Hello Everyone!
Here I have some questions: what does it mean to be a member of CAP? how can we really become Global Citizens? why are we here? In fact, the answers all depends, but in my perspective, the whole CAP Program, especially the stream “Global Citizen” is somewhere you can find a sense of belonging; in other words, people with various backgrounds come together and explore what they can do to make this world better in a global sphere rather than a regional one. We have the right as well as the responsibility to get in touch with people who are either near or far from us. Then, once we are clear about our “mission”, how can we get involved? Yes, Trek Program, a great tool and opportunity provided for ambitious students to say: “OKAY, LET’S DO THIS!”.
Last October, I was assigned to volunteer at Queen Alexandra, one of the top neediest elementary schools in Vancouver, by UBC Trek Program. Before I came here, I worked as a teaching assistant in China, so, in my perspective, Trek is a good way for me to make scholar comparison between Canadian education system and the Chinese one. Although at first, I was quite lost since QA made me realize how different education systems in two states could be and how hard it was for such local needy schools. Later, when my professor introduced the concept of neoliberalism in lectures, I suddenly found that the sufferings of needy schools are closely related to Canadian political and cultural background. Everything or everyone is a thread of a huge web, and we can be affected by (even a small change of) the society. The problem is, however, most of the time we attribute the negative social consequences to ourselves or to people who are deprived their benefits, and here comes to the link with one of Lareau’s policy recommendations: we should not narrowly value the “welfare” without the consideration of the social “wealth transfers”. Thanks to Trek, a program which gave me the chance to apply numerous sociology concepts to my experience, I can own such multi-dimensional reflection of the local community and the “world”. In other words, I’m starting to know the rule of the game in our society.
For me, the most essential aspect of my participation in Trek is to always ask “why”. Sometimes we are prone to make judgments about the scenes that are in front of us; we unconsciously view this world from a lens made by the leading power in this society. Instead of seeing something as weird or sad, we should regard it as a consequence of either a social change or a political decision; we need to ask “why”. Only if people are learned to discover the “reality” behind a situation, could they really get to know what’s going on and which can be the best way to make something better or provide more support to people in trouble. An aid without acknowledging the nature of a matter is dangerous and may be harmful to the recipients.
Briefly, it’s amazing to tie what you have learned during lectures to your experience, and this process plays an extremely important role in helping you asking “why” and finding the solutions. Trek is a wonderful opportunity for you to explore the world and broaden your horizon; please seize it!
Good luck!
Lyra.