Written by: Jim Hansen
Tuesday, May 22, 2007

To me, the highlight of the Rotary District Conference is meeting people who have come to Idaho from other countries and who are going to (or have gone to) other countries from Idaho. These include people in their 20's and 30's who participate in a month-long exchange (Group Study Exchange or GSE) and students (16-18 years old) who spend the entire year abroad.

This year, the GSE team from Idaho went to England and a team from England came to Idaho. Last year the exchange was with South Korea; the year before with Argentina; and the year before that with Nigeria. Next year, the exchange is with Sri Lanka. The folks I met last year from South Korea were very careful about sharing their perspective on the US in their country. The year before that however, the Argentinean visitors - once you got to know them - shared a deep sense of frustration that the US government and US corporation were being bullies in the world.

This year, you would think the group from the US's closest ally - England - would be much more "gung ho". They were about us (the everyday people of the US) but not about the US (personified by our federal government). In fact, it was fascinating to have them here when their prime minister, Tony Blair, announced his resignation after hitting the lowest rating of any modern prime minister. The cause? The folks from England said it had everything to do with Blair's willingness to go along with the Bush Administration. The team from England LOVED Idaho, and came away with the powerful impression that the people here don't resemble the heavy handed, elitist, "our-way-or-the-highway" impression that our government and major US corporations leave abroad..

My impression is that billions of people outside the US feel increasingly dependant on US employers (actually they are multi-national corporations but the ordinary person tends to think of them as US companies) and the US government that seems to go to bat for the big guys. This generates resentments which, when coupled with US military ventures overseas, generates anger.

Clearly, one way to overcome the damage being done to our country's moral standing in the world is to form direct relationships with communities in other countries. To meet people who are trying to run a small business, to raise their families.

One of the students said it very passionately at the Rotary Conference: This kind of direct contact is a way to bring about world peace.

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