Globcal:
Starting Locally…Thinking Globally
The technology era has an enormous impact in breaking the barrier of distance while encouraging participation in international programs and initiatives. It sparks the passion of individuals in the international community to learn about the culture of Saudi Arabia through the variety of civil society initiatives which flourish via Facebook and Twitter.
“It is commonly known that Saudi Arabia is the source of black gold, but what else do others know about us?!” says Mohammad Bakhrieba. “This is why I decided to launch the ‘Call of Culture’ initiative, a call for individuals to take the lead in fulfilling their natural mission towards the global society.” He explains that influential initiatives are usually based on scientific studies in order to quantify goals, therefore he devised a questionnaire to measure Saudi youth’s understanding of their Saudi culture. Unfortunately, the dominance of western culture in media and social networks has resulted in misconceptions about local Saudi culture. This idea is the first social project of an international group founded by Globcal 22 DESTINATION JEDDAH
International to advance intellectual communication. The word ‘Globcal’ is a combination of the words Global and Local. This means that everyone has a role locally and globally; the duty to answer this global call is imperative in order to unify the world. This all volunteer project hopes to empower the youth of Saudi Arabia to communicate proudly and effectively on the world stage. Bakhrieba first promoted the idea in Italy, then came back home and re-launched it in TEDx. The project will be launched in Naples 2.0 – International Social Innovation Conference, organized by the EU Commission for Social Development. After the project is completed, he plans to send CDs to all Saudi students abroad to learn about their culture and start their role in promoting it internationally. “It’s a BIG BANG project and we are looking forward to making it happen!” he says enthusiastically. “Just remember, every one of us has a role in the development and well being of world societies…both locally and internationally.” https://www.facebook.com/ pages/Ambassador-MohammadBakhrieba/172235456448