Penn, Wharton, & their AMAZING Resources

Alright, so I complain about Wharton sometimes. I still think it's incredible that the majority of the world's most talented undergraduate business students want to pursue a number-crunching career on Wall Street when there's a world of myriad alternative opportunities out there waiting for them to seize. As globalization carries on at an ever-increasing pace, sustainable development has become THE central theme of our generation. So, why are so many people still adamantly building up their resumes to impress the recruiter of some name-brand investment, bank?

Anyway, as much as this fact annoys me, my experience here at Wharton has been phenomenal so far. The resources here are just incredible: CEOs come here for speeches and network with students on a daily basis, while a couple of Heads-of-States of frequented our campus this year as well. Secretary-General of the freakin' United Nations is about to come here as well. There are just so many awesome speakers and so many awesome campus clubs with their awesome everday events out there! You learn so much outside of class that it's easy to get distracted from your actual schoolwork.

Speaking of classes, the faculty resources here are just amazing. Take two of my TAs this semester, for example:

• David Muir of my BPUB250 class (Managerial Economics) is currently heading a menu pricing project for McDonalds. Yes, McDonalds. 
• Adam Saunders of my OPIM101 class (Operations and Information Management) worked at the President's Council of Economic Advisers in Washington, D.C before pursuing his PH.D at MIT. 

These are my TA's; I won't even start to talk about my professors. I'd continue blogging, but I'm gna head for dinner right now. After dinner, I'll be attending a consulting workshop led by professionals from McKinsey and Oliver Wyman. How does a freshman like me have access to such amazing resources? It's cuz amazing campus groups like Social Impact Consulting put together these awesome events.

Compare this to the Bolivian schoolkids who had to commute up to 4 hours by foot on a daily basis just to show up at English classes taught by professors who didn't know English at all.. I am truly fortunate to be at a place like this. So let's work a little harder and stop slacking off so much--let's not sleep for 10 hours like I did last night, when I've been consistently getting 8 hours of sleep :)

I'm back!

I'm back guys!!

Alright, it's not like many people ever checked out my blog that much in the first place, but anyway, I just want to start blogging again. Nope, I'm not going to do it in Spanish, Chinese, or French this time--it just takes me too long. With my overwhelming daily schedule and lackluster time management abilities, I haven't been able to set aside a long period of uninterrupted time to type stuff up in a foreign language. So.. instead of using this blog to work on my language skills, I think I'm going to start talking about the latest stuff in the social enterprise sector. It's the only reason I'm studying business at all, and honestly, it's just too easy to loose focus on the bigger picture at Wharton.. all this Wall Street talk all day long doesn't do much good in terms of inspiring the next generation of world-changing business leaders. What's really inspiring is books like Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism.

Anyway, so here's a list of some cool stuff I've found this week:

• 33needs.com  A newly launched online platform that allows ordinary individuals like you and me to invest as little as $10 in social enterprises around the world. It's based on the concept of "crowdfunding," a concept that can be summarized pretty nicely by the following diagram: 

• As I was doing some research into how mobile technologyr and microfinance could be combined into a distribution model for affordable, high-quality solar products to the Bottom of the Pyramid markets, I came across a bunch of interesting stuff:
  http://www.frontlinesms.com/_PREV/resources/download/Changemakers-kiwanja-SMS-Guide.pdf (overview of innovative applications of SMS in the developing world)
  http://www.frontlinesms.com/ (A really legit SMS platform that's free for NGO's around the world, including Microfinance Institutions)
  http://www.oliverwyman.com/ow/pdf_files/OW_En_FS_2011_Publ_NextGenerationMobileBanking.pdf (Oliver Wyman's & PlaNet Finance's report on mobile banking)
  http://www.globalmobileawards.com/awards/winners_2011.htm (Top mobile technologies of 2011)
  http://www.cgap.org/p/site/c/template.rc/1.9.49643/ (Comprehensive Microfinance report that's cited pretty often)
  http://www.terrapinn.com/2011/mobileza/index.stm Mobile Money Conference in South Africa that's going on soon
  http://www.nextbillion.net/ really, really, really, really cool website that compiles amazing info about social enterprise stuff going on around the world
  http://www.wri.org/publication/the-next-4-billion comprehensive report about the Bottom of Pyramid market by World Bank Group & World Resources Institute
  http://www2.goldmansachs.com/citizenship/10000women/index.html (Goldman's 10,000 women initiative.. it was kinda hard to believe that the guys responsible for the global economic meltdown actually invest in the world's future, but hey, I guess the world isn't always black and white!)
  

As I search for these URL's, I keep coming across more amazing sites along the way, so I think I'll stop here. I just want to say that I wouldn't have come across any of this had it not been for my amazing internship opportunity at One Degree Solar. I was extremely fortunate to meet an experienced international development professional who had worked in Liberia with the Clinton Foundation for quite a while, and he has been a really great mentor to me. The other guys on the team are all so amazingly accomplished as well. I've just started my internship work, which mostly consists of research, but I can already sense the beginning of something really special with this company :)

Alright, I should go grab some sleep now. Got a bunch of work already, and school's barely begun. I should really put more time into schoolwork, I really should...

Peace,

Clarke

My 10 Most Memorable Gap Year Experiences: 7~5

7) Camino de la Muerte

Oficialmente bautizado como ¨la carretera más peligroso del mundo¨ en 1995 por el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, el Camino de la Muerte toma las vidas de 200-300 viajeros por año. Antes de la construcción de otra autopista que lo reemplazó, funcionaba como la única carretera entre La Paz y Coroico, Bolivia, pero ahora sólo sirve como un destino turístico para los aficionados de deportes extremos. Sobre todo, a los ciclistas que les encantan experimentar aventuras de máxima adrenalina, esta ruta es un verdadero paraíso.

El Camino de la Muerte se extiende por 61 kilómetros, desde la cumbre altiplánica de 4,650 metros hasta las selvas húmedas de 1,200 metros. Durante esta bajada, uno puede atravesar casi 40% de la altura del Monte Everest en sólo 5 horas. Uno también puede ver de donde este camino consigue su nombre: Consiste en autopistas de alta velocidad, caminos angostos, fangosos, y perpetuamente mojados, y regiones neblinosas de visión bastante limitada. Además, uno siempre está acompañado por un precipitado borde que te invita a una caída de no regreso. La manera de aceptar la invitación sólo involucra el menor parpadeo de descuidado.

Cuando descendí este camino, estaba realmente aterrorizado porque las llantas de mi bicicleta apenas tenían aire, y a la vez los frenos no funcionaban muy bien. Más de una vez tropecé, a pesar de prestar mi máxima atención a mantener una velocidad segura. Afortunadamente, sobreviví para contarlo. La única muerte fue la de mi querida cámara, robada por algún pobrecito que sembró las semillas kármicas de un futuro contratiempo que involucrará algo parecido a un robo, en el cuál él será la víctima.

6) Lanzarme de una Cascada de 15 Metros

Este acto de locura se llevó a cabo en las selvas amazónicas ecuatorianas en la bio-región ¨El Choco.¨ Situado sobre la equinoccial, el Ecuador tiene las reservas ecológicas que albergan el mayor nivel de biodiversidad en el mundo. Durante mi estancia allí, pasé por innumerables cascadas, de las que mayoritariamente se ubican en propiedades privadas. Por eso, sucede la graciosa situación en la cuál puedes pagar unos dólares para saltar de una cascada, y eso lo hice.

Normalmente no soy el tipo que hace locuras solamente por la extrema sensación que las acompaña, pero al ver algunos niños de diez años arrojándose uno luego del otro de esa cascada, mi ego se hizo cargo y me obligó a seguirles. No fue tan espantoso como pensaba :)

5) Escalar la Himalaya de la India Norteña

Dicen que una foto vale mil palabras, así que no desperdiciaré tu tiempo con descripciones de la belleza de este místico lugar. Sin embargo, lo que recuerdo más sobre la caminata no era el hermoso paisaje, sino nuestras aventuras de los ¨Hambrientos Siete¨. A nuestros guías indios simplemente no les importaron preparar comida para nosotros. Además, ¡el líder indio encargado de nuestro conjunto de voluntarios apenas sabía hablar inglés!

A pesar de estos contratiempos, todos tuvimos un buenísimo tiempo al fin, especialmente al ducharnos con agua caliente en nuestro hostal luego de cinco días de congelación :)

English Version

7) Biking Down the "Death Road"

Officially christened as ¨the world's most dangerous road" in 1995 by the Inter-American Development Bank, the "Death Road" is home to frequent accidents that take the lives of 200-300 people per year. Before the completion of another highway in its replacement, the Death Road functioned as the only path between La Paz and Coroico, Bolivia. Nowadays, it serves as a popular tourist attraction for fans of extreme sports, especially for mountain-bikers who enjoy bursting sensations of adrenaline.

The Death Road extends for 61 kilometers from its mountainous peaks of 15,260ft to its tropical rainforests of 3,900ft. During this downhill ride, the mountain-biking enthusiast cuts across almost 40% of the entire height of Mount Everest in just 5 hours. He or she also sees where this path gets its name from, traversing concrete highways alongside high-velocity vehicles and narrow, muddy roads, as well as several foggy regions with extremely limited vision. Furthermore, he or she is always accompanied by a steep cliff that's always beckoning new victims to a fall of no return: All that's required to accept the invitation is a distracted blink of carelessness.

When I cycled down this deadly path, I was really terrified and extremely disappointed in my travel agency at the same time. The wheels on my bike were practically airless, and the brakes didn't cooperate too well either. Despite paying the uttermost attention to maintaining a safe speed, I tripped more than once, and tripping in those areas could've easily been fatal. Luckily, I survived to tell the tale. The only death during this trip was that of my dear camera, stolen by some unfortunate soul who will surely be hit by the karmic boomerang that he unknowingly launched outwards that day.

6) Jumping off a 50ft Waterfall

This act of craziness took place in the Amazonian jungles of Ecuador in the bio-region "El Choco." Situated right on the Equator, Ecuador is home to the most biodiverse ecological reserves on the planet. It also harbors countless waterfalls: I don't even remember how many I passed by during my stay there. The majority of these belong to someone's private property, so you get this funny situation where the landowners offer you the option of paying to jump off their waterfalls. And that's exactly what I did.

Normally I'm not the kind of guy who does crazy stuff just to experience the extreme sensation that comes with the package, but after seeing a bunch of 10-year-olds launching themselves off the cliff, what could I do? My ego simply took over and obligated me to follow in their suicidal paths. Good thing it didn't turn out to be as scary as it looked :)

5) Hiking the Himalayas of North India

They say that pictures are worth a thousand words, so I'm not going to waste your time by trying to illustrate the incredible beauty of this place. However, what I remember most about this trip actually wasn't the amazing landscape, but rather the adventures of our survival group "The Starving Seven." Our mountain guides simply weren't that interested in providing us with food, and our Indian volunteer team leader didn't stand up for us. After all, he hardly spoke English!

Despite this typical experience of Indian chaos, we all had a great time—especially during our hot showers when we got back to our hostel after five freezing days :)


 

My 10 Most Memorable Gap Year Experiences: 10~8

10) Comer con las manos por un mes

En muchas partes de la India, la gente utiliza las manos para comer en lugar de utensilios de cocina. Como la mayoría de los indios también usan las manos para limpiarse el trasero después de ir al baño, se puede ver que el concepto de higiene prácticamente no existe en el país. Las vacas deambulan por las calles, defecando tanto por todos lados que nadie se molesta en asear por ellas. Además, el suelo en cualquier sitio funciona como bote de basura.
Por la completa ausencia de higiene, todos los viajeros se enferman, tarde o temprano. Si sobreviven por algunos meses, se vuelven bien acostumbrados a la falta de aseo. En este sentido, decidí a sumergirme totalmente en la cultura local, y empecé a comer con mis manos por un mes entero. Me sorprendió de lo complicado que era: En realidad, no es un acto bárbaro que es tan simple como parece, sino que es un arte que involucra destrezas avanzadas. Me divertí mucho durante este mes a medida que aprendí cómo mezclar a mano el arroz y curry con la mayor eficiencia :)

9) ¡Bloqueo!

En todas las partes del mundo, los gobiernos hacen cosas que a la gente no le gustan. Algunas personas deciden aceptarlas como parte de la vida cotidiana, mientras otras optan por protestar. De las que escogen manifestar sus disgustos, hay personas que lo hace pacíficamente, y hay otras que lo hace de maneras más violentas. Entre todas las manifestaciones que he visto en los 13 países que conozco, lo más extremo debe ser los ¨bloqueos¨ de Bolivia, el cuál consiste en cubrir los más importantes vías de transporte de una región con rocas, ladrillos, y montones de arena para impedir que nadie los cruza. El objetivo es entorpecer tanto las rutinas cotidianas de los ciudadanos ordinarios que el gobierno se encuentra obligado a satisfacer sus demandas.
Todo el mundo tiene quejas, pero a algunos bolivianos les parece perfectamente justo hacer dificultar las vidas a los que no tienen nada que ver con la dicha queja. No es raro que alguien muera por la falta de atención médica o por los conflictos que se estrellan entre aquellos que quieren atravesar las carreteras y aquellos que organizan el bloqueo. Dichos conflictos a menudo involucran armas cómo la dinamita.
Esta práctica fue perfeccionado por al actual presidente boliviano Evo Morales, cuando hace unos años bloqueó las pocas autopistas que existen en el país por meses, casi destruyendo la poca industria que tiene Bolivia. A pesar de que la constitución boliviana explícitamente prohíba el bloqueo de vías públicos de transporte, la policía nunca hace nada aparte de llegar al sitio de bloque and permanecer allá, charlando y riéndose desocupadamente.

8) I´m on a boat!

No sólo estuve en un barco, sino que lo tomé sobre el lago más alto del mundo: El Lago Titicaca. Este lago era tan grande que las aguas cristalinas parecían como si se juntaran con el celeste cielo en los horizontes lejanos. Dicen que los Incas creían que este celestial lugar albergaba poderes misteriosos, por lo que establecieron centros de culto en sus islas. Aparentemente, esta creencia todavía sigue vigente hoy en día, como algunos ¨yoguis¨ latinoamericanos se reúnen cada año allá para hacer yoga durante el año nuevo aymara, o sea el solsticio de invierno.
En todo caso, llegamos a este paraíso durante una temporada de pocos turistas, así que ¡conseguimos alojamiento con una buenísima vista por sólo 2 dólares por persona! Sin duda, el Lago Titicaca es un destino de visita obligada para los mochileros que disfrutan de aventuras baratas de libertad :)

English Version

10) Eating with my hands for an entire month

In many parts of India, people use their hands instead of dining utensils to eat. Seeing as how most Indians also utilize their hands rather than toilet paper to clean up after themselves in the bathroom, it's obvious that the concept of hygiene doesn't really exist over there. Cows roam the streets of every city, town, and village, taking a dump so frequently that nobody even bothers to clean up after them anymore. Also, the ground functions as your garbage can no matter where you are.
Due to the complete lack of hygiene in the country, all tourists eventually get sick sooner or later. If they manage to survive for a couple months, they eventually become used to the filth and don't get bothered by it as much. That was basically how I felt when one day I said to myself, "If my stomach is so filled with nasty bugs already, why not go all the way and immerse myself fully en the local culture?" So, I started to eat with my hands like the people around me, and I was surprised to find out how complicated it was. In reality, it's not a barbaric act that's as simple as it looks; it's actually a profound art that involves advanced skills.
I really had fun during that month as I learned how to hand-mix my rice and curry with maximum efficiency :)

9) Blockade!

Everywhere in the world, politicians do stuff that aren't always so favorably received by the people. Some choose to simply accept this as of fact of everyday life, while others prefer to manifest their dissatisfactions. Amongst those who opt to protest, there are those who do so peacefully, and there are others who resort to violent methods. Now, out of all the protests that I've seen in the 13 countries that I've traveled to, nothing beats the Bolivian "blockades" in terms of extremity. Basically, these blockades involve covering major roads with rocks, bricks, and huge piles of sand, preventing anyone from driving across. The objective is to obstruct the everyday routines of ordinary citizens so much that the government is forced to give in to their pleas.
Everyone has their grievances, but apparently some Bolivians think that it's perfectly fine to hinder the lives of those who have nothing to do with their complaints. This isn't even something that rarely occurs—you see news reports of villages suffering from the lack of food and people dying from the lack of medical attention because of roadblocks all the time! Something else that also usually happens is that a certain group of people get fed up with the inaction of the police and decide to break the blockade on their own, resulting in violent confrontations that result in more deaths. By the way, did I mention that these conflicts often involve the use of guns and dynamite?
It's worth noting that this practice of roadblocks was perfected by the current Bolivian President Evo Morales. One time, he gathered up enough blind followers to block the few national highways that exist in the country for a couple months, and he almost destroyed the few export industries that exist in the country. Although the Bolivian Constitution clearly prohibits these "blockades," the police never does anything about it—that is, apart from arriving at the crime scene only to stand by and watch, chitchatting and laughing away at their own incompetence.

8) I'm on a Boat!

I wasn't just on a boat; I was on a boat on its way across the highest lake in the world: Lake Titicaca! This lake was so big that its crystal-clear waters in the faraway horizons appeared to blend into the sky itself. It's said that the Incans believed that this place harbored mysterious powers, which is why they built several areas of worship that still remain to this day on certain islands. Apparently, the relevancy of this belief still survives to this day, as some Latin American yogis continue to meet here year after year during the Aymara New Year, which takes place on the day of winter solstice.
Anyway, we arrived in this paradise during the low tourist season, and we managed to find a hostel with an incredible view for only $2 a person per night! Without a doubt, Lake Titicaca is a must-visit attraction for backpackers who enjoy traveling cheap and free :)




 

Microsoft Excel, External Influences, and Inner Peace

Hace unos días, establecí una meta de publicar un blog por día hasta que me vaya de Bolivia el 22 de este mes. Sin embargo, como muchos de los objetivos que yo había fijado anteriormente, no lo logré. ¿Por qué no? Pues, digamos que tuve un mal desentendimiento con Microsoft Excel y me enfadé. Lo repito: un programa sin vida de la computadora me enojó tanto que dejé de hacer lo que claramente sabía que no sólo me ayudará en el aprendizaje de un idioma, sino que me beneficiará en mi carrera futura también. Lo que pasó fue que traté de hacer un gráfico circular—algo bastante sencillo, ¿no?—pero de no haber sabido que la versión español de Excel no entendería números precedidos por el signo $, me tardó dos horas para crear el siguiente gráfico:

Esta demora me hizo perder las ganas de seguir escribiendo mi blog. Sin duda, esta zancadilla ocasionaría reacciones parecidas de muchas otras personas si fueran en mi lugar, pero esta forma de consolarse ya no funciona para mi. A lo largo de mi vida, siempre he dejado a otros objetos, personas y acontecimientos incidir en mi manera de ser, sin pensarlo dos veces—y por lo tanto, sin darse cuenta de los efectos negativos potenciales que esta situación podría tener sobre mi vida. Por supuesto, cuando he estado rodeado por buenas influencias, experimenté progresos positivos en la formación de mi carácter. Sin embargo, mi oscilación de acuerdo con las ondas de circunstancias provenientes de afuera me ha dificultado mayoritariamente la realización de mi verdadera potencial, el que necesito tanto para vivir completamente de acuerdo con mi objetivo de vida: lograr hacer el máximo impacto positivo sobre este mundo que sea posible de mis capacidades.

Por ejemplo, cuando yo era niño y estudiaba en Canadá, les dejé a unos matones intimidarme y definir lo que me parecía ¨chévere¨ o ¨guay¨. Todavía era pequeño en aquel entonces, por lo que no tengo mucha culpa en lo ocurrido. Cuando volvió a Taiwán en el quinto grado, permitió a mis padres imponer sus erróneas ideas acerca de la educación sobre mí, asintiendo a ir a las infames escuelas preparatorias (crams schools) que especializan en llenar tu mente con basura académica. Una vez más, aún era muy chiquito, así que tampoco era realmente mi falta por dejar a influencias externas controlar mi forma de vivir. Más adelante en mi carrera de la escuela intermedia, permití subconscientemente que mis hazañas atléticas hicieran brotar las semillas de soberbia dentro de mí. Por entonces era un jovencito en plena rebelión, cegado por su ardiente deseo de lograr independencia de sus padres, así pues tampoco era realista esperar demasiada demuestra de inmunidad contra influencias externas por parte mía. Esta situación continuaría hasta la escuela secundaria también, donde dejé a unos administradores ignorantes, conservadores y tercos robarme de mi felicidad con sus meticulosas reglas inventadas al azar. Aún no había aprendido sobre cómo manejar la mente de manera que se anule la influencia de contratiempos externos, por lo tanto tampoco me voy a reprender demasiado por mis errores cometidos a la sazón.

Pero al graduarme de la secundaria, las emociones aflictivas se habían acumulado hasta un espantoso nivel, tanto por condiciones externas como por mi asentimiento subconsciente de su presencia. Éstas estaban a punto de aplastarme por el mero peso de su existencia, hasta que se me tocó la mejor fortuna—o más bien, una buenísima semilla kármica que había sembrado en mis vidas pasadas maduró en el momento más oportuno—cuando se me halló un centro tibetano de meditación. Allí aprendí sobre las cosas más asombrosas y prácticas en toda mi vida, de las cuales hablaré de los detalles en el futuro. Lo más importante era que finalmente aprendí una manera de contrarrestar las influencias no queridas en mi vida, ya sea del exterior o interior de la mente. Luego de la práctica constante durante diez días bajo dirección de experimentados maestros, por la primera vez en mi vida me sentía el poder de cambiarme y cambiar el mundo. No cabía duda de que había descubierto la manera de hacerlo; todo lo que me hacía falta era la continuación de un esfuerzo constante.

Lamentablemente, como se puede ver en mi pequeño incidente con Microsoft Excel, no me he estado esforzando de acuerdo con las enseñanzas de los sabios. Se lo hubiera hecho, se me habría encontrado en un estado mucho más alejado de mis tendencias negativas anteriores. Por lo tanto, debo mejorar esta situación considerablemente antes de empezar mi carrera universitaria en la Escuela Empresarial Wharton de la Universidad de Pennsylvania, donde ciertamente encontraré más distracciones externas que nunca. ¡Adelante, Clarke! :)

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English Version

A couple days ago, I established a goal of publishing a blog per day, at least until I leave for Bolivia on 7/22. However, like many of the previous goals that I've set throughout my life, I didn't live up to my visions. So what was the problem this time? Well, let's say that I had a little misunderstanding with Microsoft Excel and I got frustrated cuz of it. I repeat: a lifeless computer software program pissed me off so much that I stopped doing what I clearly knew would not only improve my Spanish skills, but would also help out with my future career as well. Basically what happened was that I tried to make a pie chart—simple enough, huh?—but not knowing that the Spanish version of Excel wasn't programmed to read numbers preceded by $, it took me two hours to create the following chart:

This delay made me lose any desire whatsoever to continue writing my blog. Without a doubt, this little stumble would've caused many others to react in a similar fashion, but this self-comforting form of consolation isn't enough for me anymore. Throughout my entire life, I've always let other objects, people, or events freely influence my way of being, without giving it a second though—and therefore, without realizing the negative effects that this situation could potencially cause in my life. Of course, when I've been surrounded by positive influences, I've always experienced considerable progress with regards to the formation of my character. However, my oscillation along with the waves of external circumstances has generally got into the way of my attempts to realize my true potential, something I will absolutely need in order to live up to my life objective: Generate the maximum possible positive impact on this world with my maximum abilities.

For example, when I was in elementary school in Canada, I let a couple of bullies intimidate me and define for me what was "cool." I was just a brainless little kid, so it was only natural that I didn't do a better job in ignoring the bad influence of my peers. When I returned to Taiwan five years later, I allowed my parents to impose their erroneous ideas about education on me, giving my consent to attend those infamous Asian cram schools that specialize in stuffing your brain with academic trash. Once again, I was still small, naïve, and defenseless, so I didn't really have a choice in letting my parents dictate my lifestyle. Later on in my middle school career, I subconsciously let my athletic achievements bring out the arrogant seeds of pride within me, and I didn't do much to stop them from sprouting. By this time I was entering into the typical teenage state of rebellion, where you become totally blinded by the burning desire for independence from your parents, so there really was no way for me to develop any immunity against external influences. This situation would exacerbate as I headed on to high school in the middle of nowhere in Georgia, where I let a bunch of ignorant, conservative, and stubborn school administrators rob me of my freedom and happiness with their meticulous, illogical, and random rules. Back then, I still hadn't truly learned the way of utilizing the mind to negate the influence of external problems; therefore, I'm not going to give myself a hard time for the mistakes I made at that time either.

However, by the time I graduated from high school, my afflictive emotions had accumulated to a frightening level, due to the equal influence of external circumstances and my own subconscious permission of their continued existence. This whirlpool of negativity was on the verge of sucking me into a destructive cycle of no return until I was suddenly struck by a stroke of fortune—or rather, an amazing karmic seed that I had planted in my past life finally sprouted at the most opportune moment—when I happened to come across a Tibetan meditation center during my volunteering stay in Dharmasala, India. There, I was exposed to the most amazing and practical things that I've ever learned about in my life, which I'll definitely talk about in a future blog. Most importantly, I finally found out an effective way of counteracting the unwanted influences in my life, whether they be external or internal. After 10 days of constant practice under the guidance of experienced masters, for the first time in my life I felt that I had the true power to change myself and change the world. Without a doubt, I had discovered the way to do so; all that was needed on my part was a steadfast and constant effort.

Unfortunately, as you can see from my little incident with Microsoft Excel, I haven't been exerting myself enough in accordance with the teachings of the wise. Otherwise, my past tendencies of negativity wouldn't still be exercising such considerable influence over me. Therefore, I really need to crank up my effort before I start school at the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, where I'll certainly be met with more distractions than ever. Onward, Clarke! :)

 

Global Challenges, the Status Quo, and True Change (Part 2)

(continuado de la primera parte)

¿Qué quiere decir esto de nosotros? ¿Cuando casualmente compramos un helado de dos dólares, realmente no nos importaría que casi la mitad de la población humana viva diariamente con menos del precio de que estamos a punto de pagar? ¿Pertenecemos verdaderamente a una raza tan egoísta que no está dispuesto a sacrificar unas pocas indulgencias para ayudar a los que ni siquiera tienen artículos de primera necesidad?

A veces me siento tanta frustración hacia el estado de nuestro planeta que me cansa de esforzarme a mejorar el mundo. Después de todo, ¿no tengo la responsabilidad de luchar contra la propia naturaleza humana, verdad? Afortunadamente, eventualmente me di cuenta de que cuán erróneo ha sido este pensamiento. Si bien podríamos parecer a seres que carecen de altruismo por todas las locuras que hemos cometido hasta hora, es importante recordar que esta apariencia no representa nuestra inherente naturaleza. Si fuéramos inherentemente tan malos de corazón, no valdría la pena intentar arreglar nada. Sería como si tratáramos de hacer que el león se alimente con una dieta sin carne; una criatura inherentemente carnívora simplemente no puede sobrevivir sin carne.

Mira, ¿qué pasa cuando vemos a un discapacitado tratando de cruzar la calle? La mayoría de nosotros seguramente le ayudaríamos. Si no le ayudáramos, probablemente sería porque alguien ya le había extendido una mano. Este acto de cariño no hubiera venido de una especie de mal índole—¿te podrías imaginar una demuestra de merced a su presa de un cocodrilo hambriento?

Lo que sucede es que no estamos acostumbrados a ayudar a los discapacitados que también están cruzando la calle, pero fuera de nuestra vista. Obviamente también necesitan ayuda, pero como ni siquiera podemos verlos, naturalmente no los podemos guiar a través de la calle. No todos somos sobrehumanos que puedan volar a dondequiera exista necesidad de nuestro apoyo. Por este límite físico de nuestros poderes, la mayoría de los gestos de cariño y apoyo a lo largo de la historia se ha llevado a cabo a un nivel localizado.

Sin embargo, los tiempos han cambiado drásticamente en las últimas décadas. Las apariciones de la computadora y el internet en nuestras vidas cotidianas han eliminado totalmente las barreras de distancia. Con un simple clic del ratón, se puede comunicar con un amigo que se encuentra en el otro lado del mundo. Con la ayuda de un micrófono y cámara, ¡incluso se puede hablar y ver el uno al otro!

¡En esta época de globalización, no sólo es posible ayudar a los discapacitados fuera de nuestra vista, sino que se lo ha convertido en un acto más fácil que nunca! Aunque no los pudiéramos ayudar personalmente para cruzar la calle, podemos hacer una donación en línea a una organización sin fines de lucro que especialice en apoyar a los discapacitados, esté done esté esta organización. Lo mismo se aplica a los asuntos de calentamiento global, la inanición crónica, y mucho más. No tenemos que dejar nuestros trabajos y viajar a las selvas amazónicas para sembrar árboles o ir a África para dar comida a niños hambrientos directamente de nuestras manos: Podemos contribuir igualmente a través de una donación para que los trabajadores humanitarios puedan seguir haciendo un positivo impacto en sus áreas de especializaciones.

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English Version

(continued from part 1)

What does this say about us? When we're casually buying a $2 cup of ice cream, does it really not occur to us that almost half of the human population lives daily with less than what we're about to give away at the cash register? Do we really belong to such a selfish race that isn't even willing to sacrifice a couple of unnecessary indulgences for the well-being of those who lack even the most basic items of necessity?

Sometimes I feel so frustrated with the state of our planet that I just get tired of striving to make the world a better place. After all, I shouldn't have to shoulder the responsibility of fighting against our own human nature, should I? Fortunately, I eventually realized how erroneous these thoughts were. While we may seem like we seriously lack sentiments of altruism for all the crazy things that we've done till this day, it's important to remember that this bad appearance doesn't represent our inherent nature. If we really were so inherently bad, it wouldn't be worth trying to fix anything wrong with the world. It would be like trying to make a lion survive on a vegetarian diet—it's simply impossible to maintain a lion's life by going against its carnivorous nature.

Look, what happens when we see a handicapped person trying to cross the street? The grand majority of us would definitely help him. And if we didn't help him, it'd be probably because someone else had already beaten us to the spot. Surely this act of kindness wouldn't have come from a specie of selfish nature—could you imagine a hungry crocodile showing mercy to its prey?

What happens is that we're just not used to helping those handicapped people who are also crossing the street, except just out of our sight. They obviously need assistance as well, but seeing as we can't even see them, it's only natural that we can't guide them across the street. It's not as if we were all like Clark Kent, gifted with the ability to fly to wherever our help is needed most. Due to this physical limit of ours, most of our gestures of kindness and support throughout history have been carried out at a local level.

However, times have changed drastically in the last several decades. The appearance of computers and internet into our everyday lives has completely eliminated the physical barriers of distance. With a simple click of the mouse, you can communicate with a friend halfway across the globe. With the help of a microphone and a web-cam, you guys can even hear and see each other!

In this age of globalization, not only is it possible to help those handicapped brothers and sisters out of our sight: Such gestures of good-will have become easier than ever! Even if we can't personally help them across the street, we can make an online donation to a reliable charity that specializes in providing support to the handicapped population. The same applies to matters of global importance, like climate change, chronic malnutrition, and much more. We don't have to quit our jobs and travel to the Amazonian rainforests to plant trees or go to Africa to feed hungry children: We can equally contribute through an online donation to support the work of professional humanitarians who dedicate their lives to the causes that we care out.

 

Global Challenges, the Status Quo, and True Change (Part 1)

Las guerras. El genocidio. La inanición crónica. La obesidad. El narcotráfico. El tráfico de mujeres. El cambio climático. Hay tantos desafíos que nos aguardan a superar, tantos problemas complicados a solucionar. A pesar de todos los esfuerzos que han hecho hasta la fecha los gobiernos, ONG´s (organizaciones no gubernamentales), humanitarios, religiosos, empresarios y otros, todavía nos quedan complejas situaciones que, en algunas instancias, se van empeorando cada día. No es que nos falte la capacidad de arreglar el roto mundo en que vivimos; sólo nos hace falta la voluntad.

Se estima que solamente costaría anualmente $10 billones de dólares para proveer la educación primaria al nivel universal en todo el mundo, según la ONG Action Aid International. Asimismo, un gasto de $30 billones por año bastaría para eliminar el hambre mundial, según la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y Alimentación. Con suficiente inversión en programas sostenibles y eficaces, los mencionados problemas podrían ser bastante aliviados—si no eliminados totalmente.

Sin embargo, en vez de enfocarse en financiar proyectos de apoyo y desarrollo internacional que siembran verdaderas semillas de paz en el mundo, nuestros gobiernos optan por utilizar los impuestos en programas de ¨defensa nacional¨, o sea armas de destrucción y matanza. En 2009, el gasto militar mundial llegó a más de $1,5 trillones de dólares, según el Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Es decir, ¡lo que los seres humanos gastamos en la guerra es 55 veces más del presupuesto de la ONU (Organización de Naciones Unidas) y todos sus programas humanitarios combinados! Los Estados Unidos se destacan sobre todos, siendo responsable por 46.5% del gasto mundial. 

Pero no nos apresuremos a culpar a los gobiernos y políticos por hacernos parecer como una raza tan bélica; después de todo, la mayoría de ellos habían llegado al poder por nuestros votos. Sencillamente son representantes de las masas, y si se caracterizan por su indiferencia a los asuntos más urgentes vinculados al sufrimiento de los más desdichados, solamente están reflejando el desinterés que marca al público en general.

¿Recuerdas las cifras de $10 y $30 billones de dólares al año, las cuales respectivamente podrían solucionar los problemas de educación y hambre mundial? Comparen estas cifras con las que representan a nuestro gasto anual de los siguientes productos:

1. $11 billones al año para helado sólo en Europa
   
2. $12 billones al año para perfumes sólo en Europa y los Estados Unidos
   
3. $50 billones al año para cigarrillos sólo en Europa
   
4. $105 billones al año para bebidas alcohólicas sólo en Europa
   
5. $400 billones al año para drogas en todo el mundo
   

Estos datos vienen de un informe del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo. Las cifras más actuales que pude encontrar fueron publicadas en 1998, cuando el nivel de consumismo era mucho menos fuerte de lo que es hoy en día… ¡imagínate de las estadísticas correspondientes de hoy en 2010!

(continuará este blog)

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(English Version)

Wars. Genocide. Chronic starving and malnutrition. Obesity. Drug trafficking. Human trafficking. Global warming. There are so many challenges waiting for us to overcome, so many complex problems to tackle. In spite of all the efforts that have been made to this day on the part of governments, NGO's, humanitarians, religious figures, businessmen and others, we're still left with countless complicated situations that, in some cases, continue to worsen each day. It's not that we lack the capacity to fix the broken world that we live in; we just need to summon up our will.

According to the non-profit NGO Action Aid International, it would only cost $10 billion dollars per year to provide universal primary school education for everyone in the world. Likewise, an annual expense of $30 billion dollars would suffice to eliminate world hunger, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). With sufficient investment in sustainable and efficient programs, the issues of universal education and world hunger could at least witness significant improvement, if not be completely solved once and for all.

However, instead of funding projects of international aid and development that plant true seeds of peace, our governments choose to spend our hard-earned taxpayer money on "national defense" programs, or in other words, weapons of destruction and murder. In 2009, global military expenditures reached a new high of over $1.5 trillion dollars, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. That's 55 times more than the entire yearly budget of the United Nations and all its humanitarian agencies combined! The United States particularly stands out in this category, accounting for 46.5% of the world's total military spending. Big surprise there…

But let's not rush to point our fingers at our governments and politicians for making us seem like such a belligerent race; after all, the majority these officials were elected by our own votes. They simply represent the will of the masses, and if they happen to be marked by their indifference to the most urgent issues that have to do with the world's most unfortunate populations, it's only because they're reflecting the widespread disinterest of the general public.

Remember those numbers $10 and $30 billion, the ones that respectively represent how much it would annually cost to solve the global crises of education and starvation? Compare those numbers with our yearly expenses on the following products:

1. $11 billion per year on ice cream in Europe alone.
   
2. $12 billion per year on perfume in Europe and the United States alone.
   
3. $50 billion per year on cigarettes in Europe alone.
   
4. $105 billion per year on alcoholic drinks in Europe alone.
   
5. $400 billion per year on drugs worldwide.
   

These statistics come from a United Nations Development Program report in 1998, which was the most recent publication dealing with these issues that I could find. Imagine what the corresponding data would look like today in 2010, after 12 years of exponential growth in consumerism with the expansion of globalization!

(to be continued)