Walk a mile in someones shoes free essay sample

As we grow our experiences teach us lessons and shape how we view the world. In Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave,† he uses the example of the prisoners to show how our view of the world changes when we are faced with new information that contradicts the reality we thought we knew. The world as I viewed it completely changed when a close friend committed suicide. I learned the true meaning of what it means to â€Å"walk a mile in someones else shoes†. Its a saying we all know, but when it comes to actually understanding why someone is the way they are its easier to label them as weird, annoying, or rude. To walk in someone elses shoes means to put yourself in others position to understand their feelings or actions, no matter what the circumstance is. Homecoming queen, captain of the cheerleading team, and honors student were a few of my proud labels in high school. We will write a custom essay sample on Walk a mile in someones shoes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I had amazing friends, and an amazing family; I was blessed in every aspect of my life. I can remember being and school and hearing girls complain about the upcoming prom, and watching as a guy would lash out on a teacher. Their actions perplexed me as I labeled them weird and crazy. The truth was they weren’t weird, the girl complaining about prom had never been asked as a date, and the boy yelling at the teacher had so much anger built up from his abusive father that he lashed out on any form of authority. I was blinded from reality because I hadnt viewed life from their experiences. But that all quickly changed the fall of my junior year. October second I awoke like any other day to get ready for school. Reaching for my phone to quite my alarm clock I was bombarded with endless text messages. As my eyes wandered over the words â€Å"I’m so sorry for your lose† my heart jumped out of my chest. My mind raced trying to figure out what had happened. As I ran to find my mother down stairs, her faced buried in her hands I knew my life was about to take a big turn. WIth panic burning through my body I sat down as my mother uttered the horrifying news that my friend Emily had killer herself the night before. In that single moment I watched as my life as I knew come crashing down. It was a moment of  disbelief, anger, and sadness colliding in my body. The hours that preceded were a blur ; they were filled with phone class, hugs, and endless speeches about how everyone was sorry but I was numb to it all. My mind took me on a journey through her life as I tried to figure out how the beautiful, powerful, and loving girl I had once knew had been that sad with life. I never fully grasped what made her that sad, but I better understood her actions. Emily had a strong personality and many times she would snap at me daily for reasons that didnt seem that big, she constantly grumbled about her family, and was easily angered by lifes smallest mishaps. When it was happening I just thought she was over reacting, but now i see she had so much emotion built up that thats how it came out. I always wonder if I would have tried to understand why she was like that if I could have saved her. Losing Emily taught me that you never know what anyone is going through no matter how close you are. Actions are results of our emotions, so to understand someones actions is to better understand that person. For the girl that took your parking spot this morning she is grieving the lose of her husband, for the man that messed up your coffee, he is fighting an addiction, for the women who was rude to you in line, she just needs someone to tell her her life is going to work out. People are not rude to be rude, they dont purposely mess up your order, everyone is going through something and we need to step back and realize that. As Plato explains in â€Å"Allegory of the Cave,† our view of the world changes when we are faced with new information that contradicts the reality we thought we knew. My reality was changed with the passing of Emily. The tragedy was horrifying, but its taught me a life changing lesson. I learned how to walk in someone elses shoes, to understand their feels and actions. Everyone is going through things and we may never know what it is, but if we can step back and try to see the world through their view we can better understand their actions.

Ongoing UN Peacekeeping Missions in Africa

Ongoing UN Peacekeeping Missions in Africa There are currently seven United Nations Peacekeeping Missions in Africa.   UNMISS The United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan began July 2011 when the Republic of South Sudan officially became the newest country in Africa, having split from The Sudan. The split came after decades of war, and the peace remains fragile. In December 2013, renewed violence broke out, and the UNMISS team was accused of partisanship. A cessation of hostilities was reached 23 January 2014, and the UN authorized further troops for the Mission, which continues to supply humanitarian aid. As of June 2015 the Mission had 12,523 service personnel and more then 2,000 civilian staff members. UNISFA: The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei began June 2011. It was tasked with protecting civilians in the region of Abyei, along the border between The Sudan and what became the Republic of South Sudan. The Force is also tasked with helping The Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan with stabilizing their border near Abyei. In May 2013, the UN expanded the force.   As of June 2015, the Force was comprised of 4,366 service personnel and more than 200 civilian staff members and UN volunteers. MONUSCO The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo commenced 28 May 2010. It replaced the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While the Second Congo War officially ended in 2002, fighting continues, particularly in the eastern Kivu region of the DRC. The MONUSCO force is authorized to use force if need be to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel. It was due to be withdrawn in March 2015, but was extended into 2016.   UNMIL The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was created 19 September 2003 during the Second Liberian Civil War. It replaced the UN Peace-building Support Office in Liberia. The warring factions signed a peace agreement in August 2003, and general elections were held in 2005. The UNMILs current mandate includes continuing to protect civilians from any violence and providing humanitarian aid. It is also tasked with assisting the Liberian government with strengthening national institutions for justice. UNAMID The African Union / United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur began 31 July 2007, and as of June 2015, it was the largest peacekeeping operation in the world. The African Union deployed peacekeeping forces to Darfur in 2006, following the signing of a peace accord between The Sudan government and rebel groups.   The peace agreement was not implemented, and in 2007, UNAMID replaced the AU operation. The UNAMID is tasked with facilitating the peace process, providing security, helping establish the rule of law, providing humanitarian aid, and protecting civilians. UNOCI The United Nations Operation in Cà ´te dIvoire began in  April 2004. It replaced the much smaller United Nations Mission in  Cà ´te dIvoire. Its original mandate was to facilitate the peace agreement that ended the Ivorian Civil War. It took six years, though, to hold elections, and after the 2010 elections, the incumbent, President  Laurent Gbagbo, who had governed since 2000, did not step down. Five months of violence followed, but it ended with the arrest of Gbagbo in 2011. Since then, there has been progress, but the UNOCI remains in  Cà ´te dIvoire to protect civilians, ease the transition, and ensure disarmament. MINURSO The  UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) began 29 April 1991.   Its outcomes were to   Monitor the ceasefire and troop locationsOversee POW exchanges and repatriation Organize a referendum on  Ã‚  Western Sahara  independence from Morocco The mission has been ongoing for twenty-five years. During that time, MINURSO forces have assisted in maintaining the ceasefire and removing mines, but it has not yet been possible to organize a referendum on Western Saharan independence. Sources Current Peacekeeping Operations,  United Nations Peacekeeping.org.  (Accessed 30 January 2016).