With consequential midterm elections, landmark Supreme Court decisions, and intensifying economic woes, 2022 was a year in which the attention of many Americans was focused on domestic issues. Yet events beyond America’s borders demand the attention of more than just politicians, diplomats and policymakers.

In his farewell address, George Washington famously warned the nation of the “insidious wiles of foreign influence,” arguing that “[t]he great rule of conduct for us in relation to foreign nations is … to have with them as little political connection as possible.” The world in which we now live, however, is an unavoidably interconnected world in which the choices of one nation have not just an effect on its own citizens or its geographical neighbors, but on the global system.

Nowhere is this more readily seen than in the multiple global crises exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Americans have certainly felt the pinch of inflation on their budgets when it comes to increased prices of food products. Globally, however, the situation is far worse. The World Food Programme reports that 345 million people across 82 countries face acute food insecurity, while the International Monetary Fund reports that food “supply constraints could … [keep] prices elevated for the next few quarters.”

Rising inflation has also been significantly affected by the war, particularly for those in Europe, where “the war has led to a 30% increase in oil prices, a 90% increase in European gas prices, and a 17% increase in food prices.” Furthermore, ongoing Federal Reserve rate hikes continue to have profound ripple effects throughout the global economy.

While the war in Ukraine and its wide-reaching effects continue to dominate headlines, democratic ideals took an unequivocal nosedive in other parts of the world. In Iran, the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for purported violations of Iran’s dress code for women sparked massive protests and resulted in the unprecedented expelling of Iran from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

In Nigeria, the forced termination of at least 10,000 pregnancies (and probably many more) in women and girls taken by Boko Haram – and perpetrated by their rescuers, the Nigerian military – was brought to light in a recent Reuters special investigation. A subsequent report released a few days later revealed the additional deaths of thousands of children, also at the hands of the Nigerian military, in the Nigerian government’s war against Boko Haram.

Events like these led the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance to declare the following about the state of democracy in 2022:

Half of democratic governments around the world are in decline, undermined by problems ranging from restrictions on freedom of expression to distrust in the legitimacy of elections. … The number of backsliding countries – those with the most severe democratic erosion – is at its peak and includes the established democracy of the United States, which still faces problems of political polarization, institutional dysfunction, and threats to civil liberties. Globally, the number of countries moving toward authoritarianism is more than double the number moving toward democracy.

What do these events mean – and what should they mean – for American citizens?

First, an awareness of foreign affairs, such as economic turmoil or conflict in other parts of the world, can help us anticipate what to expect in the future. Conflict or tensions involving major oil import partners of the U.S., such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia, for instance, could result in higher prices at the gas pump and prompt American families to plan for those higher costs. The same principle applies to the aforementioned food crisis and subsequent rise in prices at the grocery store and shortages of certain items.

Second, significant international events, and more importantly, how the United States and its elected leaders respond to them, should inform our own democratic engagement and voting choices at home. Are you unhappy with how the current administration has handled the pandemic, or with the massive federal government spending taking place in the past several years? Then vote accordingly. Do you have concerns about how the U.S. is perceived abroad, or with its approach to foreign policy? Then vote accordingly.

Third, an awareness of international affairs, and particularly an awareness of the suffering of others (of which, sadly, there is no shortage), can and should engender greater compassion individually, in families, and in communities. We may not be in a position to directly reach out to or help those we read about in the news, but compassion toward anyone, including those within our own household or sphere of influence, is never wasted. That said, many nonprofits and humanitarian aid organizations have begun developing ways for individuals to donate funds for specifically earmarked projects or products, such as paying for a month’s worth of education costs for a student.

Finally, an awareness of what’s happening beyond our borders should foster a deep and abiding appreciation for the extraordinary rights, privileges and liberties that our nation has enjoyed for nearly a quarter millennium. As William Faulkner wrote in his 1956 Harper’s Magazine essay, “On Fear,” “We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” The practice of our freedom must first begin with our recognition of it, then appreciation for it. And there may be no more poignant way to gain appreciation for something than to witness the detrimental results of its absence, either in our own lives or in the lives of others.

May 2023 be a year in which we seek greater awareness of what’s happening in the world around us, and may that awareness be followed by prudent planning, informed engagement, increased compassion, and deeper gratitude for the blessings of liberty that we currently enjoy.