Refocusing

It is time for me to refocus.  I am more than ready to begin my career in international development, but I'm afraid that I have gotten wound up in the incredible variety of issues, organizations and approaches that define the field.  It is necessary for me to take a step back and think about what my passion truly is.  

I began my studies in International Relations knowing that the field of human rights was something that interested me.  Over the course of my education and travel around the world, I realized that although the rights of all humans need to be upheld at all times, it is the children of the world who most often are disregarded or taken advantage of.  Whether they are perceived as too young, too uneducated, too unable to be rehabilitated or too weak, every child has a life and voice and deserves equal rights as adults.

By coincidence or design, my studies and career have led me in the direction of labour law.  Although I seldom work directly with children at the moment, I have only recently completed organizing and facilitating a three-day program for youth over the March Break to teach employment skills and job search skills, including their rights when finding a job.  This truly brought home the fact that while I enjoy public speaking and workshop facilitation, my real passion lies in the research and development of policies that will make a difference for more than a few children at a time.  Educating businesses and corporations, advocating government changes, and promoting enforcement of policies already in place; this is where a difference can be made.

So begins my journey.  In  choosing this path I know that it may be longer than I like before I find a job and a career path that truly suits me, but I think I'm willing to take the time to work for it.

While this blog initially began as an assignment for my International Community Development classes, it will now be a record of my journey and of the steps I will take in pursuit of my goals.