What resonated with me most was our exploration of intercultural praxis and ethical development work, particularly through Find Me Unafraid. The book illuminated how “shared suffering” can become the foundation for collective resilience, an insight that challenged many assumptions I previously held about community work. Instead of viewing communities through the lens of “need” or “deficit,” I began to understand how suffering and hope coexist, and how people experiencing hardship are not passive recipients of aid but active agents in their own liberation.
This shift pushed me to confront my own positionality. As a Mexican-American student at a well-resourced U.S. institution, I am often in academic spaces discussing communities who face systemic challenges I do not personally experience. Recognizing this imbalance has made me more intentional about how I approach engagement as not as someone who arrives with solutions, but someone who must first listen and learn. The praxis model: reflection, inquiry, action reminded me that ethical engagement requires slowing down, questioning assumptions, and valuing local knowledge as expertise.
Our conversations in class also helped me understand development not as a heroic act but as a deeply relational process shaped by histories of power, colonialism, and global inequality. Systems thinking helped me see how problems labeled as “local” such as poverty, lack of infrastructure, or displacement are actually rooted in global systems and political decisions. This understanding made me more aware of the consequences of intervention, even when intentions are good.
Ultimately, this learning environment sharpened my sense of responsibility. I now see global engagement as an ongoing practice of humility, accountability, and solidarity and one that requires me to continually examine my role, challenge narratives of saviorism, and prioritize relationships grounded in mutual respect. This reflection marks a turning point in how I hope to engage with communities, both locally and globally, moving forward.
