The 2014 debate and discussion topics, to be moderated by Lynn faculty, are:
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Global vs. Local:
Why should we work abroad when we have problems in our home country? vs. Why should we work domestically when poverty is far worse on an absolute scale elsewhere? How do we know what is the right course for any individual?•
Serving vs. Donating:
Should we go into the nonprofit industry or pursue wealth and donate funds to worthy causes? Which is the better use of a person’s life? Which will truly to the most good in the world? Is this work more about personal reflection or usefulness to communities?•
High Text vs. Low Tech Solutions:
Is a high tech solution always better? Why keep paper records if we can upload data on mobile phones? Why use high-tech gadgets if they can’t be maintained or pose security risks? How do we determine the appropriate technologies with communities?•
Grass Roots or Grass Tops:
Why build wells when a country needs a sewer system? Why focus on policy when children need medicine right now? Where does real change happen? Is it more effective to work locally with communities or with governments?•
Moral Absolutes vs. Relativism:
From hygiene to child marriage to political systems, are we ever 'right'? What if ‘right’ isn’t respectful? How do we know if a behavior is culturally relative or on an absolute spectrum of right and wrong? Who decides? How can we know who ‘should’ change?