Thursday, September 6, 2007

The Village

Our time is passing quickly here in Sydney with only one more day left of Voices programming. We have had so many opportunities to meet with incredible leaders and business people. It is not everyday that I get to sit and dialogue with the CEOs of Toyota, Panasonic, and Mitsubishi at the same time. Even though moments like these have been unforgettable life experiences, I would not necessarily consider them the highlight of my week.

The times that I have learned the most here at APEC have actually been the downtimes, when nothing was on the agenda. In these moments I get to have conversations with the other APEC Voices participants from the other member economies in the Asian-Pacific region. We talk about the differences and similarities in our cultures and the issues that affect us most. It has been fascinating to hear my peers’ views on things like the healthcare system in Australia, the political parties in Mexico, the Chinese one-child policy, the gun restrictions in New Zealand, and the environmental issues in Indonesia.

It has also been rewarding to be able to clear up some misconceptions about the U.S. One guy legitimately asked me if I was friends with Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton because that is who he assumed I would hang out with at my age in the United States. Although it has been hard to take the criticism from the other countries about issues in the U.S., it is interesting to hear their perspectives, so I can be more informed when forming my own judgements. I think the greatest lesson I will take from APEC Voices of the Future program is the solidarity I now feel with all of the students here. Suddenly the problems that exist in Viet Nam seem like they are happening in my own backyard. With this new outlook I will hopefully be able to lend a helping hand to my new friends if they ever need it, and I believe they would do the same for me.

Elizabeth

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