Being a globe-trotter is an excellent opportunity for anyone but especially useful for anyone in public administration. If you step back, for just a moment, and think about precisely what public administrators do in the line of their work, you’ll understand the rationale behind that statement. We are no longer living in a world in which families are born, raised, and die in the same communities, but instead, we are a transient, a migrant, if you will, a society that makes many moves within the course of our lifetimes.
We are the people public administrators serve, and not being alike in any sense of the world, public administration dictates that all people in their charge are equally served. That being said, here are some reasons why public administrators should travel the world.
Quest for Social Justice
One of the ‘job descriptions’ of a public administrators on the University of San Francisco website is that they are professionals who seek social justice. How is it possible to seek that justice for a population comprised of people from all over the world and from all walks of life?
You can’t hope to serve a segment of the population you have no understanding of on a grassroots level. No two societies think, act, work, and live alike, so if we are honest here, social justice only comes about if we recognize and embrace those differences within the confines of what you can legally do in public office.
Our Way Is Not Always Best
Within the scope of a job at high levels of public administration is having the ability to affect change, albeit slowly, as with any government undertaking. By traveling the world and taking a good, solid look at how other nations handle some of the same problems we do, it is possible to find more efficient ways of doing things. This is ultimately true of our current president’s hope to update our public infrastructure. Our roads, bridges, airports, and dams are falling apart. How do other nations fund their projects to keep the up-to-date technologically and structurally?
Viewing the Top ten Sustainable Cities in Person
If we are to move forward into a sustainable, ecologically healthier future, we need to do more in terms of sustainable construction. Do you know that the United States does not have one city listed among the top ten global sustainable towns? With all our wealth, we have done little to promote sustainability and continue to plunder our natural resources. If you are looking for a career in the public sector within the field of energy, these cities should top your list of must-visit locations. Consider that Europe has seven of the top ten sustainable cities, and you will understand why a European tour would be both educational and rewarding.
Bearing in mind that public administration typically involves working for the government in some area ad in some capacity, this is where you can make a difference. Whether serving a multi-cultural community or helping to envision a sustainable future in this current energy crisis, you can do your job more effectively if you are open to seeing how others have dealt with these very same issues. These are why public administrators should travel the world, but there are so many more. It’s time to get on board for a trip through the 21st Century if we hope to meet the challenges set before us. It’s time to see the world.
