Int. Experience/Diversity PS - please critique Forum

[jojo10]

I am sending this in during the weekend, so please guys, make your voice heard. Final draft...

Red tracer bullets spreading out from every rooftop were the only fireworks we got on that New Year’s Eve. It was (year) and (country) was going through one of the most turbulent periods in its history. The Ponzi schemes, which had been for most people the main source of income and investment for years, finally collapsed. The country was enveloped in violent demonstrations of angry crowds demanding their savings back. The armed rebellion that followed set the pace for the rest of that decade, as organized crime took control of every aspect of public life. I was only ten years old at the time, but the amount of overt violence in the streets and television was too devastatingly clear in reporting the social collapse that was taking place.

Growing up, awareness of the deteriorating conditions around me only increased. Poverty forced many of my friends to drop out of school and to end up working abroad illegally. Their experience, painful as it was, helped me to truly appreciate the unbound support my family had offered in all my pursuits. I worked with determination, and after finishing two years of high school with top grades, I was offered a scholarship to continue my education in Canada. Making the decision to leave was difficult. However, I could not turn down an opportunity that offered such a great potential for growth.

From the first moment I was in Canada my adjustment skills were continuously tested. However, the remarkable diversity of the students at (name) College made that a truly enjoyable experience. As the initial cultural boundaries were leveled, I had the chance of openly exchanging ideas with people of radically different backgrounds and origins. I learned about the different sides of the Middle East conflict from Israeli and Palestinian roommates, while my Bosnian friend (name) would often grimly recall his life during the Yugoslav Wars. These unique perspectives imparted to me great insights on the impact of violence and conflict on the lives of people. They showed me that suffering was felt the same way across the globe and so were the effects of a responsible government or an integrated society.

My curiosity about the premises of conflict and successful governance brought about my focus in Political Science and International Relations. University (name) provided me with the international environment, combined with a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum, in which I developed such interest. I found it important to delve on topics of personal significance and refine notions that were mostly intuitive. My final thesis reflected such propensity, as I found myself investigating the source of the (country) conflict and the various movements of peaceful resistance preceding it. While in (country), I had been a witness to the waves of displaced people that found shelter across the country. Because of this experience I considered the fair portrayal of both sides of the conflict of paramount importance to a proper understanding of the issue. I enjoyed bringing all the bits of stories together and analyzing contradicting facts to form a coherent picture. While writing my conclusion, I came to the realization that although peace and stability must grow locally, its sustenance often depends on the actions of governments and the global community.

It was with these thoughts in mind that I decided to return to (country), realizing that my work had to be guided by my ideas. I have since been working with (company), an international non-profit organization that provides assistance in creating sustainable platforms of political, social and economic development. The problem of employment in the informal economy has been one of the main issues we have been working on in the last few months. By developing a comprehensive research on the subject and raising public awareness, we have been able to affect government policy and help improve the conditions for those affected by this issue. I have worked closely with the legal experts at the organization and have learned a great deal about the labor law and legislative process in (country). I have seen the practice of advocacy at work and I am fascinated by the elaborate and subtle method by which it attains sensible objectives that affect such a large number of people.

My desire to study and practice the law will be motivated and guided by my experience with social injustice in (country). I am committed to help find a solution so that no one will ever need to sacrifice their education and their future for the sake of sustenance. I believe that success will depend on fostering local development while affecting government policy. The law is the necessary instrument by which these two ends of the political spectrum can be joined. Through my work I have studied this process and I believe to have the determination and the qualities required for this task.

I believe that (the school) will be an Ideal environment in which to develop the necessary skills. Particularly the (program/Clinic) and the (program/Clinic) promise to offer valuable practical experience in the field of (field). I will look forward to sharing my experiences and ideas with my classmates and learn together the skills which will enable us to accomplish these goals.