Alberto Cairo’s talk about the changes people can promote in their personal and professional lives turns out to be an educative source of information because of several reasons. First, this speaker can combine his personal experience and professional ethics in one interesting talk about the importance to employ people and support the idea of humanitarian action. Unfortunately, people can hardly avoid or predict disasters in their everyday lives because these are occurrences that may cause damage or deterioration of health from the outside (Skolnik, 2016). Humanitarian actions depend on disasters and their outcomes, and people have to make decisions and cope with challenges using their skills and available sources. Cairo (2011) explains how to find humanity, dignity, and hope amid war by listening to people, making them a part of decision-making, and believing in a better future. He proves that it is important to engage the beneficiaries of humanitarian action because people are the main agents of change, and change is something that can improve the quality of human life.
Another interesting aspect of this talk is attention to the challenges that may be connected with humanitarian action. The experience of Cairo shows that people are not always ready for changes and do not usually believe in the power of will. Cairo is an example of a person whose doubts and concerns may deprive other people of new opportunities and prospects. The engagement for humanity may be challenged by the existing policies, cultural disparities, and poor explanations given by leaders and managers. Therefore, people should be ready to work hard and defend their positions until the end.
According to the Sphere Project (2004), if people are affected by disasters or conflicts, they should use their right to protection and promotion of life with dignity. Cairo (2011) also uses the word “dignity” in his talk several times. Such frequency means that people may strive for dignity a lot and believe that it can improve their lives in many different ways. However, their attempts and propositions may be unseen because of the existing cultural differences, international standards, and social expectations. Cultural competence is the field that has to be improved and receive more attention so that people can develop their activities, make their dreams come true, and improve the world regardless of their backgrounds (Chang, 2007). Humanitarian action can hardly be made in case people continue bothering their cultural differences. The story of Cairo (2011) also helps to understand that people who are raised in different cultures and under different social conditions can demonstrate different approaches to the solutions to the same problems. If one person is ready to close the door and leave a project, there may be another person with a different look at the situation and the intention to promote change.
In general, the sources of the course, as well as the talk of Cairo helps to comprehend that even the most surprises may turn into a hope that changes millions of lives. It is possible to believe that there is also some better way that can be used to do something, and people have to cooperate and trust each other to find this way using mutual efforts and common knowledge. Cultural diversity, motivation, and empathy are the factors that can improve the idea of humanitarian action in the modern world.
References
Cairo, A. (2011). There are no scraps of men [Video file]. Web.
Chang, W.W. (2007). Cultural competence of international humanitarian workers. Adult Education Quarterly, 57(3), 187-204.
Skolnik, R. (2016). Global health 101 (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
The Sphere Project. (2004). The sphere handbook 2004: Humanitarian charter and minimum standards in disaster response. Geneva, Switzerland: Oxfam Publishing.