Alumni Blog

Over the past 12 weeks I have lived in a country with the highest rate of HIV infection in the world

Ryan writes about the importance of maintaining an open minded attitude.

Over the past 12 weeks I have lived in a country with the highest rate of HIV infection in the world. The Kingdom of Swaziland has been ravaged by this global epidemic like no other. Prior to leaving Canada, prior to any serious deliberation, I assumed that the alarmingly high prevalence rate in Swaziland and neighbouring states could be attributed to a wide-ranging lack of awareness regarding HIV infection. In retrospect, my vista could hardly have been more arrogantly colonial and imposing. The factors responsible for the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Swaziland are manifold, diverse and not easily digested. Some of the drivers of the spread of HIV in this region are clandestine and excel at evading recognition. Entrenched gender inequality; vast economic disparity; cultural and traditional norms and practices, including polygamy; and a general denial of basic human rights, notably for women, are a rudimentary and incomprehensive catalogue of some factors shaping the proliferation of the HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. My readiness to assess a situation of such gravity in the absence of facts or data led to the development of a grossly inaccurate conclusion. This experience reaffirmed the importance of maintaining an open-minded attitude upon encountering new and unique situations and environments. Objective and impartial rationalizing are central to avoiding self-construed fallacies and misconceptions. Fair and balanced approaches tend to result in much more valuable, positive, and accurate outcomes than do unilateral and biased tactics.  (Ryan/STU/Swaziland/2009)