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Perhaps the most important place to start making a difference in any community is within yourself. To be an effective conduit for social justice or learning or activity, one must stay informed. It is essential to understand the goings on of your community as well as in the larger climate of which your community is a part. Knowledge not only increases personal awareness, but it provides a cultural structure that allows for sharing, outreach, and the overcoming of differences. The more you know, the more you can relate, put into perspective, and lend a helping hand or word of advice.

Staying informed is a somewhat daunting task these days. Media and reportage seem to fly in all directions, contradicting and always changing. Instantaneous global communication makes staying on top of community affairs, let alone world events, seem like a full-time job, and it can be. But staying informed has less to do with knowing everything that’s happening and more to do with having a rounded perspective on what is graspable. The same instantaneous global communication that makes this well of knowledge so intimidatingly enormous also makes it accessible from every angle.

First thing’s first, secure yourself some internet. The computer age has taken just about everything that is or will be in print and uploaded it into satellites that transmit directly to a screen in front of you. If you don’t have internet access, find a local library or state university—these usually provide free service. Then comes the stockpiling of an arsenal of information that will arm you with knowledge effective for making positive change.

Don’t just stick with the mainstream news media, though this is a great place to start. Papers like The New York Times (nytimes.com) provide free online subscriptions in exchange for an email address. In fact, all major newspapers have a similar policy. Bookmark one or two of these, in addition to a local paper, to get a sense what the majority of your community members recognize as fact. After this, it’s advantageous to ascertain a few other perspectives on the issues. For a more global point of view check out The Asian Times Online (atimes.com), BBC (bbc.co.uk), Haaretz (haaretz.com), or a number of other national news organizations. Add to these some independent sites like Common Dreams (commondreams.org) or Counter Punch (counterpunch.org), some international organizations like Human Rights Watch (hrw.org), and you begin to approach a broader understanding of the world, your community’s place in it, and your place in your community.

Another note to remember is to be your own judge. Find your own websites that suit your curiosities, passions, concerns, or politics. It’s important to take your learning into your own hands. However, once you’ve found information and perspectives within your comfort zone, find those outside of it. Understanding what others believe is crucial to helping in any community, because a community is comprised of vastly different individuals with differing opinions. Acquaint yourself with as many as possible. It will do nothing but help.

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Written by: George Georgeless
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