essay about responsibility and its meaning
Responsibility has always been a complex issue for me. In my country, Sudan, whenever something goes wrong, different sides instantly begin to place blame on the other. The people would hold the government responsible; the government would hold the opposition responsible and so on. Responsibility was thrown around like a ticking bomb, and always seemed to be accompanied by blame.
In short, responsibility was a burden and I was terrified.
But responsibility shouldn't be seen as intimidating, for even the smallest objects with good lighting could cast a huge shadow.
A basic step towards responsibility is to understand that if you can't handle the consequences of your action, you shouldn't go through with it. Nobody says that better than George RR. Martin in his book “A Song of Ice and Fire, A Game of Thrones”:
“The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.”
Yet, acting responsibly and taking action is far from easy; it takes bravery, faith, patience, and strength. Mainly, we must “Dare to Care” if we want to make a change.
Additionally, the more I explored the concept, the more I understood the gravity of avoiding it. One can go as far as saying that being passive about a problem is almost as harmful as causing it. To a person suffering injustice, the silent spectator is as guilty as the person inflicting the harm. Eventually everything lead to one direction: responsibility is a crucial step towards developing my character, and avoiding it is no longer an option.
Being responsible means a different thing for each individual. It could mean defending a person in need, or speaking up against bigotry, or the simple act of thinking before speaking. Personally, the hardest thing I've had to undergo was leaving Sudan in 2010 to study Chemical Engineering in Germany. However, the departure was my own way of accepting responsibility towards my country. If I were to change the current state of Sudan, I must equip myself with good education and worldwide experiences that will help me grow as an engineer.
I'm applying to ISWI because I believe it is one of these worldwide experiences.
The conference offers a wonderful opportunity to cross paths with different nationalities and minds, which will expand my awareness and open my mind to new knowledge, which will eventually help me widen my horizon. The motto "Dare to Care" aligns with what I believe is the essential basis of progress: the courage to take responsibility for change.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.