12 November 2008

How To Build Global Community

Think of no one as "them"; Don't confuse your comfort with your safety; Talk to strangers; Imagine other cultures through their art, poetry and novels; Listen to music you don't understand; Dance to it; Act locally; Notice the workings of power and privilege in your culture; Question consumption; Know how your lettuce and coffee are grown: wake up and smell the exploitation; Look for fair trade and union labels; Help build economies from the bottom up; Acquire few needs; Learn a second (or third) language; Visit people, places, and cultures - not tourist attractions; Learn people's history; Re-define progress; Know physical & political geography; Play games from other cultures; Watch films with subtitles; Know your heritage; Honor everyone's holidays; Look at the moon and imagine someone else, somewhere else, looking at it too; Read the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Understand the global economy in terms of people, land and water; Know where your bank banks; Never believe you have a right to anyone else's resources; Refuse to wear corporate logos: defy corporate domination; Question military/corporate connections; Don't confuse money with wealth, or time with money; Have a pen/email pal; Honor indigenous cultures; Judge governance by how well it meets all people's needs; Be skeptical about what you read; Eat adventurous!; Enjoy vegetables, beans and grains in your diet; Choose curiosity over certainty; Know where your water comes from and where your wastes go; Pledge allegiance to the earth: question nationalism; Think South, Central and North - there are many Americans; Assume that many others share your dreams; Know that no one is silent through many are not heard - Work to change this...

By Syracuse Cultural Workers