Understanding the Value of Humanity - PowerPoint Presentation Example

Understanding the Value of Humanity Part-1: Personal Statement I. What personal, family, educational, occupational and/or other life experiences have influenced your development as an individual and your decision to apply for entry into the social work program? Life is indeed full of twists and turns. The tender mind of a student gets affected by so many things happening around him. Sometimes, the school teacher proves to be a big influence on the student and he starts emulating the teachings and ideals passed on to him by the teacher. The family background too proves to be a huge impact on the career prospects and growth of the child. On the macro level, the circumstances prevailing within the region and the country also make forceful impact on the children. I belong to Afghanistan, an age old country with rich history and cultural heritage. But during the latter half of the 20th Century, Afghanistan also saw quite disturbing times. I was born during such a period, which is famous for strife torn cities and poor conditions of the citizens, for reasons well beyond my comprehension. Gradually as I started picking up the thread, I realized that Afghanistan is unfortunate enough for being at the receiving end of the ambitions of a number of people and forces. Whatever might be the justifications of such forces, it all translated into the suffering of human beings in general and Afghani citizens in particular. The country is still mired into war like situations with skirmishes taking place on a daily basis. Though the world community seems to be making genuine efforts towards bringing peace in the region, but so far it has not proved to be sufficient enough towards bringing cheers on the faces of citizens. These developments have had a deep impact on me and from deep inside me I feel I could do something constructive to minimize the sufferings of my fellow citizens. Now that I’ve shifted my base to Canada, the urge remains to make a material difference in the lives of fellow citizens. I do realize that with little resources at my command I am a non-entity and may not be able to make the desired impact towards the well being of the nation, but at the same time, I sincerely believe that I will consider myself fortunate, even if I am able to minimize the sufferings of some of fellow citizens. During my school days I used to watch my elder sister devote her time towards social service, talk about ‘how to take care of some of the underprivileged citizens of the surrounding areas’ etc. The levels of my curiosity kept increasing as I started picking up the threads and passed out of my secondary school. Gradually I started helping out my sister in taking care of the needy people. While on the one hand this gave me an immense pleasure of helping the needy, on the other I came face to face with the reality, and the inequalities in our society. The world has advanced so much, yet a deep divide exists between the have and have not’s, the rich and the poor, the developed and developing. Situation is particularly worrisome in the so called third world. People continue to suffer in Afghanistan, despite joint efforts of many countries from around the world. I feel for being into social service, what it requires is an urge from inside to serve the humanity. While carrying out the social work one has to deal with a number of organizations, institutions and government agencies. Therefore one must be aware of the proper channel and technicalities in order to bring about effective solutions to the problems. Therefore, I plan to make myself aware about all such technicalities by enrolling for the degree course in social work. II. What do you expect to gain through your social work education, personally and professionally, and what are your future plans? Good education as such, helps in enriching the knowledge and broadening the horizon of an individual. Therefore a degree in Social Work from a reputed Institution not only helps in learning the techniques of dealing with adverse circumstances, but personally I am bound to gain in many respects, like; i. It will help in enhancing my confidence level ii. I will be able to update by knowledge about the rights of citizens in general and the ways to handle such matters, in view of legal and other official complications. iii. Will come in contact with like-minded people from across the world. I am bound to gain from their experiences. iv. I’ll be able to help out my sister in furthering the cause of protecting human values and systems. v. I will have an opportunity to satiate my urge for doing something constructive for the society. Professionally too I am bound to gain substantially with a degree in BSW. Some of the advantages which I feel could accrue to me include; i. Acceptance amongst the people as a social worker ii. Recognition from government agencies and other related organizations as a social worker iii. I am bound to gain access to the government records pertaining to the welfare of the citizens iv. In association with other similar organizations and persons, I can take up tasks on a bigger scale v. Though I don’t see it only as a career building exercise, but being a youth I do have dreams in my eyes and feel that I should have a respectable place in the society. Therefore while serving the humanity I will have chances to further my career prospects as well. But, surely, I won’t let my career ambitions come in way of my devotion to the service of the mankind. As of now my future plans hinge very much around a degree in social service from a respectable university. Well, having observed the functioning of the social service sector, I find it quite a bit of necessity that one must be qualified and knowledgeable enough on what issues to take and how to take up. I have realized that in order to find an acceptable and desired solution to an issue, it is of utmost importance that the issue is taken up in an appropriate manner. Therefore, if I am able to pursue my immediate short-term goal of having an education in social work, my future plans include; i. Start taking up the issues in right earnest ii. Start exploring the possibility of a job as a ‘mental health worker’. I understand a reasonable amount of certainty and security of prospects would help me in pursuing my passion for welfare. In fact, if I get a job with similar nature of duties, that will also help me in performing my duties diligently and with full dedication and devotion for the cause. A job done with all sincerity, at the end of the day, gives immense satisfaction. If we are able to perform well and the office recognizes it, it further provides motivation to do more. iii. Continue exploring ways and means to keep myself updated on the social welfare issues. And if required, I’ll also go for a master’s degree in social work as well. Part-II: About the Problem Statement Today we are living in a society where competition is all pervasive. Be it the manners in which people compete for the jobs or for performances. On the one hand such high level of competition helps in enhancing productivity and efficiency, but on the other hand such fast paced life also results in undue increase in tension in the minds of people. Therefore, addressing mental health not only brings peace to the individual concerned, but to a whole lot of people around him. Addressing mental health requires utmost care as it involves dealing with the emotions of the person. In such case one needs to deal with the person in such a manner that the individual not only feels comfortable with the treatment but also feels an integral part of the society as well. The incident and circumstances which led to one of my best friends becoming mentally ill makes me repeatedly think about the unfortunate incidents which lead to mental illness. My friend was never able to talk about his pain and sufferings that he went through during the torture. But he was never the same person again, with signs of incoherent mental behavior. I wish to be in a position where I can apply a soothing touch to the oppressed and suppressed community and ease some of the mental sickness they go through. My professors have been a great influence on my development and education. They’ve made me understand the value of humanity while carrying out the social work. It will therefore be my endeavor to improve upon my skills of self awareness, setting respectable boundaries and time management. I am sure, when combined with positive thinking using my inner strength, these skills will help me in sailing towards a balanced life. Read More