Today's people seem to be starting to get the right idea with studying abroad and rushing to make and complete a "bucket list", but the world would be a different place if we could all get on the same page. I propose that it is mandatory for everyone to have a different pen pal every five years. When you are born, you will be matched up with another person of either gender who has the same birthday as you, but must be from a different country. Governments will work together to formulate these beginning pairs. At the age of five, you will start to communicate with this matched person back and forth for five years until you both turn ten. You may write only old fashioned letters or meet in person. No text messages, phonecalls or emails. Every connection you make will then be thought out and carefully planned in detail. There will be less confusion by what a text or email tone might be, and the handwritten letters will show true sentiment.
By writing or visiting this person, you will then be exposed to their life, culture, religion, daily experiences, values, etc. You will know as much about this person as they will know about you. It will only be natural to have a vast knowledge of this person's life and the differences between theirs and yours. You will know how another country, culture, family, etc. operates and you will be able to compare and contrast it with your own. At the age of 10, you will be assigned a second person who you will begin exchanging ideas with for the next five years until you are 15. The same goes for when you turn 15 until you are 20, when you are 20 until you are 25 and so on. Every five years, you will get a new partner, but you may choose to still keep in touch with prior ones as you wish.
I really think that taking the time to explain your life and your experiences will really make you appreciate and value all the opportunities that you have that someone else might lack. Problems that seem so far away from us like world hunger and genocide might still now be drying as ink on a letter sitting on your lap. The world will be sent to you in the comfort of your own home. You will have the opportunity to meet so many people and discover so many new places in just one lifetime. Now, it is so easy to think war is okay because it is not happening on our country's land and starvation in a far off place is okay because you are eating chips while reading about it. This simple communication and little change to your life will absolutely change your perspective and outlook on life and will make the world a better place.
Perhaps this communication will only change your mind, but that's okay. Even one small person can make a difference. One person can choose to change the world. This one system change suggestion could be the catalyst to an entirely new world and while the world may never quite be perfect, this can spark the desire to make a difference and make everyone's one life to live equal to each other.
It's a very cool idea. It could also be the premise of a very interesting epistolary novel - the series of letters exchanged by a person and his or her mandatory pen pals over a lifetime!
ReplyDeleteI do like this novel idea...hmm...
DeleteThe only slight issue you may run into is that it would be extraordinarily difficult (especially at younger ages) to learn to read and write the language of someone from another country, if you ended up being an American child paired with, say, a Chinese child.
ReplyDeleteIf there's some way around these details, though, I think the heart of the idea is extremely insightful. If these communications could lead to friendships, international travels / exploration, or maybe even marriages, the idea of branching out like this could be extremely rewarding. Not to mention, we'd (hopefully) see less racism and classism if kids learned at a younger age that it's possible to be friends with people who don't come from the same race, religion, or amount of money as they do.
I love this idea, and I agree with Dr. MB: great novel idea! So much of our current hatred is locked up in a lack of understanding. I see so many people that hate another culture but do not know anything about it. How can you hate something if you do not even know anything about the foundations of that way of life? If we understand others, maybe we will not agree with everything they say, but we can at least make a personal connection with another way of life.
ReplyDeleteMy only comment is the hand written only messages. I understand the sentiments of handwritten letters that are mailed. However, I think that in actuality it would be easier to email your buddy. Email is infinitely faster, and free! For children in countries with damaged infrastructure, written mail can also be unreliable. Not saying that written notes should be eliminated. It would be great if people could send gifts or birthday presents to their pal along with letters. Just a thought!
I love this idea! I especially love the idea of the handwritten letters! I think that in a world that is so reliant on technology teaching kids and reminding adults of the value of handwritten letters is important. I also think that a handwritten letter is more personal and will help to create a better relationship between the two people. I do think, however, that the points that Sara raises are very important. Because this is an exercise that looks to make people more understanding of the world around them, it is important to remember that not all countries are like ours and that there are many difficulties that could prevent this from working. I do hope, however, that as this became common practice, there would be more and more compliance between countries and that handwritten notes could in fact be the means by which these pen pals communicate.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the idea behind the notes, I think that it will really work to increase the understanding that people today are lacking of those around them. I think that one of the biggest problems in the world today is a lack of understanding and acceptance of others. I think that creating a relationship between people that can be fostered through notes and friendship will go a long way to bridge the gap we currently have and create the understanding that we so desperately need. I also think that this will be beneficial because it will make the problems that people in different countries face very real to others in the world that may not be directly impacted. By creating relationships between people from different counties, we would create connections and relationships between countries so that problems would no longer be isolated, but would be understood and shared by many.