Expats – Duty of care?
“We are equipped – more than others – to make a difference.”
This is a quote from Caleb Meakins one of the speakers from the Families in Global Transition Conference in Bangkok a few weeks ago. Is it true? Are we in a privileged situation that should trigger us to act? What are our responsibilities as expats and global citizens?
“Caleb believes that as global citizens, our position within and across cultures enables us to drive positive social change and embrace the opportunities that challenge brings. ‘You learn to make your environment work’ he explains.”
There is nothing right or wrong in staying in your home country or in one place. People who have travelled and moved abroad are NOT better or smarter people! Living overseas is a privilege and not everyone gets this privilege, and not everyone wants to have it. However, those who have been abroad are in a unique position to be a voice for a global mindset, for global solutions, for unity and connecting different cultures.
“Global challenges need global solutions from globally-minded people.”
Once we understand we can approach challenges from different angles, we start to learn that there is always a different solution, a particular method or another approach to improve a situation. Living abroad makes us aware of the differences and embrace them. Living abroad is the best teacher in life and definitely improves our problem-solving skills.