude, which differs from that of other European countries. Each state can have very different cultures and laws, just as every other region of the world does, but there are distinct throughlines as well. Our trip to the European Union helped me understand how interconnected European politics are. This collaboration among European countries is necessary for the overall success and well-being of the region, especially in terms of sustainability. This culture of connection is not present in the United States, which heavily values independence.
Despite these cultural differences, events and actions within the United States make a significant impact on Germany. Germans watch US politics, economy, and popular culture, which is a sobering reminder that our actions affect everyone around the world. The United States, as a global superpower, has the opportunity to make a significant impact on global sustainability. Unfortunately, the United States’ development and infrastructure are not set up for success in sustainability. In a place like Freiburg, an urban area with plenty of public transportation and incentives to bike, it is much easier to be sustainable than in rural or suburban America. It is important that both Americans and Europeans recognize this key difference, as it means the United States’ approach to sustainability must be heavily adapted to succeed.
I really like the point you made about learning from each other on this trip. When I was asked the question of "how I would learn on this trip?", I thought about learning from the lectures, the new environments, or the local people. I hadn't previously considered that we can also learn from one another. We interact with one another so frequently, and due to that, it is inevitable that we will learn the worldview of our group members. We all have different experiences with travelling in Europe, and thus we have also taught each other about how Europe operates from our own observations.
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ReplyDeleteLeah, I totally agree with how diverse our group of students are with their own global perspectives and unique additions to class conversations. Sitting at dinner or lunch, we all engage in civic conversations which is so interesting to me how we all gravitate towards policy talk even away from school. It does show how important politics are in not only our daily life, but we have talked about global issues and politics repeatedly. Being in Germany, we definitely see more global issues play a role and it gets brought up more I think because we’re surrounded in a new environment with new people and learning experiences. After parliament, I agree how interconnected these countries are joined together with the same ideas and values working towards a harmonic European region, yet they don’t neglect what other countries outside of the EU are doing. They brought up the States and Russia and all sorts of other global superpowers in debate.
Excellent point about, "Unfortunately, the United States’ development and infrastructure are not set up for success in sustainability." Understanding this issue in depth helps one better understand the geopolitical implications.
ReplyDeleteYour formatting is wonky. The paragraphs go way to the right on the page rather than within the white text box. Please determine the issue and correct if possible. Thank you!