I had a conversation recently with a complete stranger, and I would like to share. I'll set the scene:
Having dinner at a hotel during a stopover on my way home from the middle east, I met this lady while having a cigarette.
The question of employment arose, and I explained that I was working as an EMT/Driver in the Middle East.
This caused an issue because in recent times the local ambulance service has had some bad press due to being undermanned etc. This lady could not understand why anyone should be allowed to work outside of their home country if their particular skillset was in short supply at home. 'I think we should fix our own problems before we try to fix anyone else's' sums up what was said.
My point of view went as follows:
I know we have problems at home. Every country does, some worse than others. The difference is that we have the resources to fix or at least try to fix these problems. We have the ability to advertise for new medical staff, or police or whoever is needed, we have universities to train new students, and we have a government that is there to help with these issues. We will always have some issues at home, no matter how hard we try to fix everything. Remember, noone is perfect, and untill they are, you are saying that we should deny help to others less fortunate.
Then I asked her a question. "Why do you believe that these people don't deserve our help? I am in a position to help a race of people in need,(albeit a small cog in a big machine) and you think that I should stand aside. Why??
From here on she really didn't have much of an argument, carrying on about things like response times with which I would counter that some countries are lucky to have an EMS service at all, let alone the ability to sook about taking an extra 3 mins to arrive....
The conversation went in circles from here, and I just couldn't seem to get my point to sink in.
In short, I think that we are doing some good in the less fortunate countries that some of us work in, even if it is on a small scale. I mean, when you give a lolly pop to a child who has never received a gift in its life, the facial expression says we are doing good....
Id like to hear your comments on this subject, just to make sure that I am not being naieve. I hope that this ladies view is not that of the general majority.
Thanks for reading