MISSION FIVE: The Cultural Dimensions of Globalization

OBJECTIVE 1:  How globalized are you?  Address this question through an original blog post, photo, or video, and upload it in YOUR BLOG to get points. 

OBJECTIVE 2: 

1. Find something in your life/world that you really, really love, whether it’s a hobby, a thing, an event….
2. Dissect this something you love by tracing where it came from or how it came to be.

One universal food that people really enjoy eating is chocolates. In every country you go, you'll never be disappointed if you look for chocolates. It is everywhere, whether you are from the Global North or from the Global South. Say "El Chocolate" in Spanish, "Schokolade" in German,  "Shokora" in Japanese or "La Cioccolata" in Italian... all of these refer to a same thing.  I find it hard to imagine a person who doesn't know what a chocolate is. For those who still don't know what a chocolate is, here is a definition: "a food preparation in the form of a paste or solid block made from roasted and ground cacao seeds, typically sweetened." This definition might sound so far from what chocolate taste like. You have to experience eating it to know what it is. 

Chocolates traces back from 4000 years ago. The Cacao tree was said to originate from South America. It was regarded by the Aztecs as "food of the gods". Christopher Columbus was the first European to bring the beans of the tree to Europe but it just received dubious response from the Western people. 4o years later, it was popularized by his fellow countryman,  Herman Cortes. It became a popular drink of the court and those people who have high status in the country. It was known as a drink of the rich and the royalty because it was an expensive import. Fast forward to today, the leading manufacturers of chocolates are  The Hershey Company and Mars followed by Nestle, Craft Foods and Lindt. I personally love the chocolates produced by Hershey's because it is just right for me, not too sweet. Chocolates are widely used during holidays especially Christmas and Valentines' Day in which people would give the dessert to each other as a sign of joy and love. 

We Filipinos have a different view on chocolates. For other people in the world, it might just be a dessert one look forwards to every end of a meal, but for Filipinos, its something more significant. Chocolate is not a native/local produce of the Philippines but it is everywhere in the country. When we Filipinos see chocolate, we think imported. Someone must have arrived from abroad or a balikbayan box has arrived. It's a foreign food that we come to love. 

I'm not actually a fan of chocolates on a regular day but there are certain days in a month where I will crave for EVERYTHING chocolate (I think most women can relate). I would want a chocolate cake, milk chocolate drink, chocolate mousse, basically everything chocolate. It is weird because sometimes, in my no-chocolate period, I would full-heartedly reject an offer of a chocolate but when I'm in the chocolate period, no one can stop me. 

Personal stash of "emergency" chocolates

Look at your daily world and see the coexistence of the two sides of globalization.  Document your insights through an original blog post, photo, or video, and upload it in YOUR BLOG for quiz points.


Globalization is not only having a piece of what other people in the opposite side of the world have. Globalization has both positive and negative effects. For once, globalization helps us communicate easier, share information, etc. However, these opportunities given to us doesn't always end up in good use. This is most evident in the World Wide Web. We use Twitter, Facebook, and all other social networking sites to relay information about ourselves and other people. Through these sites, people who are physically distant from us know what we are up to. Recently, I have observed that facebook has this new feature of "sharing". You now have the option to share other people's photo and it will show up in your profile, letting your friends see what you just saw. I think this is a double-edged sword situation. You can share other people's cause like animal abuse, human rights violation, etc. but there is a possibility that we would share "dirty" information about a person. It would not only bring this person to humiliation but the person's name and identity is tampered.  You could check in your own facebook newsfeed right now. You can see that there is a spread of photos that promotes different types of causes. Some helpful, some rebuking. Globalization gives us both a gift and a curse.     


Objective 3:  Choose the ending of your missions via an original blog post, photo, or video, and upload it in YOUR BLOG for points.


I would like to share my experience during the accomplishment of my missions. When I first heard the instructions during the first day of EUROCIR class, I groaned to the idea of it. MORE WORK! I didn't like it. However, right now, it is very ironic to think that I actually WANT more. I never thought that I would love accomplishing the missions. Yes, it was tiring and time-consuming but the lessons I learned during the process is priceless. There are times when I would wake up 3am on a Friday morning and panicking because I forgot to do the mission. Actually, there were a lot of times where I panicked at the last minute. I always forget about the missions and I would sometimes be reminded by my classmates. Sometimes, I just get so busy that I prioritized other stuff. Although, most of the times, I would end up having a good output in which I would be proud of. The missions taught me a lot of global issues that I have heard a lot of times but didn't care to decipher into insights. I see the need to stop look and listen to the world. It's all happening around us and we don't give a damn about it because we are busy doing things for our own self. We may have heard these issues but it is quite different when we put it in our own personal context. It gives it more impact when we realize we are also affected on the individual level because this is a one united global community. Not only did I learned a lot from the missions, I also practiced my writing skills. I used to write a lot. Its a shame that I am a part of writing club in school but I don't write more often than I used to because of hectic school work. With the missions, I was able to write again. Not just academic writing but writing like pouring your heart out. Writing with passion. That's what I missed about writing. I am thankful for these EUROCIR missions because I got my passion back. In conclusion, I would just like to say that I now learn to notice the things around me and that my simple actions are really important in shaping the global events. Whether it would just be posting stickers for the cause of animal rights or just simply sharing my experiences here, with the proper dissemination, I know it would go along way.       




Aaaynawrites. AGAIN. 

MISSION FOUR: Human Rights

OBJECTIVE 1:  Think about this — if states are supposed to protect their citizens, then why has recent history seen a spate of revolutions against the state?  Address this through an original blog post, photo, or video, and upload it in YOUR BLOG to get points. 

The photo above was originally taken by me during the inauguration of President Benigno Aquino, Jr. I have entered this photo in a photo contest with the theme of "Filipino Nationalism". For me, this photo has a deeper meaning and it signifies the Filipino's fight for their rights. The woman in the yellow shirt, showing the "Laban" sign signifies a citizen fighting for justice and equality. 


The previous administration raised a lot of controversial issues that made the Filipinos think that they don't get what their ancestors paid for. Filipinos who died for our independence would most probably be disappointed with what has happened during the past decade. It seems like our government does not really give their citizens quality service. Our ancestors didn't shed blood just for government officials today to steal our money away. A lot of us sympathize with this sentiment. A lot of us are disappointed, and to the extreme angry, with our government. We need a lot of things from our government which is sad because they only give us half-baked services. The citizens feel that they are being cheated on and their vote and money is not totally worth it. A lot of uprisings happen because mostly of dissatisfaction with the government. We don't like this policy, we rally about it. We don't like this government official, we overthrow him/her. It's as simple as that. When the government fails to do its job, the people assert their rights. This leads to the citizens going against with the government. 


This picture is sentimental for me. It shows that the citizens put a lot of hope and expectations to President Noynoy Aquino. After struggling from the past decade with the past two administration, the Filipinos need a leader that will make a change at once. That's a lot of pressure for President Noynoy. This picture shows that even if there were several uprisings before the presidency of the current president, the Filipinos still have hope that everything will be changed for good. The Filipinos believe that all their efforts in ousting the previous government will all be worth it because of the belief that President Noynoy will clean all the mess the previous government made. The Filipinos believe that their needs will be properly and fully given by the government. We can't expect every citizen to be in the side of the government. However it will go, (most of) the citizens would always do whatever they can to have their rights.   


OBJECTIVE 2: (classroom activity) 


OBJECTIVE 3:  What’s next for Egypt?  Create a possible future via an original blog post, photo, or video, and upload in YOUR BLOG to get the prized quiz points for class. 


I would like to compare what happened in Egypt with the transition of the Marcos to the Aquino regime. There are a lot of similarities between the two. One is the Hosni Mubrarak and former President Ferdinand Marcos both ruled for many years and ruled their own governments with abuse of power and corruption. Second is that they were succeeded by people who believe much on reestablishing democracy. And lastly, they were ousted by force by the people. Most likely, the consequences of what happened in Egypt would be somewhat similar to the transition of the Marcos to the Aquino regime. We should be honest to say that the economy during the term of the late President Corazon Aquino was not really improved. However, in Egypt, the economy was down during the term of Mubrarak. I think an opposite event will happen. I think that Egypt will improve its economy thus helping a lot of people in poverty. I think that the transition of the powers in Egypt will be politically smooth because the president after Mubrarak will restore democracy, which is what the Egyptians want. Just like during President Cory Aquino's term, I predict that democracy will be restored in Egypt but unlike the Aquino regime, the economy in Egypt will flourish. With the support of United Nations, European Union, and all other states, I think the transition in Egypt will be peaceful. 

MISSION THREE: Nongovernmental Organizations

OBJECTIVE 1:  Find a cause you believe in.  Then find an NGO — whether local or international — with a similar advocacy.  Tell us about your choice through an original blog post, photo, or video in YOUR BLOG to get credits. 


Year 2005. Just about six years ago, I went to this online site. I can't seem to remember how I got there. I just remembered the feeling of sadness as I cringe while watching the videos. As I intently watch every second of the video, a lot of things ran through my mind. The simultaneous feelings were mixed. I first felt sad like I was about to cry but I just can’t, angry, disappointed, and most of all, nauseous. Here’s the link of the video that I saw about 6 years ago that really made a big change in my life:

 'Meet Your Meat'

Yes, I believe that animals have rights and that they shouldn’t be treated cruelly. They are already about to be killed and I don’t get why they SHOULD kill them brutally. I don’t get why Kentucky Fried Chicken would get their chicken from dealers who treat chickens so bad when they kill it. Wait, actually, I kind of do get it. KFC needs mass production of chicken because a lot of people eat “Kentucky Fried Cruelty” everyday and most probably because it costs cheaper than the “traditional” way of killing chickens. I just find it so absurd why some animal farms, especially those that are very technologically advanced, resort to electrocution, pouring of hot water directly to the animals, mechanically cutting of the beaks of the chickens, and all other things that would be considered murder when done to a human being. Animals can't communicate with human beings and I want to be their voice and fight for their rights.

One of the major animal rights campaign group is PETA or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA’s renowned internationally with a lot of headquarters in all of the continents. You can always hear them in the news (specifically, the celebrity/entertainment news segment) because of famous personalities that would rally with them during protests and because their rallies are most of the time extreme to the point of people getting naked just to be recognized. If you are a celebrity or a famous person and you wear fur coat, expect PETA to be there everywhere you go and tell you things like fur is murder and that you should NOT wear fur anymore. I have been with PETA since the day I watched that video though I incline more with the “don’t-eat-meat” and the “animals-have-feelings-too” campaign. I’ve been reading a lot of the articles PETA made to show how other people kill and abuse animals. Since Day 1, PETA helped me to become stronger with my cause. It has been 6 years already since PETA turned me into a pesci-vegetarian (one who does not eat meat except seafood and dairy products) and I’m so comfortable with my diet now. I can easily say no to crispy “lechon baboy”, chicken adobo, or a burger when placed on my plate. I’ve been so strong especially with the help of PETA. I don’t think I’ll be able to survive not eating meat without the endless campaign of PETA. I love PETA and I support them all the way.        

International Relations (IR) is better with Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) like PETA because it voices out specific causes that states can’t. The state’s interests are sometimes too general that some “side” interests of the citizens are not given a damn. If there are no NGOs in IR, important issues (for other people) would not be addressed. Most of the time, these important issues are critical that they can shape the events in the world. So, if not given the adequate attention given by NGOs, these important issues will just be ignored. NGOs help in determining what issues should be really given an adequate attention.

OBJECTIVE 2:  Make an alliance with your friends or classmates, and find ways to lobby for your common cause.  Tell us how you’ve made this alliance, with whom, and what means you used to advocate for a good cause through an original blog post, photo, or video.  The return: not only do you get to be part of an NGO culture, but you also get points for your effort! 

Last July, PETA visited De La Salle University and had a booth in Central Plaza. They were giving out posters, stickers, flyers, etc. When I saw it, I was seriously shaking because I've been dying to get those cute stickers. I felt like I'm home! In their booth, they laid out all of the types of publicity materials. I got one of EVERYTHING. When I walked away from their booth after talking to a PETA volunteer about how to help PETA hands-on, I had a lot of posters, stickers, and flyers in my hand. I remember tweeting about it and telling people I got some and if they want too because I will gladly get some for them (there were replies asking where to get them and I'm glad I made it known to my followers and friends). 

My favorite from all those publicity materials are the stickers. Not only they are cute but they most importantly speak my cause. I brought some home at my province because I know killing animal abuse there is rampant. I gave some to our maids and they posted it in our door. I showed the stickers to my friends and they liked it and asked for some. Through the stickers and my friends, I was able to promote the cause. My friends and I were sticking it EVERYWHERE. You could find one in Agno (just right outside Nomi where a lot of people smoke and pass by). My friend and I also posted one in the bulletin board of the Beach House where a lot of people hang. I never got the chance in taking a picture of our effort but here's a picture of me and some of the stickers left that I got from PETA. 

I also made my 2011 planner look awesome by posting PETA stickers. 

"I'm scared of needles too!"
"Be a BUNNY's HONEY"
"100% Cruelty-Free"
and my favorite...
"CUT CLASS, NOT FROGS"

Through these stickers and with the help of my friends, I am able to promote my cause and what I believe in. I'm so glad I had a chance to get a hold of those PETA stickers for FREE. They are actually selling it online (shop for PETA stickers HERE). I honestly thought of working for PETA once I graduate because I wouldn't only love my job but the satisfaction that I will get would be priceless.   

OBJECTIVE 3:  Tell a vivid story about a new breed of actors — NGOs — overcoming the primacy of states in international relations.  What kind of world might that be?  Use an original blog post, photo, or video to get points. 

If NGOs were to be the primary actors in the international arena, most of the issues that are ignored or not given the needed attention today will be responded. Other issues that states think is important for themselves and more threatening like nuclear war would not be an issue. Instead, issues of environmental degradation, hunger in third-world countries, health epidemics, poverty, and animal abuse would be prioritized since NGOs would lobby for their own cause. I wouldn't say that it would be a better place because if states wouldn't be the primary actors, important interests of the states will not be addressed. A larger problem will arise if states will not pursue their own interests. If good governance of the states is the primary solution for the well being of the world, NGOs wouldn't struggle much with their cause. NGOs would go up like "We need to make effort to restore our forests!" and if the domestic government implement policies like legalizing cutting of trees in rain forests, NGOs would have a really hard time and it would seem like their efforts would not pay off. Let's face a little truth about NGOs. They are there to promote the issues that our governments think is not important a.k.a. "side" interests. I would like to compare it to academic and extra curricular work. States would be academic priority and NGOs would be extra-curricular activities. Academic priority is something that would go first in the list. Extra curricular work is just there to make you a well-rounded individual. Same goes in the international arena, NGOs are there to make the world balanced with the interests that is given attention to and states carry the important issues of the domestic government. Despite of these interest-clashing status, the generation today is also active in making NGOs known. People who support make it easier for the NGOs to speak their cause.        


P.S. 

Let's go vegetarian!  

       

MISSION TWO: Armed Aggression

OBJECTIVE 1:  Revisit the lessons of wars you’ve learned in school.  Describe the similarities and/or differences between the wars of the past and the wars that are being waged today.  Document your insight with an original blog post, photo, or video, and upload this in YOUR BLOG to get credits.


Last Tuesday's discussion, I learned about the differences of the wars waged before and the present wars today. The idea honestly did not occur to me (or it might have not just sunk it my mind) that wars before and today have BIG differences. What I've learned in the class discussion is that the wars were different because of their objectives. The past wars mostly happened because they were fighting for territory or natural resources. Today's wars mostly happen because of terrorism and aggression. I don't know but the way I see it, the wars before had really serious objective why they are fighting. I'm not saying that today's wars are not that serious. I know an innocent person dies while I'm typing this. I know it's that serious but really, when you think about it, a big chunk of the reason why war is happening falls under the reason of security, which I'm not really sure if it's valid or not. Yes, states do have the right to protect its own territory and interest but for me, it's overdoing it. This opinion is really personal and I might hurt other readers who feels strongly otherwise but this is what I think of the wars today. The US just want to take revenge on the 9/11 attack that's why they are sending troops to Iraq and mostly end up killing/hurting civilians. Yes, they have the right to protect their state but I really think they are overdoing it. They just want to show to the other states that they are the strongest even if that means killing and negatively affecting other people. If I remember well, the past wars were fought mainly because of territorial conflict or colonialism. I try to think about it and the reasons for waging war is totally different. The past wars were mostly fought out of nationalism and today's war is fought because of different kinds of intrastate conflict that could actually be done in a more peaceful and diplomatic way. I could say that the wars today have petty reasons than the wars before. I remember my grandfather, who almost got signed up for the war, telling me that the government before needed men to fight for the country and get the government back. I imagine now, someone in another state saying that they need to leave their families and loved ones behind because the President feels strongly about eliminating terrorists and other rebellions. The reason of waging war today is just so shallow than the reasons of the past wars.        


OBJECTIVE 2:  Make contact (online  or otherwise) with your hero.  In order to get credits, tell us through an original blog post, photo/s, or video in YOUR BLOG who you picked, how you made contact, and why you chose him/her.


My hero is not a typical hero. He doesn't carry weapons though he carry something that could kill a person emotionally. I have a friend, who knows him. I personally don't know him and I honestly don't know his name. As much as I wanted to contact him, my friend doesn't even know his name. So, it is possible that I am (or my friend is) making this all up because I don't have any evidences that I actually know this person. I'm sorry if I would sound not credible but due to time constraints and lack of resources, I'd risk telling this heartwarming story. I also trust my friend so much that I think that his story is true. My friend studied in De La Salle Collge of Saint Benilde. He met my hero during their Communication Skills 2 class. My hero is half Filipino, half American. He served in the US Army not as a soldier as anyone would expect but a messenger. He is a military messenger. I know you will now imagine a scene from a war movie or from Katy Perry's "Thinking Of You" music video. He is the one who makes the family and the loved ones cry. It is really sad but I admire his courage to knock on the doors of the family of the soldiers and tell them that their loved one just died for the country. My friend told me that my hero even describe to him the sad scene whenever he delivers the message. Even if my hero's vehicle is just approaching, he would see the family already weeping because they know what's going to happen next. I only imagine the heavy feeling every time he does his job. It's something to admire. He is not involved in the front line but it seems like its the same thing. My friend also told me that my hero experienced an open fire situation. He almost got hit but luckily, he didn't. He came back to the Philippines because his mission was done and he served his country well. Even if he's only a messenger, he is still respected. My friend told me one instance, their class required them to wear costumes. My hero wore his military uniform to school and (as told by my friend) he was saluted by the Discipline Officers and security guards. I really look up to him because he is respected this much. He wouldn't want to hurt the families of the soldiers at war but my hero took the courage up and did his job.  


Your objective:  Explore alternative ways to manage international relations. Tell your story in an original blog post, photo, or video and upload this in YOUR BLOG to get credits.


For me, I go by the idea that war should be the last option. I think there are a lot of options out there and I'll just enumerate what I think is the best and I think it's diplomacy. A good diplomacy would really help prevent war especially if the involved parties only has good past relationship. A few agreements here and there wouldn't hurt but there's no assurance since states would pursue for their own interests and if the desired agreement does not coincide with their interests, it would make the situation harder. Nonetheless, I think the first step should be really good diplomacy. A peaceful talk could save a lot of innocent people.      

MISSION ONE: The Global South

OBJECTIVE 1:  Describe the division of the world into the Global North and the Global South, and some possible ways to overcome this.  Document your insight with an original blog post, photo, or video, and upload this in YOUR BLOG to get credits. 


The gap between the Global North and the Global South is increasing every second because of various factors that affect this. The Global North is hardly experiencing any problem with the "poor sector" of their society because their government is giving them their needs and the problem of the lack of basic necessities are properly addressed and handled. On the contrary, the Global South is exactly the opposite of Global North with their inadequate government subsidies. Factors like poor governance, mismanagement of natural resources and bad capitalism contributes to this phenomenon. Along with it, a lot of social problems arise more dramatically in the Global South. Even in our own country, especially in the rural areas, the distinction between the two poles are easily distinguished. Countries in the Global North like Canada and the US enjoy luxuries even those people living in the rural areas. For example, in the Philippines, our cities are said to be developed with infrastructures and facilities that make it look developed but in reality, when we take the very first step outside our schools or offices, we see the effects of the disparity between the Global North and the Global South. One of it is poverty. Now, I may sound like I'm preaching or something but I think that poverty should be on the top of the list of the problems of the Philippines and that we should do something about this in our own simple ways. I strongly believe that our government should trace the roots of poverty and do its job in alleviating it. One main thing that differentiates the Global North and the Global South is the way how they support and provide their citizens. In simpler terms, the Global North is rich and the Global South is poor.


OBJECTIVE 2:  Take action to narrow the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots.”  Document your effort with an original blog post, photo, or video, and upload this in YOUR BLOG to get credits.


I have been involved in various efforts in lightening the social problems of the country. I have gone to tree-planting events, fun runs with different causes, feeding programs.. name it. I think I have said yes to most of the "humanitarian" opportunities that come my way. Although personally, I think what makes an effort a real one is when you yourself initiates it. I'd honestly be involved with my own efforts rather than free-riding with some organization with some activity. I think our own efforts is the genuine way. There have been instances in my life where I am faced with the choice of helping a neighbor or not. I think everybody have experienced this. You are in a comfy chair, inside an extravagant restaurant when in a moment, a beggar knocks on you window and solicits food. Now, you feel guilty. When you make an effort to help this beggar, that is compassion.


Few years ago, when I was still living in Iloilo, my good friend invited me to come with him in the downtown part of the city and give food to the beggars and the homeless. At first I was hesitant and I asked my friend what was he thinking. I mean I find his idea of buying food in a restaurant and giving it to complete strangers weird and wrong thinking that we don't even earn and have jobs yet. We were able to document it and I would like to share this picture that really shows that even in our own ubran (and developed) cities, the problem of poverty still exists.

More pictures here.

AND just yesterday, my organization had its 2nd General Assembly and there were a lot of left-overs from our snack. I gathered all the sandwiches and juice in a plastic bag and brought it with me. I'm not sure, but maybe after years of learning how to share and helping other people, this natural instinct of giving came to me. Living in Taft, I am exposed to a lot of street kids everyday bumping you and asking (or rather demanding) for money. I knew where these kids hang out and beg. Something came up to me and I remember these kids when I packed these left overs and I thought of just giving it to them. I came up to where they were "stationed" and I gave one kid a sandwich. Then, the next thing I knew, just like bees, the other kids swarmed me with my bag full of peanut butter sandwich. After just few seconds, it was gone from my hands. I gave it to them and told them to promise that they all would share it. Just when I was turning around to walk away, this one kid said, "Thank you, Ate!" Then I immediately felt a warm smile in my face. 


That is not the only time I shared my food to street kids and beggars in Taft. I don't really feel the need to enumerate all of them but one thing remains for sure. Simple yet genuine efforts like this really makes a difference. I'm not saying that I'm a role model or something but I think if all of us makes their own simple yet genuine efforts like what I did, I think the world would be a better and equal place whether you're in the Global North or the Global South. 


OBJECTIVE 3:  Create a story about the world.  Tell your story in an original blog post, photo, or video and upload this in YOUR BLOG to get credits.


Year 2021. No underwater cities. No flying cars. No everything that we expected.


I woke up to my alarm clock. And no, it's not a hologram clock with a glass ball forecasting the weather today. It's just a classic clock. With two hands ticking every second. I saw a little light peeking its way through my window shades. I stayed still for about two minutes and I thought about the things I'll be doing today. I slowly got up and approached my window. I opened up the shades and I grasped a beautiful sight of the city with the 9am sun hitting my face. The city. The city that have once been so... what's the term... oh, i got it.. poor. It's so beautiful now. I saw a lot skyscrapers, there's still greens in the midst of it, busy people walking 12 floors below me, a clear view of the unpolluted blue sky. I didn't expect the Philippines to be this clean. THIS clean. I have been doing the routine for the past five months and I still can't believe the sight. I prepared myself a cup of coffee after fixing my bed. I turned on the television and I soaked the morning news show. Unlike in the year 2011, there were no crime-related news, it was just all updates about this new international organization and its efforts in reaching out to the other "third-world" countries that haven't finished their 2020 development goals. Luckily for the Philippines, their goals were finished by November 2020. It was evident (I mentally referred to the sight I saw in my window earlier). There were about 10 "third-world" countries left that were finishing their goals and this new international organization helps them through funding and proper facilitation. A lot of the officials of the new international organization came from different parts of the world. They thought about this idea in the year 2012 after realizing that it wasn't the end of the world after all. Silly, right? But who could have thought that the world leaders would be moved after that fake December 21, 2012 prediction. After that day, world leaders and heads of states reached out to one another hoping for a new beginning (even if the world didn't even end). They created this international organization, more powerful than the United Nations. Everybody thought that it was impossible but I think some events can really make a difference. Collaboratively, they proposed projects to help one another. Their baby? The 2020 development goals. The project's aim was to help poor countries in developing and by the next quarter, they are hoping for the fulfillment of this project. It sounded surreal but after looking at my window again, I was assured it was real. It's year 2021.