People who solve the problems of our community, our country, and our world fall into three categories. The first (and probably the most common) is the person who criticizes all that is wrong with society, expects government to fix everything, and blames all failures on government and other people. The second person is more optimistic about society, sees the good things that government does, and cheers loudly whenever they witness other people making a positive difference.

The third is the kind of person who understands that government and other institutions are only tools to address and solve the problems of society. This person realizes it has nothing to do with being negative or positive but being practical and simply locating the tools that work. Armed with the realization that there are other tools, methods, or models for solving problems, that third person will then proceed to get involved personally to make a difference.

Like any tool, if it is broken… you fix it or you find another one that can do the job at hand. There is no use complaining about it because no amount of griping is going to turn a less than perfect tool into an optimum one. In addition, there is no use cheering when you’ve found a great tool that gives you another option if you’re not actually going to use it and get the job done.

Somewhere along the line, we have learned to accept that governments
and other large institutions change societies, which is strange because, historically speaking, it has not usually happened that way. If we continue to accept that this will be the case, then we guarantee that it will never be the case. The famous North American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

I invite anyone in a position to give of their time, energy, experience,
expertise, talents, and contacts to join us at the eighth annual “Conference on Honduras” in Copán Ruinas on October 11-13, 2007. If you can’t make it, please spread the word. The event is part of an ongoing process to perfect a new tool for helping solve some of Honduras’ core problems in the areas of education, healthcare, and community building.

The idea is simply to bring together “a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens,” learn from each other and find specific ways to coordinate our volunteer efforts to empower the people of Honduras. The movement of concerned citizens that is changing Honduras already exists and is communicating daily through the projecthonduras.com network. The conference is the meeting point.

The “Conference on Honduras 2007” is presented by projecthonduras.com and sponsored by Special Missions Foundation.

For information, see www.projecthonduras.com/conference or e-mail hondopost@yahoo.com