Sharing good news with the world

The rescue of 33 trapped Chilean miners captured the attention of the world this week, and it was another reminder of how interconnected we all are.

If you haven’t turned on a television or picked up a newspaper in the last two months, here’s a quick summary of what you missed:

After a mine in Chile caved in on the fifth of August, 33 miners were trapped in a cave half a mile under solid rock. It took a long 17 days for crews to make contact with the men through a narrowly drilled hole. After confirmation of life was received, it took another 53 days to free all the men, weeks faster than the original estimate of four months! New York Times interactive bios

The AP photo on the right shows Chilean President Sebastian Pinera holding up confirmation of life in August.

What the past few days have taught us is that the world is ready to gather together to share in good news. Millions of people watched on their televisions, and stayed updated on the Internet, as one by one, the men surfaced and hugged their loved ones. And they all sighed in relief when the rescuers—who had ventured into the cave during the rescue—surfaced safely.

We don’t often receive international news in the U.S., unless it’s about a terrorist threat in Europe or an ecological disaster in Hungary. But what this experience has shown us is that we are ready to share in the joy of other countries!

While we celebrate Chile’s victory today, let’s keep an eye to the future. It’s time to rejoice in international successes. Globalization isn’t just about unifying countries for commerce; it’s about unifying countries in spirit.

Keep it up World; keep the good news coming!