Today at AFS-USA we pause to reflect on the senseless and violent loss of life in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. These two events, reportedly driven by fear and hate, are indicative of the depth of the problem our country has with gun ownership and responsibility.

The AFS global community understands that tragic events and political disruptions rarely change the course of the daily activities of average citizens, including AFS staff, volunteers, families, and participants. As we’ve seen time and time again, around the world, our lives continue on their usual paths, at times in defiance of the fear that others seek to inflict. In this case, we hope that the loss of life can at least result in a greater willingness of the public and elected officials to take action.

The world needs more globally-aware and globally-competent citizens – now more than at any other time in our history – and this is critical to the future of our world. Today, we are all reminded of the urgent need to break down barriers between people and cultures, and with our more than 7 decades of experience in intercultural education, AFS is uniquely qualified to tackle some of the most urgent challenges laid before us.

“Citizen diplomacy like this [AFS] is the best way to reduce tension and to develop understanding and empathy between people – people of different countries, beliefs, ethnicities, and communities” wrote a recent AFS Host Parent. Comments such as these remind us of why we do what we do and how important our work is to the world in which we currently live.

Our programs are especially critical for our own country, where division, misunderstanding, and numerous self-imposed barriers threaten our unity as well as our global image. True to the hopes and dreams of our founders, the American Field Service corps of ambulance drivers, the AFS hosting experience helps to provide everyday citizens, from all walks of life, the tools needed to overcome division, isolation, and strained communication.

When AFS faces big challenges, we dig deep and we remind ourselves again why we do what we do. We need to do this today, for in today’s world changing the world begins at home. Culture, acceptance, understanding, and peace mean so much more when families welcome AFSers into their homes.

On a personal note, when I’m feeling the stress of such violent and senseless acts, and the ensuing challenges faced by AFS, I look to the hopes and dreams of the American Field Service ambulance corps for my inspiration. I remind myself that their dream of a world with less division, less conflict, and lasting peace couldn’t be more relevant today. We can, and we must, move forward in completing what is required of us to nurture and provide care for our next group of AFSers so that we can continue in our pursuit of the ambulance driver’s hopes and dreams for a just and peaceful world.

Tara M. Hofmann
President & CEO
AFS-USA, Inc.