In this speech, Taiye Selasi shares her perspective about the origin of people. She is a creative writer who has traveled to many countries, so her abundant experience set the solid background for her speech. She was born in England, and lives in the United States; her mom was born in England, grew up in Nigeria, and lives in Ghana; her father was born in Gold Coast, a British colony, raised up in Ghana, and has lived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for over 30 years. As a person with so many characters, introducing oneself to nationality would be insufficient. Hence, she introduces a way to identify oneself, which is called the 3 R’s: relationships, rituals, restrictions. Her words are mild and strong, which demonstrates her clear individuality and strong self-esteem.

As an international student from China, it is common for me to feel uncertain about my identities. I am a traditional Chinese girl who holds many beliefs and faiths; on the other hand, there are more and more differences shown between me and my old friends. Take my best friend Rella as an example, she studies in a Chinese high school currently. For each time we meet, we are startled by the changes that occurred in us, such as language habits, stereotypes, and perspectives on things. Through communications, both of us have realized that these changes were induced by the living environments. In addition, we are friends because of our unique traits, rather than small, variable elements. Therefore, accepting new situations and accommodating them is essential for the construction of true traits.

After listening to Selasi’s speech, I further explore my complexity of identities. Studying abroad at Colorado Springs provides me with more opportunities to develop traits upon the beliefs and faiths that are born with me in Beijing. Just like she asserts: “To begin our conversation with an acknowledgment of this complexity brings us closer, I think, not further apart.”(Selasi, 15:20), it is valuable to recognize one’s traits clearly.

As technology develops, regional differences increase. Countries are separated into genres: developed countries, developing countries, and undeveloped countries. For each country, the responsibility varies based on abilities. According to the UN, developed countries need to aid undeveloped and developing countries in industry, technology, health care, environmental protection, economy, etc. I always read about Chinese aids to other countries. In 2009, China supported African countries 10 billion for country debts. In 2012, the Tazara railroad was built in 5 years with a total of 752.7 kilometers long, and it cost 4 billion. The construction succeeded based on cooperation from both sides. These are real examples of effective aids. However, there were unsuccessful aids that were not accepted. On 22nd April 2021, the Chinese government conveyed that China will offer aid to India if accepted. Xiaomi, a Chinese technology company, donated 1 thousand breathing machines to India.

Genocide seems to be unrealistic for me. It only appears in history textbooks. However, it is not far away. As its definition becomes specified, I need to recognize this global issue from various perspectives. This symposium helps me understand genocide and reflect on myself.

According to Ms. Duman, the keynote speaker, genocide occurs due to an intention to destroy a group due to its race, nationality, sexuality, etc. Raising awareness for genocide becomes important while people reveal more and more truth from history because learning from the past and making improvements are essential targets. During the panel discussion, Ms. Jenet and Mr. Riley assert that people are standing in different perspectives, which leads to the necessity of respect and open-mindedness. People need to respect diversities, such as life, faiths, and religion, preventing hatred and discrimination.

Moving forward, we talked about current issues about genocide. Politics is a debate on this topic. As countries support different parties and enact various laws, the conflicts between nations and the separation between the government and civilians are unavoidable. Therefore, the ultimate goal is properly approaching and dissecting genocide to prevent further occurrence. First of all, social media has played an important role in spreading information, including unreliable and fake ones. Regulating the internet and giving proper guidance, especially for non-adults, is vital for promoting education. Also, schools and academic institutions need to pay more attention to the basic knowledge of history and humanity.

After participating in this activity, I feel the power of people supporting each other. In addition, I think thoroughly about my actions to reduce genocide as a high school student. What can I do to make contributions? If everyone is from different perspectives, which one is the “neutral side” that supports justice? And how can I stand up for myself? The boundary of genocide is not clear yet. There is no clear separation of freedom-restriction, slavery, racism, massacre, etc., in genocide. This generation needs to make practical changes on both the national and global sides to prevent cruel events from happening.

A washing machine is so common in life that I never realize what changes it makes and its impacts. However, in this Ted Talk, I discover different perspectives of this technological facility. It is a bridge connecting people fifty years ago and nowadays people. It is a milestone that records the transformation from human labor to electric machines. It is also a symbol of humans applying technology to create a more enjoyable life. Young people need to know the meaning of a washing machine more than a regular tool that appears for granted.

The speaker discusses the gap between the rich and the poor. He points out that a washing machine saves many people from washing clothes with hands and indicates significantly different life conditions. Only 10% of the world’s population utilizes nearly half the resources. The inequity of resource distribution is one of the main reasons people should realize the advantages they gain from a washing machine.

Moving forward, Rosling asserts the point that I consider to be most inspiring. He says, “Thank you, industrialization. Thank you, steel mill; thank you, power station; and thank you, chemical processing industry that gave us time to read books.” (Hans Rosling, 8’25”) It is powerful because it enlightens me that I have an advantage: time for reading. My mind flashed back to small stories that grandma told me. In the 1940s, she was born in a small village with no electric machines. She did everything by hand, day by day. She had TVs, cooking machines, washing machines, and even dishwashers as time passed, and she always compared the past with the current life. Technology improvements are step stones that lead us to a better life. Even though there are unsolved environmental problems, people can use the knowledge gained from books attributed to the machines giving them spare time.

What is food sovereignty? How does it connect to me, justice, art, and this society?

Foods do have not only tastes but also their stories. To build a better life, people need to take responsibility while stepping into the world of food production and consumption. First of all, making the connections between each recipe, dish, and cooking style is essential. According to Jocelyn Jackson from People’s Kitchen Collective, realizing cultural differences and being present in a multidisciplinary life supports people to understand foods rather than simply treating them as resources.

In addition, food justice is a massive topic, which makes agricultural laws important. “Food justice is an imperative for a sustainable food system, and there are many inspiring models to follow and support.” Food justice calls to find a balance between personalization and legislation of food laws, giving people a say in how food is produced and distributed in their communities. For all people living in different environments, food resources are the primary requirement for living, which leads to the awareness of food safety. Providing people with reliable and sustainable foods is the ultimate target of all kinds of coercion and cooperation worldwide. As the system is established, several aspects need to be considered. The legal ownership of institutions and production and reasonable government regulation help keep sustainability. Local cultures support the development of food styles as all kinds of food traditions are valued.

As farm acreage depletes, people seek to balance people, ecology, and government by legislation. Currently, movements are going on, such as the Black-led Food Justice Movement, indigenous Food Justice, and Food Worker Justice. We need to educate about and fix the disproportionately corporate food industry from big cities to food deserts. Hence, as a high school student, I have more ways to relate my life to this field.