A country’s political landscape can change pretty rapidly. The recent turmoil in Honduras is a good example. When governments and policies shift, everybody has an opinion about who is right and who is wrong…resident expats included.
It’s helpful to remember that in most cases, we expats are guests in our adopted countries. We may have…we should have, I think…strong and well-informed opinions about what goes on around us.
And I believe we should try in every possible legal and locally accepted way to help improve the quality of life for ourselves and the people around us, no matter where we are in the world.
But Suzan and I learned early on in our adventures living outside the States, that sticking our noses into local politics isn’t very productive. We may earn some temporary brownie points from whatever faction or cause we support. But even those factions consider us outsiders–no matter how long we’ve lived in a particular place. And the opposing factions waste no time in letting us know how they feel about foreigners meddling in local political affairs.
Thankfully, there is no real reason for expats to dabble in local politics in order to have a positive influence on the local quality of life. Without exception, there have been ways to help out in every community we’ve lived in–without taking a political stand. Literacy programs, food-distribution programs, animal-health programs, safety and sanitation programs…volunteer programs of all kinds are eager for whatever time and financial assistance they can get from any quarter, expat or otherwise.
Suzan and I save the political rhetoric for private conversation. We’ve found that even local friends that share our views appreciate us not passing judgment or trying to intervene in their local political processes and procedures. They enjoy hearing our views…and they appreciate us letting them go about their own political business afterwards.
So which side should an expat be on? I’d suggest the sidelines, politically speaking. But help in a positive, non-political way to make the quality of life wherever you live as good for as many people as possible.
Being involved locally with a cause you believe in will automatically improve your own quality of life–no matter where you live and no matter what the current political situation may be.
Stay happy and healthy,
Dan Prescher
Publisher, International Living
P.S. In this month’s International Living Magazine, you’ll discover all sorts of places where you can live well, enjoy life, and get excited about being involved in the local community. We cover five places you can live comfortably on $600 a month in Ecuador…show you how affordable a spice-infused life is in Penang, Malaysia…profile storybook villages in France’s secret Southwest…and more. Subscribe now to the July issue and read the full articles online.
To get a look inside some of the articles from the July IL Magazine, see:
The Affordable Romance of a Chateau, Mill House, or Medieval Church
10 Tips to Find a Dream Home in Romantic France
Aveyron, France‘s "Lost Valley"–Where Homes Start at $78,000
