Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lead—whether it's the impact of a widening gap between rich and poor, a violation of the
separation of church and state, the acceptance of a tyranny of the majority, or the loss of
personal freedoms. Then, for the good of your community, you understand the importance
of becoming active and speaking out against those trends.
Encourage others to travel. For example, support student exchange programs. Many
people have the resources to travel, but live within a social circle where “travel” means
Las Vegas and Walt Disney World. High schools and universities are putting more priority
than ever on foreign study programs. For many, the funding is a challenge. One trip can
help forever broaden the perspective of a young person with a big future. Hosting a for-
eign student can help create the same amount of international understanding as funding an
American student's trip abroad.
Do a survey of causes that interest you, choose a couple that resonate, then tackle
these as a hobby. Working on my favorites—debt relief for the developing world, drug
policy reform, and affordable housing—brings me great joy. I have an excuse to focus
my studies, I meet inspirational people, and I enjoy the gratification that comes with
actually making a difference. Organizations like Jubilee USA Network need grassroots
help in reaching their goal of relief for the world's most heavily indebted nations
(
www.jubileeusa.org
). Bread for the World (
www.bread.org
)
is a Christian citizens' organ-
ization that effectively lobbies our government in the interest of poor and hungry people
both in our country and overseas. (I'm donating all the royalties I earn from this topic to
support Bread's exciting cause.) If you want to advocate for smarter US drug laws, join
NORML (
www.norml.org
)
and talk about it in polite company. There are a host of good
organizations and a world of worthy causes to support.
