Article by Zack Zimbalist, Teaching and research assistant (post-doc).

In January 2006, I flew to Salvador, Brazil, for a yearlong exchange programme. I arrived as a young idealist with brown curly knotted hair well below my shoulders, Havana flip flops, and homemade ankle bracelets. Before Brazil, I studied economics, political science, and international studies in the idyllic setting of San Diego, California, my hometown. I also learned a bit of theory and math and read academic papers on poverty and governance in the developing world. Though I already knew I was interested in applying myself to these topics, my experience in Brazil simultaneously shattered and solidified my motivation to do so. Brazil quickly taught me that my preconceptions and theories about development were woefully incomplete or wrong. More importantly, I learned a valuable lesson in humility, realising how little we all truly know.

Each day, I was saddened and struck by the misery, desperation, and inequality in Brazilian society. At the same time, I was also amazed by people's resilience, ingenuity, generosity, and optimism in the most difficult of circumstances. I wanted to do more to help those in need, but I didn't know how. Over the course of the year, I met and learned from people from all walks of life - I volunteered as an educator in an after-school programme for youth, visited community centres and NGO programmes in different neighbourhoods, and conducted research on racial inequalities. During my travels, I often met and chatted with folks on public transport or while getting lost navigating without a smartphone or a map. People were exceptionally kind. In those moments, I felt a profound sense of purpose: to walk among people and connect on a deeply human level without prejudice or conceit, remain curious and open-minded, and work toward policies and programmes that improve people's lives.

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