Learning to Serve - A Reflection on Peace Work
University of Iowa
Colman McCarthy
Peace Studies: A Solution to Violence
100 % Effort in Making Solutions to Violence
The poverty, the hunger, and the violence have all been abstract in my life before this semester. I now realized what my important values are in life, and how I have been thankful to gain knowledge from the Peace Studies: A Solution to Violence course. If anyone had asked me five months ago what my thoughts were on the homeless population I probably would have answered with “I don’t know.” Like me, other college students across the world would have had an answer like mine; or even worse. The Peace Studies course I have taken has developed my well-rounded education to a new level. I think of world issues in a different aspect than I would before, question life decisions more than I would before, and most importantly, I challenge myself from a pacifist point of view more than I would before. The experience I have had learning from a pacifist has lead my thoughts to a more intense area in world problems. The problems America has, seem much more clearer after thinking about it all semester. I would like to demonstrate views I feel are important in the country I live in and how we could help to make solutions to make a difference.
Lending a hand at the McKenna Center for a peace meal taught me a lot about the true meaning of being a citizen. I gained an experience that I can take with me for the rest of my life, and I plan on taking my experience to another level. After a fellow intern and I helped with the peace meal, we discussed the balance of people in this world. We conferred how thankful we are to have food on the table and clothes on our back. Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky as us. This opportunity gave us the chance to reach out to the less fortunate and participate in a great program.
My goal for the semester was to volunteer for the McKenna Center. From my experience I learned a tremendous amount more than being a volunteer. Using my time to help others was a start to become a better citizen. I regret to say I have never volunteered in a homeless shelter or given meals to the homeless. There are homeless people in my college town; however, I tend to block it out. Currently living and working in the homeless capitol of the country makes me realize there are many more people than the couple I see living under the bridge at home. It is a fact there is a high percentage of homeless people in Washington, D.C. I ask myself why I have never thought so deeply about the subject until I volunteered at the McKenna Center. I think the reason I had not thought about it is because it is not a reality for me. Volunteering at the McKenna Center helped me see real people in real situations, which are different than mine. The experience of visualizing the people coming in almost starving to death makes me thankful for everything I have.
During the meal, I worked in the food line serving asparagus and squash. Some people prefer some vegetables to others; they were just as picky as I am when I eat. This surprised me very much. I was thinking the whole meal that if I were one of the people walking through the line I would take what I could get. I would eat everything I could because there would be a possibility of not knowing when my next meal would be. Listening to the people ask more for one thing over another astonished me. Even though some of these people eat out of dumpsters and beg for change at the metro station for a bite to eat, there was a sense of dignity I saw in every person. Every person liked his/her meal in a fashion they desired.
After helping with the peace meal I felt I had cheated the world in many ways. I have spent most of my time in my life doing things for myself, and not enough time for others. Unfortunately, I feel the world has suffered from attitudes as mine. My experience has opened my eyes to a new realm of the true meaning of life. I would like to take home the sense of involvement I have with Washington, D.C. I plan on volunteering in the Senior Civic Center with one of my best friends in Iowa City when I return.
As stated by Sargent Shriver in The Cure is Care, “the Peace Corps gave me the most memorable, continuing, morally unblemished, and uncompromised chance ever given any American to serve his country, his countrymen, and his fellow human beings worldwide, simultaneously, and at the grassroots level with the poor everywhere (56).” There are so many ways to serve our country rather than serving militarily. I believe this semester has taught me to serve in a community way. Instead of killing thousands of innocent people, I have learned to help by educating children from early ages that violence is not an answer to any problem.
Educating the country on our military budget is another important subject I have learned is important this semester. Statistics of the Peace Corps budget being only 3/100,000 of the Defense Department’s and it numbers are only 3/1,000 of the Armed Forces creates an interesting debate (56). Our country is more wrapped up in the military budget than helping the less fortunate in the world. An average of forty thousand people die in every war; however, the government cannot seem to find this a problem in society. As Shiver says, 'they saved themselves…because they learned to give themselves away…as the Declaration of Independence says in its last and most important words: “We pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor ” '(58). I think this quote has much meaning to what I have learned. Nothing can compare to the time spent giving to others. Before my time spent giving back to the community I did not understand the importance of helping others, so they have a reason to have hope there are generous people in this world. My volunteer experience not only taught me a sense of community, it gave me the sense of making a difference in someone’s life.
Also well stated by Albert Schweitzer in Reverence for Life, “Each of us, no matter what our position and occupation, must try to act in such a way as to further true humanity” (64). I think this exemplifies the true meaning of giving. No matter how famous, how wealthy, and how busy people must be, I think there is a time for everyone to help society. For example, one of my public relation firm’s client the Alzheimer’s Associations has David Hyde Pierce for an Alzheimer’s advocate. Pierce chose to be an advocate because his grandfather and father suffered from Alzheimer’s and died. Every spring Pierce comes to Washington, D.C. for the Alzheimer’s Association Policy Forum Week to let America know he is very serious about finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. He also testified before congress and fifty Alzheimer state spokespersons for an increase in federal funding.
I admire Pierce for his diligence and good heart. As a role model to many Americans he takes much time out of his life to care for others with the Alzheimer’s disease. He demonstrated a great citizen position to the Association and also to me.
In conclusion, I have experienced a tremendous amount of goodness on my visit to Washington, D.C. this semester. I have volunteered for a peace meal, volunteered forty hours a week for nonprofit organizations who serve for education, environment, and health organizations. I have also learned about poverty and the sense of giving. All of these things give me a better outlook for my future. I have the prospective of a better future in my life because of the things I have learned. I thank my teacher, my supervisors, and the people I did not know. The people on the streets were the ones who I will remember the most. I now have more respect for people who live every day to see the next, because they have nothing to value but life.