"Education for Human Freedom also Means Education for Human Community." These are the words of William Cronon in his article, "Qualities of the Liberally Educated Person." He spoke of the need for people to be liberally educated in order to solve the problem of HIV/AIDS.

The truth of the statement struck me because I had read an article on the indigenous people of Latin America, specifically the Zapatistas and I was also able to recognize the reality that that they can only achieve success in their struggle for equality and autonomy if they educate the majority of the Mexican people on how the democratization of their country and their struggle for their human rights are interdependent.

The Zapatistas, although marginalized and poverty-stricken were able to organize and through the internet and town hall meetings, help of priests, and the use of local and international media were able to begin the education of the Mexican people and increase the latter's social, environmental, and civic awareness.

Liberal education can start the solution to ethnic wars: Serbs vs. Kosovo, Israeli's vs. Palestinians, Muslim Extremist vs. Americans; Chinese govt. vs. Tibetans. Heads of States, government officials may be stubborn but if its citizens are liberally educated; they can put a stop to these wars. Throughout history, governments have never supported peace. It is up to its citizens to pressure its government for peace. It is up to a strong international community, trade organizations, human rights group to pressure governments for peace.

There are a lot of studies that promote intercultural understanding or the recognition that human freedom can only be possible when there is autonomy and people are able to maintain their ethnicity. But who reads these journals? Who knows about them?

How can people be liberally educated? Educational institutions can include it as part of the curriculum even for the science, engineering, computer, and management majors. How about those people who cannot go to college? The internet has been a powerful media used by Terrorists. If indigenous people like the Zapatistas, who lack the economic power and are marginalized by their governments can use the internet to improve their country; why can't we, who belong to the majority of our country and have means to do so not organize and promote liberal education and intercultural understanding through the internet?

Aside from sales and marketing purposes, we should use the internet for improving the world. There are millions of people with blogs, personal websites, Friendster, Facebook and MySpace accounts. Why not spread the idea around? The rise of online communities, signify that people want to be connected; they want other people to care for them; to visit their websites and validate them. For other people to care; you must care about them too.

Finally, the internet gave ordinary people like us the means to join groups that advocate for the environment, AIDS/HIV research, human rights and other worthy causes. We can give donations. Most importantly, civic communities through the internet give ordinary and busy people like us the means to avoid depression, self-absorption, boredom, ignorance, limited world view and feeling of isolation and lack of meaning in our lives.