- Introduction of fellows and partners. Institute of International Education. 12 Sept. 2011
They are here. The UNAOC fellows from Middle East – North Africa have finally landed in New York last weekend and are ready for an intense trip across US and Europe. They symbolically arrived the day before 9/11 tenth anniversary. More than a coincidence this precise date of arrival sets the tone of the journey that is about to begin for those ten young Arab leaders.
The 911 attacks changed the world and the UNAOC has been created in the aftermath of it. The Alliance’s first mission has since been to overcome the sadness, the misconceptions, and the accumulation of fears this event has generated between the West and the Middle East.
The fellowship finds its roots in this very altruistic goal. Such a program aims to deconstruct stereotypes and to contribute to a better understanding between cultures, peoples and societies.
The goal of this two part trip across the United States and Europe, and across the Middle East later, is to build a more inclusive society where difference is seen as an asset and not as an issue. A pluralistic approach is going to be a central part of the learning process. It is a necessity for the leaders of tomorrow to acknowledge and to transcend the difficulties they will encounter in trying to translate pluralism into positive political decisions.
During an intimate introductory meeting, partners and fellows got the chance to exchange their views on the program and to discuss their expectations. Representatives of the UNAOC, the British Council, the Institute of International Education, and the ISESCO/OIC all agreed on the same idea: the aim of such fellowship is to build a solid network where people share the vision of a society where everyone has a place. They also expressed the necessity to extend this program to other countries in the region in order to welcome more young leaders from different parts of the Middle East. Both partners and fellows shared the view that focusing on media should be considered as a keystone of the intercultural bridge they are trying to build together. It is crucial to reach wider public audiences with such messages.
- Introduction of fellows and partners. Institute of International Education. 12 Sept. 2011
Jean Christophe Bas (Senior Adviser, Strategic Developments and Partnerships, UNAOC) quoted William Fulbright to illustrate the spirit of such intercultural exchange program “We live in a world of diversity. The legitimate, realistic aim of international education and leadership is neither to convert nor indoctrinate, but rather to encourage empathy and understanding between cultures.”
The IIE representative clearly emphasized the role MENA fellows could have in the US. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in the country if it wants to fully understand what is happening right now in the Middle East with the Arab Spring. But she also acknowledged that American society is a melting pot and is not easy to understand. She told the group “The more you’ll see, the more you’ll get confused… So… Have a wonderful confusing time!!”
Most of the fellows are themselves active members of their own country’s civil society. Such engagement has been for some of them directly linked to 9/11 and its consequences on US Middle Eastern policies. Therefore, they have also expressed very clear expectations about the program.
They also mentioned their will to free Arab and Islamic terminology from misconceptions and to find a way to redefine those terms; and why not, to deconstruct stereotypes between Arabs themselves. They also talked about the idea to create virtual spaces of encounter for the Arab and global youth and the possibility to train bloggers on intercultural dialogue.
They finally concluded by saying that this trip will be a great opportunity for them to experience American and European societies, not only at both an elite and government levels, but also from inside.
Paloma Haschke