Helping people in developing regions and countries like Darfur, Thailand and elsewhere has become a commonplace activity. From celebrity adoptions to philanthropic Hollywood families, helping people across the world is almost "en Vogue". People from the West often approach these exchanges with a myopic understanding of equality and ethical treatment, perceiving those who they are helping to be "needy," "underprivileged” members of a developing or "backward" country.

What dangers lie in approaching other cultures with these preconceived ideas, and what sort of background knowledge and preparation would help ensure that their "giving" is effective? What insights might hands-on "givers" develop by working on such a project from the inside out, rather than simply sending money?

In today's world we are dealing with the realities of a global marketplace. With that in mind, if you were elected President of the United States, what global priority would you set for the country, e.g. economic, social, political, environmental, and why? If your priority is met, what impact will there be on other countries and their citizens?