fighting cynicism

so here i am, in a harry potter like college, surrounded by clever people, fed excessively and with the chance to see friends (that is without a doubt one of my biggest treats), but i derail...
when i started university, i knew minute 5 that the topic was not for me, so when i finished my four years (found my best friend along so can't complain) i moved country and studied politics (in short); after several intern type jobs, i landed in my ideal job where i met (more friends and my other half) some very interesting, intelligent and powerful people, also travelled widely around the world and had the chance to encounter and get to know very brave human rights defenders; then decided to do 'the field' as a matter of personal and professional coherence
through all of that experience, i would say that i have become relatively well acquainted with the realities of the world, be it culturally, religiously, politically, economically and that i now have a fairly good idea of how the world (really) works
the trouble is that my idealist side has been punched in the face so many times, cynicism (although a certain amount is needed for survival) is kinda taking hold of me...to the point of rendering me prisoner, and therefore (completely?) ineffective
the professors we have here are trying very hard and to some extent (un)successfully to encourage their students to take up the issue and BELIEVE in (let's call it) the human rights project, not with naivety, but with determination, "it is a long term process" as they say
it is not, by any means, that i don't tend to agree with them, but i really am finding a hard time finding the 'entry point', the motivation, the strength, the will
i am good at what i do, and yet i know i am not being as good as i could be precisely because of this feeling of "and what's that going to change anyway?", namely, precisely the attitude all human rights defenders (hrd) fight against in their societies; so when we are all paranoid about all these terrible terrorist coming to take our wealth and tranquility, some hrd actually get worried about the rights of some of those (think Guantanamo bay, renditions, torture, etc) to the dismay of some (why would anybody care about THEM?)....well....because the principles and what we stand for is what will distinguish the 'civilized' societies (and i use the word with very much cynicism, but that's for another post)..... i derail again
my point? i'm not sure...while i do perfectly realise that cynicism in not the answer, good for me, let alone my job, i really am finding it extremely difficult to see the rosy side of things.....
does anybody have any suggestion?