Articles Archive for 11 April 2009
Economic Opportunity, The Face of America »
News reports today stated that a law effected in Texas in 2008, eliminating the right of seasonal workers to obtain drivers’ licenses, has been overturned by a judge. Hallelujah for the democratic process, which most often results in justice.
News reports today also presented an update to the recent serving of justice in the case of an immigrant college student from Florida, originally from Egypt, who was accused of engaging in terrorism, after what may or may not have been pipe bombs were found in the trunk of a car …
Cultural Differences, Defining Root Problems, Men & Women »
A dog wags its tail when it is happy. A cat wags its tail when it is angry or upset. Is it any wonder they don’t get along?
Most of us assume we are understood, that we understand others- that when words are communicated carefully, accurate meaning is conveyed. Most of us further believe that our actions speak as plainly as words. But actions can be fuzzy.
Cultural differences impact actions. And actions are understood in the context of cultural norms. Unlike the translation of words, the cultural norms supporting actions are …
Earning Money in a Global World, Economic Opportunity, Social Entreprenurialism »
In third world countries, it is the natural response of international humanitarian workers to want to increase the pay of impoverished local workers as much as possible. Compassion kicks into action when confronted by the harsh realities of families of ten subsisting on the equivalent of two U.S. dollars a day. The individual in a position able to provide a pay raise feels compelled to do so. Aid workers have learned the hard way, though, of the unintended consequences of such actions.
When groups of local persons working for international …
Economic Opportunity, Eyes of Children »
Two parents make the hard decision to leave their own country for a land of opportunity for their children. The warmth and security of their tribe and customs behind them, the look ahead to the potential for prosperity in a place of strange and fast activity. As the years pass, they make their way: educating their children in a language that is not their own, endeavoring to instill the values of their home culture and religion in a place where their children encounter daily influences contrary to their native expectations. …
