You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.
Well, at least Gandhi thought so, and I tend to find him wiser than most.
This week's reflection rambles on primarily about what it means to come to the table, to negotiate, discuss, play your hand, compare, and exchange ideas with people that see the world through different lenses. Mainly though, what's important is how such "open-handed" interactions foster a deeper understanding between seemingly irreconcilable viewpoints.
Well, at least Gandhi thought so, and I tend to find him wiser than most.
This week's reflection rambles on primarily about what it means to come to the table, to negotiate, discuss, play your hand, compare, and exchange ideas with people that see the world through different lenses. Mainly though, what's important is how such "open-handed" interactions foster a deeper understanding between seemingly irreconcilable viewpoints.
It comes as a response to the diversity of interactions and engagements I've witnessed, experienced, and thought about over the last few weeks while navigating life in Amman. Simply put, one will not enjoy living abroad if the majority of time is spent fighting what is different...because well, it will be. Get used to a different concept of time. Get used to standing out. Get used to being asked personal questions regarding your salary, relationship status, or if you've gained/lost weight. Savor the hummous as if you haven't been allowed to eat it for 100 years. Enjoy spontaneous tea-time with random new friends. Never wait in line again! Start thinking about how to break that 50 dinar note days ahead of when you'll need taxi money. Relax a little, and unclench that fist! Enjoy being a little more out of control in your life, and learn to accept what you can't change. Easily respond like a local. When in Jordan, do as the Jordanians do!
"Foreigners"...as if people couldn't tell :)
Overall, within an anarchic system in which traditional identities of nation-states are changing due to the fluctuating demographics of its citizens, Gandhi's words come as a timely reminder. People from all parts of the world are living in closer, more intimate conditions. Tensions naturally exist in heterogeneous societies. Thus, pluralism is hardly a comfortable state of existence, but it's something that the United States and most "Western" countries possess an odd amount of pride in maintaining. Despite this however, "Islamophobia" (as the August 2010 Time cover-story established) is running unchecked, not only by leaders within our government, but perhaps more disturbingly, by our own citizenry! As demonstrated by the banning of the hijab in France, the threat to burn Qur'ans out of revenge in Florida, and the recent outrage of some Americans regarding plans to build a mosque near ground zero, the opportunity to develop common ground is lost out of the divisive nature of ideological struggle. Very few people are pausing to reassess their emotional responses and hasty generalizations, deciding instead to swallow what the media gives them - sensational accounts of jihad, terrorists, and women-haters; a minority group of Believers who while cloaking themselves in the words of Islam, ironically fail to embody the pillars of the Islamic faith and instead use it to justify political agendas. It's a travesty that gives peace-loving Believers a bad image in the eyes of the rest of the world.
Also, my thoughts stem from frustration regarding the hatred, fear, racism, and stereotyping found between the lines of any headline around the world. They're easy to buy into if you don't feel like making the effort to ask questions, find out about someone else's way of life, or seek to understand the relative hierarchy of values. Shake those hands, (unless of course its rude to do so in the particular culture in which you find yourself) and re-evaluate your own "common sense" ideas about the world. And do it regularly, or risk personal stagnation and cultural insensitivity to say the least...
Overall, within an anarchic system in which traditional identities of nation-states are changing due to the fluctuating demographics of its citizens, Gandhi's words come as a timely reminder. People from all parts of the world are living in closer, more intimate conditions. Tensions naturally exist in heterogeneous societies. Thus, pluralism is hardly a comfortable state of existence, but it's something that the United States and most "Western" countries possess an odd amount of pride in maintaining. Despite this however, "Islamophobia" (as the August 2010 Time cover-story established) is running unchecked, not only by leaders within our government, but perhaps more disturbingly, by our own citizenry! As demonstrated by the banning of the hijab in France, the threat to burn Qur'ans out of revenge in Florida, and the recent outrage of some Americans regarding plans to build a mosque near ground zero, the opportunity to develop common ground is lost out of the divisive nature of ideological struggle. Very few people are pausing to reassess their emotional responses and hasty generalizations, deciding instead to swallow what the media gives them - sensational accounts of jihad, terrorists, and women-haters; a minority group of Believers who while cloaking themselves in the words of Islam, ironically fail to embody the pillars of the Islamic faith and instead use it to justify political agendas. It's a travesty that gives peace-loving Believers a bad image in the eyes of the rest of the world.
And so the cycle continues.
It's interesting, this week in class, a woman pursuing her Master's came in to talk to my peers and I about our motives for not only studying abroad, but why we chose to study in the "Middle East." First off, I'd like to note that this woman, however unintentionally, qualified Jordan as representing the entire region by this simple statement. That provides a fair amount of insight by itself, and its strange how eerily familiar this sounds...people talk about Africa with this exact same tone. ["You mean Africa is a multi-national continent with an incredible spectrum of cultures and history? surprise!]. In any case, apparently the number of students abroad in Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan has increased by nearly 200% since 2001. Go figure. In any case, while impressive, when the figures are placed in context with the overall growth of students studying abroad in general, participation level continues to hover in the 1-3% range of selected study abroad programs. During the discussion, the more we talked, the more we realized that in coming to Jordan, we all had to disregard the fears, concerns, or assumptions of a friend, family member, or significant mentor. NO, I don't have to wear a burqa to class, and I'm not going to get stoned if I'm caught out of bed past curfew! Excuse me, but Jordan is not Syria, nor Lebanon, nor Egypt. Egypt is not Iraq, or Saudi Arabia, Yemen, or the UAE! And we haven't even touched Israel or Palestine yet...
Let's face it, from the moment we become cognizant of our position in society, we learn to categorize people in order to simplify the incredible intricacies that surround us. What we overlook is how dehumanizing such a methods of conceptualization can be. I easily think back to junior high where jocks, nerds, goths, band kids, preps, hicks, and "natives" coldly demonstrates the average teenager's tenuous grasp on identity. Now, having lived abroad for the last five months, I feel like I've become hyper-aware of the degree to which my categorical lenses and value hierarchies have been constructed in seeing the world. Also, I've seen how people have been taught or have learned how to think about ME. And I'm left to wonder...do people change much from those original ruthless and impressionable years of youth? Or are we just getting better at disguising it out of necessity and political correctness?
Fortunately, in my experience, the significant complexities of not only relationships between nations in the Middle East, but also within the very domestic framework of each nation continues to lure curious students the world over. However, the "Middle East," with the multitude of identities lumped into a single term, generally tempts over-simplification and perpetuates overarching notions for the entire region...
Let's face it, from the moment we become cognizant of our position in society, we learn to categorize people in order to simplify the incredible intricacies that surround us. What we overlook is how dehumanizing such a methods of conceptualization can be. I easily think back to junior high where jocks, nerds, goths, band kids, preps, hicks, and "natives" coldly demonstrates the average teenager's tenuous grasp on identity. Now, having lived abroad for the last five months, I feel like I've become hyper-aware of the degree to which my categorical lenses and value hierarchies have been constructed in seeing the world. Also, I've seen how people have been taught or have learned how to think about ME. And I'm left to wonder...do people change much from those original ruthless and impressionable years of youth? Or are we just getting better at disguising it out of necessity and political correctness?
Fortunately, in my experience, the significant complexities of not only relationships between nations in the Middle East, but also within the very domestic framework of each nation continues to lure curious students the world over. However, the "Middle East," with the multitude of identities lumped into a single term, generally tempts over-simplification and perpetuates overarching notions for the entire region...
Which is why I'm glad to have met many Muslim Jordanians, who practically kill you with kindness, either by stuffing you with home-cooked food, or driving you home to the opposite side of Amman just so you won't have to take another taxi that day.
SO, more than anything, its time to approach the table and start the dialog. Right where you are. Right now. TALK and LISTEN.
I absolutely believe that diplomacy begins with fostering relationships...And THAT makes it possible for even one person to truly change the world.
So what are we waiting for?
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