I think the true curse at SMU is the airtight pocket we are surrounded by, ensuring that no information comes in or goes out. College is a time to be educated. Many look past that, and see these college years as a way to have fun before settling down to that precious millionaire lifestyle.
Share with those who can’t even dream of affording a meal at one of your favorite places. Share with those who can’t imagine what it would be like to feel secure in their own homes. Reach out to save the life of one person, whether they are victims of trafficking or religious prosecution. Your life will be impacted beyond your list of activities, and you will feel overwhelmed by the amount of change you alone can make. Imagine what can be done by a university as a whole. Imagine what tasks can be completed by America’s youth.
Here are some interesting statistics:
-70 percent of the 1.3 billion poverty-stricken people in the world are women.
-70 percent of the internally displaced people in the world are women.
-67 percent of the illiterate people in the world are women.
Women are critical to the economic development of the world, and yet females are only 21 percent of the world’s business managers and 17 percent of parliamentarians. Only three of the 500 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are women. Many women are not as blessed as we are when it comes to education and freedom. Although America is considered to be paved in gold, leaders in this country still face barriers to equity and peace.
On July 10-15, 2007, the Third International Women’s Peace Conference will connect delegates throughout the world to focus on empowering peacemakers. Three Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Betty Williams (Northern Ireland), Rigoberta Mechu Tum (Guatemala) and Jody Williams (USA) and other peace activists will address world peace issues, the current situation of distressed people, and what we can do to help. Inspired by these actions, delegates will form a”plan of action” in which they will later implement later in their own communities regarding such issues as globalization, povery, migration, health, education and law. Students are eligible for a discounted rate of $150 and can register on the website at www.womenspeaceconference.org. The First Women’s Peace Conference, sponsored by Peacemakers Incorporated, was held at SMU in August of 1988, featuring more than 2,000 attendants from 57 countries.
Jessica Martin is a junior business major. She can be reached at [email protected].
