We Are More Alike Than Not.

by Alessandro Nigro (United States of America)

I didn't expect to find Korea North

There’s nothing more critical to global development than the strength of the human heart. As far-fetched as it may sound, it’s that spirit and the willingness to understand the different ideologies that make up our world which have been the greatest contributor to the changes we’ve seen in the 21st century. As an American with his fair share of time abroad as a tourist, student and employee, I have been fortunate enough to be given the unique and incredible opportunity to get to know people from many different walks of life, all while having my own thoughts and predispositions challenged. The most unique example of all, though, came from the chance of a lifetime to go to North Korea as an American tourist in 2014. Many people, including myself, have this notion that North Korea is an evil country filled with a robotic society of brainwashed people. While there’s no doubt in my mind that North Korea’s government engages in gross abuses of human rights, the people are a different story. I came to learn after my week in Pyongyang that North Koreans are no different than you and me. We all have the same worries, wishes, hopes and fears. For as long as I can remember, North Korea has been painted with an evil cloak by western media, but what I came to learn was that despite it all, most people are genuinely still good at heart. North Koreans were acting in a way that would allow them to survive because just like us, we all want what’s best for our loved ones. Of the North Koreans I was able to speak to, not one took issue to my being an American, even if they may have harbored resentment towards my country’s government. I quickly learned that North Koreans were acting in a way that was possible given their limited leverage of freedom. A lesson learned in North Korea that I was able to reaffirm in China was that people are separate from their government. China and the United States’ relationship has never been the warmest, but what I gathered from the time I spent in China was the fact that despite the concerning measures the Chinese government has taken on the international arena, many Chinese people have a fondness for Americans and their culture and do wish for warmer relations between the two countries. China also challenged my previous notions on what an “ideal” government is. In the United States, we’re brought up to think that our system is a standard to be met, and often times this is both said and acted upon without being challenged. In traveling and living abroad, I have learned to recognize that one system does not fit all. China is a communist country with an authoritarian regime, but for many of the people, it works. China’s change in economic practices has lifted 300 million people out of poverty and although there are immeasurable roadblocks to overcome, the progress is undeniable. While I am in no way advocating for either the Chinese or North Korean government, I am reaffirming the premise that in order to progress as a united humanity, it would do a great deal of advancement to take the time to understand one another. In that capacity, I do not advocate for any government; rather, I advocate for humanity and having the ability play my part in fostering global progress through mutual understanding and acceptance.