Afghan/American culture exchange project started its first
individual Skype meetings last week. 7 Afghan girls and 7 American girls have
paired up for an exciting and productive cultural interaction. This project’s
goal is to increase the awareness about different cultures around the world. Although we all
live in one planet, it unbelievable how different our life styles are and
within this differences, it is always joyful to find the similarities.
Maryam Danish, one of
the Afghan girls said she believes that the geographical borders cannot put a
boundary on her knowledge about the world. She is willing to make friends from
all over the world regardless of their different backgrounds. She also emphasized on how vital it is to
stay connected with different people around the world because different cultures could learn a great deal from each
other. Moreover, she is very curious to explore about the fundamental factors that had shaped American culture. She said: “I want to find how they (Americans)
changed their country into a better one. I am especially interested in
cultural, educational and social factors… I want to know how the community
behaves with women and deal with female issues.”
Margie Hemp, a student in St. Timothy’s from United States is also a student that has volunteered for the cultural exchange project. When
I asked her for the reason she joined this project, she replied: “I hope to
gain a friend and lots of knowledge about other cultures. I really want to make
connections and see how things differ from America to the other country. I want
to go “WOW”. ” Margie is also looking forward to learning about how Afghan
culture look at different factors such as, marriages, homosexuality, women’s situation, animals' condition, daily
life, manners, superstitions, transportation and other factors that play crucial role in Afghan culture.
These students regardless of the busy schedule and bad
internet connections have started this project strongly. They are all
super-excited to explore about each other cultures and show the different side
of story that people usually ignore. Keep of the good work girls, I am proud of
you!
Hi Fatima, these are some great questions and topics to start with! The blog looks great. I am so excited to see what is in store for all you ladies! :) Mrs. Harrison
ReplyDeleteHi Fatima, I have heard a lot of wonderful things about you from Mrs. Harrison (I am lucky enough to have her for a daughter-in-law). This is a wonderful thing you are doing. People need to learn about each other's cultures and come to respect each other even if we disagree. Good luck! Janette Henderson
ReplyDeleteHello, Fatima! I was very excited when I saw Mrs. Harrison's link to your blog, as I think that cultural awareness is vastly under-emphasized in the United States. In the summer of 2009, I taught at a private boarding program that was a mix of American and international students. One student was from Afghanistan and wore a hijab, which should have been no big deal. However, she encountered difficulty in making friends, and would often sit with staff members at lunch. While I enjoyed our lunches, she may not have been forced to eat with us had the other students learned not to judge her for or be intimidated by her hijab through this type of program.
ReplyDeleteI am very impressed with this cultural sharing effort you're spearheading--rock on!
Best, Christine Sloan-Ward (Mrs. Harrison's former classmate)
Thank you everybody for your comments. It is great how supportive you are. Ms. Harrison! Thank you for sharing the blog with your friends and families. Now, I am even more excited to write my the next post. :)
ReplyDeleteHello Fatima,
ReplyDeleteThis would be a wonderful opportunity for both Afghan and American students to learn and explore different possibilities and perspectives. I remember that the first year of college was very challenging for me not because of classes but more because of lack of understanding the culture. I wish I had this experience in my high school.
Best,