Changing Hearts and Minds Through Service
CHANGING HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH SERVICE
A reflection on my Habitat for Humanity trip to Armenia
This month I had the opportunity to travel to Armenia with the National Council of Churches on a Habitat for Humanity International build. This small, landlocked country is surrounded by Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan, putting it in a less than stable region – and one which does not always view Americans in a positive light. However, in the small town of Gavar, where the Habitat build site was located, we were greeted every day with warmth and love. The children performed songs and dances for us, the local monks and bishops joined the build, the townspeople came to watch and the families receiving the homes stood side-by-side with us as we painted, sanded and tiled the new homes. In a country with a poverty rate of over 45%, where many small towns have no indoor plumbing or electricity, our presence brought hope for a brighter future. And we served as a small reminder of how as they are not alone as they struggle to rebuild their economy.
As I thought about this reaction of friendship, it also made me think of how other Americans are being greeted with anger and distrust across this world, especially by Armenia’s neighbors in the Middle East. In a time when the United States is best known for our “shock and awe” tactics, it causes me to pause and think about what would happen if we took another route to spread Democracy – instead of bombing buildings, we could support infrastructure. Instead of sending innocent civilians to the hospitals when they are caught in the cross-fire, we could stand beside them to build the hospitals. And – most importantly – while helping with humanitarian projects, we could help build hope and trust with a group of people who currently view us with anger and distrust.
It’s easy to react with anger and lash out when you are seeing your friends and family killed by a civil war that you blame on America, walk through streets that are marred by the burn marks of car bombs or your stores are wrecked from looting. But what if, instead of seeing soldiers driving by in tanks, you saw your children going to a school that was built with the help of the Americans? Or you knew that the immunizations that your baby just received were thanks to a donation from our government? It’s easy to hate when you see only destruction. It’s much harder to hate when you see the product of our love and friendship.
This is not to say that we do not need a military or to protect ourselves. But how great it would be if we were able to change our paradigm of how to interact with our world community. What if, at the same time that we support Israel’s ability to protect themselves, we work hand-in-hand with Palestinian teenagers to build up their infrastructure, providing them an honest living and job skills? Or we hire Iraqi men and women to work with us to clean out bombed out buildings and refurbish them into clinics? The possibilities for positive collaboration are endless.
If you want to end conflict, it cannot be through war alone. It must also be through providing opportunities for families to live in dignity – with access to a safe home, food and honest work. We saw how the homes of Habitat for Humanity transformed the lives of the families who received them – and their appreciation for the people of the many countries that came together for the project. And I imagine what would happen if everyone could see us in that light.
As the United States looks at our future interactions with countries who pose a threat, I hope that we look not just at subduing them but aiding them as well. We must lead by example if we want to bring about a more peaceful world. That’s how we truly change the heart and mind of a country.
A reflection on my Habitat for Humanity trip to Armenia
This month I had the opportunity to travel to Armenia with the National Council of Churches on a Habitat for Humanity International build. This small, landlocked country is surrounded by Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan, putting it in a less than stable region – and one which does not always view Americans in a positive light. However, in the small town of Gavar, where the Habitat build site was located, we were greeted every day with warmth and love. The children performed songs and dances for us, the local monks and bishops joined the build, the townspeople came to watch and the families receiving the homes stood side-by-side with us as we painted, sanded and tiled the new homes. In a country with a poverty rate of over 45%, where many small towns have no indoor plumbing or electricity, our presence brought hope for a brighter future. And we served as a small reminder of how as they are not alone as they struggle to rebuild their economy.
As I thought about this reaction of friendship, it also made me think of how other Americans are being greeted with anger and distrust across this world, especially by Armenia’s neighbors in the Middle East. In a time when the United States is best known for our “shock and awe” tactics, it causes me to pause and think about what would happen if we took another route to spread Democracy – instead of bombing buildings, we could support infrastructure. Instead of sending innocent civilians to the hospitals when they are caught in the cross-fire, we could stand beside them to build the hospitals. And – most importantly – while helping with humanitarian projects, we could help build hope and trust with a group of people who currently view us with anger and distrust.
It’s easy to react with anger and lash out when you are seeing your friends and family killed by a civil war that you blame on America, walk through streets that are marred by the burn marks of car bombs or your stores are wrecked from looting. But what if, instead of seeing soldiers driving by in tanks, you saw your children going to a school that was built with the help of the Americans? Or you knew that the immunizations that your baby just received were thanks to a donation from our government? It’s easy to hate when you see only destruction. It’s much harder to hate when you see the product of our love and friendship.
This is not to say that we do not need a military or to protect ourselves. But how great it would be if we were able to change our paradigm of how to interact with our world community. What if, at the same time that we support Israel’s ability to protect themselves, we work hand-in-hand with Palestinian teenagers to build up their infrastructure, providing them an honest living and job skills? Or we hire Iraqi men and women to work with us to clean out bombed out buildings and refurbish them into clinics? The possibilities for positive collaboration are endless.
If you want to end conflict, it cannot be through war alone. It must also be through providing opportunities for families to live in dignity – with access to a safe home, food and honest work. We saw how the homes of Habitat for Humanity transformed the lives of the families who received them – and their appreciation for the people of the many countries that came together for the project. And I imagine what would happen if everyone could see us in that light.
As the United States looks at our future interactions with countries who pose a threat, I hope that we look not just at subduing them but aiding them as well. We must lead by example if we want to bring about a more peaceful world. That’s how we truly change the heart and mind of a country.
posted by Becca Doten at
12:31 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home