Prompt: “All . . . are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny . . . I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the inter-related structure of reality.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. Throughout human history, real social progress is always the result of a people’s movement. What movement are you in? Or helping to create? (Answer after considering MLK’s observation of “inescapable network of mutuality” and thinking about your experience on the High Road so far.)
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s quote asserts that everything we do is part of an “inescapable network of mutuality.” After reading this, I immediately thought of the work that the Partnership for Public Good is doing to create the collaboration of socially active organizations in Buffalo. More specifically, I thought back to writing my final essay for the High Roads Pre-course where I searched for opportunities of collaboration between organizations in Buffalo and the Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI), my host organization. Specifically, I focused on possible connections that could assist in helping the West Side Bazaar, WEDI’s market incubator. Buffalo has had a massive influx of immigrants and refugees in the past few years, even dubbing itself the “City of Good Neighbors,” and the West Side Bazaar is a reflection of the economic development that has come along with that.
Through my placement at WEDI, I have interacted with the vendors who come from all over the world, including Burma, Ethiopia, Iraq, South Sudan, and more. Since I’ve been spending most days this week at the Bazaar, I have begun to build relationships with these individuals. Although I have been exposed to different cultures as I have been growing up, my day-to-day life up until now has been in a pretty homogenous environment. I have found, since I began at WEDI last week, that I am at the center of a multi-cultural movement that is working to promote the inclusion of immigrants and refugees in the Buffalo community and beyond.
This week, my supervisor Bob shared with me a video campaign from the International Institute of Buffalo that goes along quite well with the blog prompt this week. The Institute created many different videos to entice immigrants and refugees around the US to relocate to Buffalo. I encourage everyone to check out the Youtube playlist that has all of the videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0y0FaYixbs&list=PLfiFvo_DyemgF39OlrrH8t96dMyfcdoWz or the short “teaser” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKI5Z1u8HZg.