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"The future is not fixed, it's fluid. You can build your own building, or hut or condo, whatever;...But my point is that the world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape. That's what this degree of yours is, a blunt instrument. So go forth and build something with it. Well this is the time for bold measures. This is the country, and you are the generation."
-Bono: Commencement Speech at UPenn |
There is a reason why Bono shared the cover of Time Magazine as ‘Person of the Year’ with Bill and Melinda Gates. It’s because Bono is making a difference, which is what public service is all about. Having professional credentials and graduate education help you make the greatest impact in the lives of others. Bono demonstrated his public service commitment by touring Africa with an MPA alumni (former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Paul O’Neill) as covered by Time Magazine.
"The world's most powerful finance minister and one of the world's biggest rock stars are on a grueling, 10-day race through Ghana, South Africa,
Uganda and Ethiopia that will bring them face to face with grinding poverty in a region home to 70% of the world's cases of AIDS as well as
controversial development projects designed to alleviate the suffering."
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Whether it is in America or abroad, now or in the future, having the chance to help people solve their problems makes a difference and shows you care. But, in order to best help others, professional training and credentials are necessary. The MPA or MPP degree provides you with the skills and experience required to make a concrete, long-lasting difference in the world.
Bill Gates knows this as his foundation has hired MPA’s & MPP’s for key roles in their quest to eradicate poverty, improve health for millions and offer hope for those less fortunate. (See more on Gates Foundation) http://www.gatesfoundation.org/default
Problems and People that Matter
What makes a professional career in public service so unique is the emphasis on tackling "problems that matter”-- the challenging issues that define the public agenda and call for talented individuals to devote their efforts to finding solutions. Here are just a few:
- Managing climate change & controlling underlying causes like carbon emissions
- Supplying food, energy & clean water to people in developing countries
- Securing nations against chemical, biological and nuclear terrorism
- Ending the epidemic of HIV infection
- Providing quality education and health care to children living in poverty.
These high profile problems are only a piece of the entire picture of public service. Many worthwhile jobs and careers are devoted to providing vital daily services to the public in cities, counties, states and nations around the world.
Professionals in these careers often must tackle very challenging problems such as expanding services to meet the needs of changing populations without necessarily raising taxes, implementing information technologies to better connect citizens to their governments, and improving responses to natural disasters. Employment demand for professionals to provide leadership, financial management, policy analysis and other such skills has never been stronger. Individuals with MPA or MPP degrees who are working in these fields are doing well and using their skills and knowledge to make change.
Challenges of the New Public Sector...& Public Service
The "new public sector" refers to the complex network of relationships among organizations that has emerged over the past thirty years in response to the realities of today's public policy and public administration needs.
Whereas a public service career once meant government employment, it is now recognized to involve the connections between nonprofits, international NGOs, the private sector, governments, and universities. Persons employed in any of these types of organizations have highly productive careers that contribute directly to the public good. Having your MPA or MPP degree lets you succeed sooner and rise higher as you have the credentials, confidence and training to do so.
Public service lets you make a difference on the problems that matter. You can change the world in ways not yet dreamed of by Bono, Bill Gates and thousands of others who are working, living and loving public service.