Tuesday, April 8, 2008

A flat world


I am currently reading a book called The World is Flat, a book capturing the globalization movement of the 21st Century. It has been an interesting read, particularly in a Kenyan context. In some ways I see the world as flat, while at other times a plateau with sharp elevation contrasts in various regions of the world. Although China and India are seen as the rising stars in the global market, I continue to wonder what impact globalization is having and will have on the African continent. Some pieces of globalization seem to be detrimental while others may shed profound light on the development of nations that tend to the basic needs of functioning societies.

As I read the book, I continually think about the corporate impact of these principles, rather than the personal. The Microsoft’s, HP’s and Wal-Mart’s have stronger connections to these ideas than any individuals could ever have. I was reminded that this was not the case when I met a young Kenyan at a birthday party this weekend. He is studying to be an architect but currently has a graphic and web design business to help him pay his way through university. When I told him that we would likely not be able to give him any business because we would only be here for three more months, he reminded me that I could have him design a website or publication from Kenya when we returned to the states, that it would probably be cheaper than anything than I could find their and that it would help him get an education. In his words, we are only “one click away”. This triggered my initial thoughts on the personal nature of globalization.

The next tier of thinking within globalization hit me last week when corresponding with our friend, Paul who had recently spent time in Bangkok. He described an experience that he had with a man from Kenya that was working in Bangkok to generate some income for his family. He shared some of his thoughts on the questions that he was grappling with on how to best assist this guy. Through our blogs and emails, we are somehow able to connect in these ideas and think about how our global experiences might help shed light into one another’s situations. A flattened world allowed me to learn from a friend whose encounter in Thailand is similar to many of ours in Nairobi.

The interesting thing in my virtual encounter with Paul was the timing of his email. You see, it is not uncommon for us to be asked for money 2-3 times/day. Whether it is an encounter with a street kid, person who has decided on begging as their profession or people that we know well that need financial assistance, sifting through each of these encounters is tiring and at times hardening. This weekend, when a boy asked me for money for bread as we were leaving a wedding, I didn’t give him a chance to tell his story and immediately told him that we didn’t have money for him. When we got home, there was an email in my inbox from Paul explaining his situation in Bangkok. His words prompted me to look inward in how I responded to the boy an hour earlier. At this time, I realized that a flattened world had triggered a response in me to reconsider how I respond to our regular encounters with requests for money. While we choose not to give to 80% of the requests that we get from people on a daily basis (because our annual budget would be long gone by now), each person does deserve our careful attention and a degree of inner turmoil to respond accordingly. It dawned on me that it took a friend’s experience in Asia to soften our hardening responses to requests for money…now that is a flattened world.

While we are still new to the world of blogging, we hope that this mode of communication can be a positive flattener as we share experiences from afar. We are often encouraged, challenged and convicted by your stories, responses and breaths of life into our work here in Kenya.

2 comments:

Jedidiah said...

Even halfway around the world...your words connect with me here in OR...helping me to transform...thanks for the post..it was humbling...

Paul said...

Joel,
great question about how can / does flattening of the world affect people and not just business.

One thought about the personal interaction with those who ask for us to help them. I find myself trying to find 'the truth' about their situation - i.e. am I being scammed? Of course 'the truth' is as complex as all truth actually is, and I don't have the time or ability to know it. Maybe I just need to be at peace with how I am asked by God to respond, and let that be enough.