Waging Peace in Ghana

I’m retired from advertising and am now more involved in philanthropy. Having experienced a true “grass roots” program through Global Volunteers, I believe my giving will now always be with my own personal engagement in a locale.

The ethics of the program largely dictate how sustainable it will be, so I plan to further experience Global Volunteers and help to expand its efforts.

Global Volunteers makes very accessible, in terms of time, money and logistics, a way for individuals to come into very close contact…and almost instantly break down the barriers created by lack of understanding and fear.

There can really be no peace without understanding. What we don’t understand, we tend to fear. The reaction to fear is to create distance from that which we fear. But, by coming to understand the things we share in common, with others, we can learn to emphasize our common values and our common goals. Thereby, we minimize those differences which have defined our relationship.

This seems especially true of Americans in relation to Africa. It’s the same as the way many Americans view New York City. Reports of evil, crime, corruption and violence are greatly exaggerated and thus keep people away. Only by word-of-mouth reports from those we trust can we mobilize even greater numbers of ambassadors for peace.

-Nancy Vick, Ghana volunteer