Global Journal Vol 2 Issue I Spring 2017

GLOBAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS PUBLICATION

VOL 2 ISSUE 1 SPRING 2017

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About Global Journal Insign to our vision

Global Journal is a Northeastern University International Affairs student-run publication, covering international news, events on campus, study abroad, as well as domestic and international co-ops. Founded in 2014 by Madlen Gubernick, Elizabeth Zona, and Yasmeen Alhaj, the student group aims to bring the international community together through experiential narratives.

Because being a Northeastern student inevitably implies international interest and awareness, Global Journal encourages students of all disciplines to participate in the student group. Global Journal is comprised not only of international affairs students, but journalism, political science, business, health education and art students as well.

We believe that as Northeastern students, we are all global citizens with vast international experience: Global Journal gives students the platform to share those experiences with the rest of the community. We hope to inspire students of all disciplines to partake in building international bridges to help promote our global experiences.

Copyright Š 2017 All rights reserved

Staff Writers

Photographers

Alessandra Grillo

Bobby Namdar

Allegra Mangione

Daphne Apostolidis

Alyssa Bilotta

Funmi Peters Elegba

Brittany McWilliams

Gianmarco Vella

Caitlin Do

Juan Lopez

Chelsea Lauder

Lydia Ioannidou

Connie Dayina

Matthew MacCormack

Connor Sadler

Oona Barbieri Pavolini

Devin Windelspecht

Sahar Salari

Francesca Batault

Yasmeen AlHaj

Hammed Oseni

Zoe Murphy

Illeana Cortessi Kayla O’Neil Marie Schulte-Bockum Matthew MacCormack Max Read Monika Khatuja Nina Rossiter Peter Vaselkiv Sarah Tyrrell Sharabh Kochar Zoe Murphy

Cover photo taken by Matt McCormack

Meet the team Members of the board

Madlen Gubernick Founder, President, & Editor in Chief. International Affairs Major, Journalism & Global Social Entrepreneurship Minors From: Brooklyn, New York

Elizabeth Zona Co-Founder & President of Finance.

Business Administration Major, dual Concentration in Marketing & MIS From: Maplewood, New Jersey

Sarah Zaatar President of Marketing Business Administration Major, dual Concentration in Entrepreneurship & Marketing From: Dubai, UAE

Yasmeen Alhaj Co-Founder & Managing Editor Sociology & Global Social Entrepreneurship Minors From: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Kathleen Brody President of Communications International Affairs & Human Services Major, Spanish Minors From: Summit, New Jersey

Audrey Pence Editor International Affairs Major & Arabic Minor From: Arlington, Virginia

Lydia Ioannidou Print Design Chair Design Major with Concentration in Graphic and Information Design From: Athens, Greece

Jeremy Love-Epp Editor Environmental Studies & International Affairs Majors, International Security Studies Minor From: Raytown, Missouri

Olivia Pickard Social Media Chair International Business Major, International Affairs & Human Services Minors From: Boston, Massachusetts

Rachel Abastillas Fundraising Chair International Affairs Major & Law and Public Policy, Political science and Social Entrepreneurship Minors From: California, US

Mikaela Cole Recruitment Chair International Affairs Major, Concentration in Latin America From: Huntington Beach, California

Mary Cehn Promotional Chair International Affairs & Political Science Major From: San Diego, California

Gabriela Beatham-Garcia Distribution Chair International Affairs Major, International Security Minor From: Madrid, Spain

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Table of Contents

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Americas Studying Abroad: Pura Vida?

Artificial Lifts and Spanish Por Qué Vuelvo: Why I’m Going Back to Argentina Importance of Global Perspective Is Democratization Good for Women?

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Asia Community Philanthropy in a Global Setting To Be a Traveler in Your Own Home The Danger of a Single Story

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Africa It Takes A Village: I am. You are.

You Don’t Know Anything, Try to Learn Something Nursing Assistant or Friend?

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Europe Apprehension and Excitement in Greece Lessons From the United Nations Leap of Faith The End of Asylum

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Middle East On the Edge of Syria The Case for Dialogue National Remembrance in Israel

Letter from the Founders

It’s hard to say goodbye to Global Journal. It’s been at the core of everything I’ve accomplished at Northeastern, and will continue to be the foundation for much of the work I hope to accomplish in the future. Before saying goodbye, there are so many people I want to thank for supporting this project.

Thank you to every student who has written for the journal. Your stories are powerful and they have contributed immensely to our community.

Don’t stop traveling- and don’t stop writing!

Thank you to every student who has participated as part of our eBoard- designers, fundraisers, promoters, marketers, social media managers, and more. Your dedication to our mission allowed us to gain exposure, share our impact and engage with the community in ways we couldn’t have ever imagined. Thank you to our editors, Jeremy, Audrey, Olivia and Caroline. Each of you were at our first ever info session, and have dedicated every semester since then to the journal.

Thank you to the various staff and faculty that have supported us throughout the years.

Joani, Rebecca, Nora, Sarah and of course, our beloved Faculty Advisor, Jon, thank you for always supporting and encouraging us to do our

best. Thank you to the executive team. Elizabeth and Yasmeen who founded this group with me three years ago- thank you for being my partners in crime. Without you, Global Journal wouldn’t exist.

Lastly, thank you to every student who has picked up a copy and read the journal.

Your

support over the past three years has allowed us to share hundreds of stories that would have otherwise gone untold.

Global storytelling is so immensely powerful.

We are all global citizens, and we all have stories worth telling. If I have learned anything during my time as President and Editor in Chief of Global Journal, it is that we need to experience, reflect and read more. As Northeastern students, we all have tremendous amounts of valuable experiences. Whether it be from co-op, study abroad, or participating on campus, each of us have our own story to tell- and it is our responsibility to make sure our stories are heard.

We need to continue valuing the stories of others.

By writing, reading and sharing

experiences, we can find the similarities that bring us together, and the differences that make us all uniquely beautiful.

Sincerely, Maddie Gubernick

It’s crazy to see how far you can go with a simple idea. The goal with Global Journal was to bring a community of students together, who share a love for travelling and storytelling.

This community has grown so quickly in such a short amount of time. While it is sad for me to be leaving such an amazing group, I’m excited to see what changes will be brought to the table!

Being an international student from Saudi Arabia, there were many challenges while acclimating to living in the US. With time, I grew to find a passion for different cultures. I’ve found that being on such a diverse campus has helped me with relating to people from different backgrounds.

Global

Journal

has

brought

people from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences around the world. While each experience is unique in it’s own way, it’s beautiful to see how similar we all are despite the many differences.

As Maddie has mentioned, thank you to the students and faculty that have worked tirelessly

Maddie and Elizabeth – it’s been a lovely journey with you two. Thinking back to when this was just an idea, and how scared and clueless we were at the start, I’m so proud of how far we’ve come (as teammates, students, and people).

I am so grateful to have had the chance to work with such wonderful people. Finally, thank you to my parents for their endless support and encouragement.

To any student with an idea they’d like to create, I have one message for you: go for it. You will accomplish great things, and if there is a will, there is a way. My experience with Global Journal showed me that there is no better feeling than seeing your dream turn into a tangible reality After all,

“

The starting point of all achievement is desire.

”

- Napoleon Hiil.

behind the scenes to help make this dream a reality. Thank you to our readers. Thank you to our friends who have stuck by us and encouraged us when times were tough.

Sincerely, Yasmeen AlHaj

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Photo by Daphne Apostolidis

Photos by Lydia Ioannidou

Studying Abroad: Pura Vida?

Story by Chelsea Lauder, Study Abroad

Starting a new journey is something to be both

explored the city of San Jose, and relaxed in natural

excited and nervous about. Leaving your home,

hot springs. Each of these adventures has brought

whether that’s Northeastern or family, is a scary

me happiness and fueled my curiosity.

experience; but, the emotion that comes with

Throughout my experience, however, I’ve also

exploring new places, learning new things, and

struggled to make sense of what studying abroad

going on adventures is so positively overwhelming.

really means. Is it about the adventure? The classes?

Before I left in January, I made a list of the things

The passport stamps? It has been incredibly difficult

I wanted to do in Costa Rica. My list included

to make sense of my experiences and contrast

extreme adventures like skydiving, swimming

them to the “ideal study abroad experience.” At

with animals, hiking through the rain forest, and

this point, I’ve realized that “studying abroad” can

climbing a volcano. Eight weeks later, as I’m two-

mean whatever the student wants; it can provide

thirds of the way through, I reflect on what I have

whatever experiences the student allows. As “global

accomplished. I have been to both oceans, seen

students,” we are not confined to a strict, copy and

and climbed volcanoes, swam in an aqua blue river,

paste experience. Instead, we have the opportunity

boated through a remote river village, hung out

to push ourselves and the people around us to have

at the beach, travelled to neighboring Nicaragua,

the best experience we can, whatever that may be.

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Photo by Bobby Namdar Photos by Lydia Ioannidou

With four weeks left of my time here in Costa Rica,

one more experience I’m pushing myself to create.

I’m working to create the experience that I want

My first few days in Costa Rica came with a

to create: to go on adventures, meet new people,

lot of advice and information and one specific

and learn new things. To take advantage of the

conversation stuck with me. I was told to stay open-

intelligent people that surround me: my fellow

minded about the people, food, and adventures; to

students, teachers, supervisors, and locals. They will

listen to myself, while also listening and appreciating

help me to create what I want to create. As I work

others; and to open myself up to life and let the

to create this experience, I expect the space around

good things happen, and if they don’t, make them

me will alter my experience in both negative and

happen. I encourage those who are in the midst

positive ways-and this is okay.

or have had these experiences tobyreflect and think Photo Lydia Ioannidou

Costa Rica has a mantra- Pura Vida. This phrase

about what experience you created.

is so ingrained into my experience that whatever

And to those who are considering studying

happens, even if it’s not what I expect, will still be

abroad, I encourage you to think about this advice

worthwhile. Allowing myself to fall into the cultures

and make something happen.

is equally as important to me as the classes and adventures. To adopt the Pura Vida lifestyle is just

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The Global Journal | Americas

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

FARC - Colombia Peace Agreement Story by Brittany McWilliams, Student Research

For my capstone research, I am focusing on

running civil war, but it also has beamed hope

the recent peace agreement that ended the fifty

onto many other armed conflicts around the

year long civil war between the FARC and the

world.

Colombian government. I think this is one of the

Many thought that this peace agreement

most relevant developments of my lifetime and

was not possible. The FARC has terrorized the

of modern history in general. Not only was this

people of Colombia for decades. They have been

historic because it ended the world’s longest

responsible for the death of over 200,000 people,

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the majority of whom were civilians. The conflict

the role of international actors in the negotiations

resulted in the internal displacement of millions

and the role of civil society.

of people. What’s more is the FARC had a well-

Norway and Cuba had the largest role in the

established and incredibly profitable illicit drug

negotiations, but Chile and Venezuela also played

trade in place.

a part. Because of the strong reinforcement that was provided and continues to be provided by these foreign actors, the peace deal became

“

possible and will continue to be effective. Cuba in particular played a vital role because of their tie

Many thought that this peace agreement was not possible

” Nevertheless, the negotiations were agreed upon and the Colombian people voted them into being. For my research, I have worked to explore why this seemingly impossible negotiation became possible and why it will continue to be successful.

Pinpointing the elements that made this process work is of the utmost importance because it will ultimately have such a wide applicability to armed conflicts around the world, particularly in Africa, but in other areas as well. Though there are many elements to these negotiations and their success, I look specifically at the role of third party actors in the success of the negotiations and the continued success of the transition period. When I say third party actors, I am making reference to those sets of actors that played a major role in the process but that were neither the FARC nor the Colombian government. I look specifically at

to the communist beliefs that ultimately spurred the creation of the FARC in the first place.

I have also focused on the role of civil society in making this process work. The peace negotiations took some progressive steps by including civil society voices, particularly voices from those portions of society that are typically underrepresented in government in general, much less in peace negotiations. Though the civil society groups were not at the negotiating table directly, they were given an important place in the process and allowed to openly share their opinions, findings, etc.

Civil society acts as a buffer between the people and the government, and it has been shown time and time again that the presence of a strong civil society is vital for a nation’s democratic success. By including these groups in the peace negotiations, the people of Colombia were given a voice. Because they had that role in the process, I argue that the future success of the agreements will be considerably greater. By including the voice of civil society, the chance that the people will feel disconnected, left out, or unheard is far less likely.

Ultimately, I want to show that because of the bolstering that has been provided by the international community and the Colombian civil society, the peace agreements were and will continue to be successful.

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The Global Journal | Americas

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

Artificial Lifts and Spanish

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

Story by Hammed Oseni, Co-op

If you would had told me during my freshmen year that I would be living and working for one of the largest oil and energy companies in the amazon region of Ecuador two years later, I wouldn’t have believed you. Now, as a fifth year, chemical engineering major, I’ve finished up my third co-op at Schlumberger. After discussing my interest in the oil and energy industry with Dean Richard Harris of the College of Engineering, he suggested I apply to Schlumberger (Big Blue). Taking the Dean’s advice, I applied to Schlumberger, along with a handful of other companies in the industry. I was pleased

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to accept an offer to move to Ecuador and start working with one of biggest names in the sector of my dreams.

My co-op with Schlumberger in Ecuador was my first experience not only working outside of the United States, but it was also my introduction to the oil and energy industry. I’ve always had an interest in the industry, and my co-op with Schlumberger’s Artificial Lift team allowed me to gain experience in the upstream sector I’ve always pictured myself in. While living in Ecuador, I was also able to gain experience outside of the oil and energy sector,

I was able to learn about different cultures and languages.

Going into my co-op, I had a very basic knowledge of the Spanish language- I knew how to count numbers, and how to say “I don’t speak Spanish”.

Because the official language of Schlumberger is English, I didn’t foresee my limited knowledge of Spanish being an issue. However, within the first week of my co-op, I found myself pulling out my phone and resorting to Google translate for help. I soon learned that improving my Spanish would not only assist me in the learning process, but would also allow me to develop a better rapport with some of my coworkers.

The learning curve proved to be a steep one. I found myself learning from the technicians who were speaking in Spanish, while assembling the artificial lift equipment, and having to read to get a better understanding of what I had seen earlier in day. With the help of online translators, and the supportive staff, I was able to gradually improve my Spanish. I was in a constant learning mode.

Every day, I found myself constantly reflecting on every interaction to understand what was going on around me.

From rotating around the different units in the artificial lift department, I not only picked up some Spanish, I also learned technical skills and was able to observe how the segments function as a whole.

The cultural adjustments didn’t stop there.

My work schedule was 20 & 8, meaning that I worked 20 days straight and got 8 days off. This was very different from the typical 9-5 hours I was accustomed to from my past internship experiences at Clariant and Bristol Myers Squibb in the United States. I experienced firsthand how different the lifestyle of a Field Engineer can be. This internship gave me a true sense of what it would be like to

work in the oil industry.

After 6 months of working in Ecuador, conversing in Spanish became easier and I learned how to find a balance with the Field Engineer lifestyle. During my breaks from work, I visited other parts of Ecuador and immersed myself in their culture.

At the end of my co-op, I reflected on my 6 months of living in Ecuador and I can say it was challengingbut worthwhile. Not only did I get my foot into the door in the industry I intend on building my career around, but I also met many supportive people along the way. Although many of our conversations got lost in translation, and living away from home wasn’t easy- it all made me a much stronger person.

My co-op allowed me to experience some of the challenges that come with my intended future career- a valuable opportunity that many postgrads don’t have the luxury to have. I picture myself having a global career in the future, working for an oil and energy company, like Schlumberger, and this experience reassured me of what kind of career I want. Living in Ecuador for the past 6 months has offered me a wealth of new and exciting experiences. During my 6 months in Ecuador, I’ve traveled to places I could have never imagined, experienced a range of different cultures, and spent time on a continent far away from home.

Working in the oil and energy industry is definitely not for everyone. To future co-op students looking for similar co-ops: you will be challenged and pushed outside your comfort zone, you will be away from your family and friends, and you will experience culture shock, but through it all, it is important to remain resilient and positive. Remain proactive about learning as much as possible, and assume positive intent in all your interactions. The experience is truly worth it and will prove worthwhile wherever you end up.

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Por Qué Vuelvo: Why I’m Going Back to Argentina Story by Matthew MacCormack, Dialogue of Civilizations

There was no shortage of incredible moments

in verb conjugation charts.

But five hours of

on my Dialogue to Argentina and Uruguay last

Spanish classes each day took the rust off quickly.

summer.

Even more, I had to find ways to communicate

I’ll never forget my excitement as our ferry

with my host family, with cab drivers and with

approached the Perito Moreno Glacier in

waiters at restaurants. With each interaction came

Patagonia: the feeling of wonder as the icy, blue

a newfound sense of confidence and belonging,

monstrosity took shape across the fog-cloaked

and by the end of the trip, I could actually hold

water of Lago Argentina. I can almost still feel the

solid conversations in a second language.

cobblestone streets of Colonia del Sacramento

If you can’t tell by now, I really, really enjoyed

against my feet, as friendly stray dogs brushed

my experiences in Argentina and Uruguay. I’d

against my legs, and the winds of the Rio de

venture to say it was, albeit cliché, the time of

Plata tussled my hair.

And what about the

life. So when the Dialogue’s instructor, Professor

dinner conversations with my host parents that

Claudia Sokol, approached me about returning

stretched late into the night, long after our plates

on the trip as a Teacher’s Assistant, I jumped at

were cleared and our glasses were empty? My

the chance.

roommates and I would do our best to navigate

I’ve been asked by several relatives and friends:

the Spanish dialogue, gaining confidence with

why would you go back to the same places?

each story swapped.

There’s a massive world out there that’s begging

Any student who has studied abroad can

to be explored; why not try going somewhere

understand: there’s nothing like having the

else? These are valid questions, but I have valid

opportunity to immerse oneself in a different

answers.

culture at such a young age. Although the

To start, having the chance to get another month

Dialogue only lasted a month, I got the chance to

of Spanish immersion was hard to pass up. The

explore the capital city of Buenos Aires for three

improvements I made from the start of my trip

weeks, meander through the historic port town

to the end were exponential, and I’m hoping to

of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, and take

build on that progress.

in the natural wonders of Patagonia. And that’s

Gaining new perspective is one of the most

without getting to the reason why I went to South

interesting parts of traveling. I’ve been outside

America in the first place: to hone my Spanish-

of the United States twice in my life, and each

speaking skills with native speakers.

time I was astounded by the number of people

For seven years I’d toiled away Spanish courses

who spoke fluent English. I only know a handful

in the classroom, with little to show for it other

of bilingual people in the States, which begs the

than a handful of vocabulary terms and scribbled-

question; if other cultures learn English, shouldn’t

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The Global Journal | Americas

Photo by Matt MacCormack

more Americans try to embrace the linguistics of

poignant note or lyric, you’ll understand why I’m

those other cultures? It’s always been a dream

going back. I was in complete awe of basically

of mine to achieve a working fluency in Spanish,

everything in Argentina and Uruguay the first

as mastering another language quite literally

time around. Now, I’ll have a sense of comfort,

opens up a world of people and opportunities to

and be able to pick up on all of the subtleties I

explore.

missed before.

And yes, I could have gone to another country

I’ll have seen the major monuments and

and experienced something different, but I have

eaten the signature dishes. This time, I’m free to

my whole life to do that. When else will I get

experiment and explore different areas. I’ll likely

the opportunity to retrace my steps in the same

discover more incredible things, and will probably

country for an entire month?

run into others that make me cringe. But with

If you’ve ever re-watched a movie and picked

that, comes growth.

up on a subtle bit of foreshadowing, or re-

Same trip, same teacher, same cities. Same old

listened to a song and suddenly noticed that

Dialogue, but an entirely new experience.

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The Global Journal | Americas

Photo by Zoe Murphy

Importance of a Global Perspective Story by Zoe Murphy, Personal Reflection

I’ve lived in six countries, across four continents,

naturally for those, like me, who were raised as

in the last twenty one years. Growing up cross-

what some call global nomads. Yet, anyone can

culturally has taught me lessons no classroom or

look through the same lens and see the world’s

textbook ever could. I see people as a collection

bonds more clearly, instead of its divisions. All

of their experiences, rather than pigeonholing

it takes is a willingness to look beyond borders,

them based on their ethnicity, assumed cultural

which can be physical ones of geography or

norms or traditions. This perspective comes

self-imposed ones of suspicions and ignorance.

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The rewards are vast, and the need has never been more acute. As nations, religions, political factions and others seclude themselves, so do minds. The world that I know - global, complex, and ever-evolving - shrinks that much more.

My unique upbringing has contributed m ajorly toward my ability to see the world through a global perspective. The phrase “global citizen” gets tossed around frequently, however, it has a specific and special meaning to me. Nothing can be strong when fractured and disjoined, and our great patchwork of races, languages and cultures is no exception. I hope to inspire a small and easy remedy: step out of your comfort zone and take

I am a true compilation of all the things I have experienced and learned through the people, places and perspectives I’ve encountered. In other words, I wholeheartedly consider myself a citizen of the world.

“

I wholeheartedly consider myself a citizen of the world.

”

the opportunity to tweak your mindset. Simply look at cultures, mentalities and the people that encompass them, and instead of treating them as “the other,” consider them as part of a common thread that goes from you, to them, to someone else, and so on. This inevitable cycle is what creates a need for us all to be global citizens.

By no means am I an expert. There are countless places and cultures in the world I have yet to experience. However, my unique journey has given me first-hand experiences with a wide range of people and lifestyles. Beginning with the idea of home itself, I only lived in the states for eighteen months during middle school before attending Northeastern University. Despite this, I always saw America as where I was from. I was raised in an American household by expat parents. We made yearly visits to the US, and this helped form my childhood identity. In my mind, I was an American living overseas. However, this sense of identity often swayed, depending on the country I was living in — first Italy, then Greece and finally the United Arab Emirates. This oftenturbulent sense of self ended up being a blessing.

Being able to adapt is a useful skill I have

developed throughout my life. Of course, it comes with challenges. That alone may discourage people from stepping out of their familiar bubble, but I encourage people to take the leap. The benefits are endless and will follow you forever. It doesn’t necessary mean picking up and moving to another country. Simply traveling to another culture, or relating to a group of people outside your own, will without a doubt expand your mindset, help you grow and fight back against the “us vs. them” mentality that is gaining prevalence. The longer a group remains “the other,” the harder it is to reconcile. There is more that unites than separates us.

Through small snippets of my personal journey, I hope I can resonate with those like myself, who see the beauty and endless benefits of having a global mindset, and encourage those who may not think alike to break out of their bubble and see the virtue of living in an inclusive world.

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Is Democratization Good for Women?

Story by Devin Windelspecht, Campus Event

“There have been two world trends since the

women’s well-being decrease. Not only did these

1970s: the diffusion of democracy, and the global

countries experience a decline in women in the

market economy— and both world trends were

labor force, but they also witnessed an increase

believed to improve people’s lives.”

in maternal mortality, a lower life expectancy for

So

began

Professor

Barba

Wagner’s

women, and a smaller ratio of girls to boys in

presentation to a group of dozens of students

schools.

gathered on the ninth floor of Renaissance Park.

The average amount of time for these negative

For Professor Wagner, an associate professor at

effects on women to turn positive was around

the Department of Transnational Studies at Buffalo

twenty years, Professor Wagner said - an entire

University and an award-winning academic who

generation. Professor Wagner’s has her own

specializes in economic and political sociology

hypothesis for this outcome: when democratic

and gender studies, it was this assumption that

shifts happen, especially alongside globalized

she wanted to challenge. Do all people benefit

free-trade economics, the resulting gap between

from democracy, Professor Wagner wanted

economic classes can cause people to target all

to ask—in particular, do the lives of women,

kinds of minorities—including women. Wagner

who have less than equal status in almost every

believes that similar effects can likely be seen in

country in the world, improve in a significant way?

religious, ethnic, and racial minorities.

The answer, Professor Wagner found, isn’t

To counter this trend, Wagner suggests that

exactly straightforward. In a multi-year study

women be allowed to play a greater role in state

analyzing democracy, economic development,

legislatures, in order to protect women during

and wellbeing in over 150 countries, Wagner

political instability and to prevent discriminatory

observed that wellbeing in fact proved higher

workplace practices in the event of an economic

for both men and women who lived in fully

downturn. But she also stressed that even if

democratic countries. So far, this observation

democracy can be achieved with minimum

fit well with established beliefs—but when she

impact, work would still need to be done to keep

looked deeper into the data, Professor Wagner

progress for both women and men from sliding

found that not everything was quite as rosy as it

backwards.

initially appeared.

“Democracy itself is not the end goal,” Wagner

In

fully-developed

countries,

Wagner

said. “If you have a beautiful rose, it must be

explained, well-being did increase more for both

cultured, it must be taken care of. Or it will be

men and women in democratic societies. But in

abused.”

semi-developed or low-developed countries, nations making the shift to democracy in fact saw

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The Global Journal | Americas

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Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

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Photo by Gianmarco Vella

Community Philanthropy in a Global Setting Story by Allegra Mangione, Co-op

It is a sunny winter day in Dhapakhel. The usual haze and dust that chokes the city has cleared enough for the ghostly silhouettes of the Himalayas to be visible from Tewa’s patio, which today serves as a makeshift motorcycle parking lot. It is a busy day for the only women’s fund in Nepal. Around 3 o’clock, staff, grantees, board members, well-wishers and over 100 volunteers begin to gather. Today is the annual volunteer awards ceremony. The programming takes place in Kamla Hall, with participants sitting on cushions on the floor. After a few words from Tewa’s Executive Director and its Founder, the Community Philanthropy Manager begins to dish out awards—for commitment, for amount of funds raised, for networking. Around 20 volunteers receive wooden placards and necklaces made up of orange carnations. Afterwards, the group shares samosas and milk tea, chatting, greeting each other, laughing– building community.

Tewa has been practicing community philanthropy for more than 20 years. It is an organization created for and by Nepali women. With the money it raises locally, Tewa makes grants for women’s organizations throughout Nepal. It also offers frequent capacity building opportunities for its grantees and volunteers, both to develop them professionally and to expand their

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The Global Journal | Asia

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Photo by Oona Barbieri Pavolini

knowledge of the social justice field— especially pertaining to women in the context of Nepal.

“

Tewa understands that change takes time, and numbers alone do not demonstrate impact.

” Tewa was first built on an endowment, but when political instability rendered the Nepali Rupee unreliable, the board decided to invest the endowment in the development of land, which has been filled with guesthouses, offices, event spaces and gardens. The beautifully designed grounds have not only become a source of income that funds Tewa’s operating expenses, it is also a space for local women to access opportunity to support their peers. The

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combination of the income from renting retreat and conference space and Tewa’s community philanthropy work has given Tewa an advantage when it comes to obtaining money from international donors: it can match all of its grant money. For Tewa, this means it has the freedom to stick to the values, strategy and priorities developed by Nepali women in Nepal, instead of sacrificing these things to accommodate international donors’ funding priorities and procedures.

As a funder itself, Tewa understands how difficult it is to ensure adherence to its strategy and vision with its grant making efforts. Working in Tewa’s Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, I see first hand the frustrations of funding projects on their own terms. But Tewa also understands the importance for Nepali women to assess their communities’ own needs, design and implement their own projects and develop their own indicators based on the impact they seek to achieve.

Tewa built this into its rights based, feminist approach, which recognizes that the people who are best positioned to bring about change for women in Nepal are Nepali women themselves, despite lack of education or resources. Words like “beneficiary” have been edited out of Tewa’s vocabulary; women project participants are seen as stakeholders who are at the center of the discourse for impact.

They are not service recipients, or vehicles for change. Tewa understands that its main objective is to transform oppressive power structures—how is it to do so if it maintains the power dynamic between the funder and the grantee that has existed in the non-profit space for years.

And so Tewa refuses to let international donors’ priorities supersede the priorities of its stakeholders. It instead builds credibility with international donors by showing that its philosophy and values work, when put into action. How does it do this?

Firstly, the strength of Tewa’s community is unquestionable. Whether it is to sell tickets, fundraise door to door, or show up to a women’s march, Tewa has hundreds of local volunteers in its network to leverage and show support. Tewa’s deep roots in its community alone enhance its credibility.

Second, Tewa has developed its own brand of learning, monitoring and evaluation rooted in process instead of results. Tewa understands that change takes time and numbers alone do not demonstrate impact.

Instead, it carefully records its grantees’ processes for impact and learns from them.

These lessons are dispersed to Tewa’s networks through its capacity building programming.

So how well does this work in practice? A few weeks ago, I accompanied my supervisor on a site visit to a grantee that has set up a

sewing training center and single women’s group. Manju has converted her home to a safe place for women to come and fulfill their needs. A year ago, an evaluation visit had proved disappointing. With a focus on economic empowerment, Manju was disinterested in women’s rights, and how she could leverage her programming so that stakeholders could build social support and empowerment. This time, however, we sat and listened as a group of widows talked about their changed attitudes towards their and their peers’ positions in society. In Nepal, widows are traditionally restricted from wearing red, or tikkas on their foreheads.

These women wear what they please and support others to do the same.

Although this change seems small to an American audience, it is a significant step in a Nepali context. Which is exactly what international donors miss as they set their funding priorities and their project indicators. Context matters. And those who live the context have the best idea of what needs to happen to incite change.

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To Be a Traveler in Your Own Home Story by Nina Rossiter, Dialogue of Civilizations

When we think of study abroad, we often

eager to dive into Chinese culture, engage

think of going to a place that we’ve never been

with

to before, diving into new experiences and

new food, and, of course, practice Mandarin.

exposing ourselves to new cultures. I, too, had

Their eagerness excited me, as it gave me the

that imagination, but after picking up a Chinese

opportunity to be a tourist within my own home.

minor, I was led back to China, where I had grown

Having the knowledge of a local gave me the

up.

chance to show my new friends a country that is so

the

various

communities,

experience

I was raised in Hong Kong, which is very

close to my heart, which allowed them to explore

different than most Chinese cities.

as a local would.

Although

Our group had a dynamic

Hong Kong reunited with China in the late 1990’s

energy, full of excitement, and a willingness to

as part of Handover deal, Hong Kong functions as

explore endlessly. This energy was crucial to our

its own, independent and unique territory, and is

time abroad, as it propelled us through various

known as a special administration region.

obstacles and challenges.

While growing up in Hong Kong, I visited

Much to my surprise, we visited many areas in

Lijiang, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing and many

which I had never traveled to before. This gave

of China’s other well-known cities. These travels,

me the chance to see my country in a way I had

many of which were part of school-led excursions,

never before been able, too. I tried new food

exposed me to life outside of Hong Kong, and

and wandered the streets of towns I had only

throughout the enormous country of China.

heard of during my childhood, and hiked coastal

Because of this, the idea of returning to China, as

mountains I had only seen pictures of.

part of the East to West Dialogue of Civilizations

Although the location in which we chose to

program, was both exciting and comforting.

study abroad determines a bit of our experience,

This comfort did not prepare me for the endless

as we found in our travels throughout both

experiences and challenges I would soon be

Hong Kong and Kunming, what truly defines

encountering, even though I was simply traveling

the experience is our approach. Going into this

back home.

Dialogue, I was focused on fulfilling my academic

This experience was unlike anything I could

requirements, and hadn’t truly acknowledged

have imagined.

that this travel back home would be unlike any

I soon learned that it’s not

necessarily where you travel to that determines

other.

your study abroad experience, but who you travel

friends that I would have otherwise never known,

with, what energy you bring along with you, and

and with memories that I can now add to my list

how you go about exploring.

of Chinese adventures.

The group of students I traveled with were

As an international student, living in Boston

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I returned to Boston with a group of

The Global Journal | Asia

Photo by Gianmarco Vella

is studying abroad for me. The opportunity to travel home, as both a local and a tourist, was a comfortable one for me, as I am constantly “abroad”. Although it can be quite natural for us all to get preoccupied with our studies, and the routine of our day-to-day life, studying abroad forces us out of that comfort zone, and reminds Photo courtesy of CSSH

us to remain as open-minded as possible. If we

routines back home, we would welcome new adventure and opportunity, in a way that our current preoccupations don’t allow.

As I left China, and traveled back to Boston, I promised myself that I would treat this next semester as a study abroad: to explore, experience and enjoy the city in ways that often go unacknowledged.

can apply this “study abroad mindset” into our

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The Global Journal | Asia

The Danger of a Single Story Story by Connie Dayina, Personal Reflection

“I had never been outside Nigeria. We didn’t

mind that I had no idea what ginger beer was.”

have snow, we ate mangoes and we never talked

The talk was about what happens when

about the weather because there was no need

complex human beings and situations are

to,” Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

reduced to a single narrative: When Africans,

said in a 2009 TED talk. “My characters also drank

for example, are treated solely as pitiable, poor,

a lot of ginger beer, because the characters in the

starving victims with flies on their faces; when

British books I read drank ginger beer. Never

Adichie’s American roommate assumed her

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The Global Journal | Asia

Photo by Juan Lopez

to be someone who doesn’t know how to use

It holds true for me personally.

a stove; when the Western world approaches

Her talk hit home for me because, as an

Africa with patronizing, well-meaning pity as

international student, I’ve encountered countless

the default position. However silly and outdated

comments and opinions that are less than

those stereotypes may seem to some people,

thoughtful and informed. As individuals, we all

they still exist in our society today, in this age of

have different identities that define us as who we

globalization. Adichie’s story isn’t just hers alone.

are both on the inside and outside. Being foreign,

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Photo by Juan Lopez

being a female, being Asian—these identities are

patriotism is being taught through cherry-picked

equally important to me, and without them, I

history textbooks. Adichie’s story isn’t just hers

wouldn’t be who I am. It is a belief I hold dearly

alone. It holds true for countries.

that each individual life contains a heterogeneous

My urge to refuse single-sided stories and

compilation of stories. Reducing people to certain

think comprehensively continues to grow as my

stereotypes and incomplete narratives is an act of

knowledge about international relations expands.

dehumanization.

While studying at the United Nations (UN) in

It is equally dangerous when one isn’t exposed

Geneva this summer, I received predominantly

to all the facets of a story. Growing up in China,

skeptical comments about China’s growth, its

the majority of what I learned in history class

future ambitions and its human rights record.

was the glorious past of ancient China, such as

There seemed to be an unbridgeable gap

the Four Great Inventions and the victorious

between the country that I grew up in and one

war against Japan. It wasn’t until I moved to

that is portrayed by Western diplomats and

the United Kingdom that I found out about the

media. How can I reconcile those two impressions

brutal actions–namely the Tiananmen Square

for myself? I turned to Fu Cong, a Chinese

massacre–taken by the Communist Party in order

ambassador at the UN, for answers.

to consolidate power. I was filled with anger and

“Many of those accusations are politically

disappointment about my own country and how

motivated in order to serve a country’s own need.

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The Global Journal | Americas

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou Photo by Juan Lopez

Diplomacy is a zero-sum game a lot of the times,”

Arendt”

he said.

storyism by examining the life of the German-

Without trying to deny the facts, he made me

Jewish philosopher, whose experiences growing

realize that brutal consolidation of power isn’t

up under the shadow of German fascism

exclusive to Chinese history. Many countries

fundamentally shaped her intellectual career.

go through arduous struggles on the way to

Fleeing to France as a political refugee, she was

independence and freedom, America being no

someone who refused to accept a single-sided

exception. A winner might be required when

racist narrative carved out by the Nazis and lived

countries compete for national interests, but as

by the philosophy of “Vita Activa”, meaning

citizens of the world, our generation needs to

“thinking is action,” for her entire life.

view things from multiple perspectives.

Whether it’s for an individual or a nation, for

Adichie’s story isn’t just hers alone. It holds

the past or present, stories matter. To borrow

true for people who have fled totalitarianism and

Adichie’s words again, “Stories have been used

regained freedom in history.

to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also

Humans are storytelling animals, yet we

be used to empower and to humanize. Stories

are extremely impressionable and vulnerable

can break the dignity of a people, but stories can

in the face of a story. The recently released

also repair that broken dignity.”

articulates

the

danger

of

single-

documentary “Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah

35

36

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Photo by Bobby Namdar

It Takes A Village: I am. You are.

Story by Francesca Batault, Personal Reflection

Growing up in South Africa has undoubtedly

my teacher described it as something that makes

been one of the most enriching and empowering

a person ‘good’. I did not think much of it at the

experiences of my life; there is little that South

time and was rather confused by the answer I

African does not offer. School mornings began

was given. With age, nuance and a little more

with the warm embrace of the African sun, class

wisdom, I grew to understand that this seemingly

excursions took us to the heart of Soweto and

simple word holds incredible significance for

the depths of Khoi-San cave art, and our outdoor

the people of South Africa. Loosely translated

education embraced the challenges of wildlife

from isiZulu, Ubuntu means humanity. Once,

preservation and survival skills. However, South

when asked to explain the concept of Ubuntu

Africa offers much more than an adventurous

Nelson Mandela defined it as a concept “based

playground for its children; the exposure to

on the profound sense that we are only human

different

and

through the humanity of others; that if we are to

backgrounds make South Africa’s youth unique in

accomplish anything in this world it will in equal

their perspectives and approach to life.

measure be due to the work and achievement of

I grew up as a ‘born free’ the first generation

others.” I am because you are. This word speaks

born after the end of Apartheid, with this

to the compassion, the heart, the hope and the

came great freedom, hope and an immense

future of South Africa.

responsibility for the future of our country. For the

I cannot say that there was an exact moment

first time a generation of children aimed to look

that sparked my passion for global issues but

beyond their parents prejudice and classmates’

I can credit it entirely to my childhood and the

skin color; it was no longer a system of ‘black or

development of the spirit of Ubuntu in me. As I

white’ but rather, one that cherished the cultural

grew older, I began to notice that South Africa had

differences and highlighted the similarities we

not entirely come out of the troubles of Apartheid.

shared as citizens of the Rainbow Nation. As

While segregation is no longer constitutionally

little children, we were fortunate to grow up

viable, it is pervasive in daily life. The inequalities

where the color of one’s skin did not matter to

created under Apartheid have continued to

us, we no longer perceived this distinction that

divide the country’s population. The black African

had caused so much strife and misery. We were

community is still at a systematic economic

a new generation with new hopes and aspirations

and social disadvantage in terms of schooling,

and new ideas on the kind of society we chose

employment

to live in.

Rampant corruption, poor economic growth

I was first introduced to the notion of ‘Ubuntu’

and a distrust of the current government have

in the fourth grade. When asked for a definition,

resurfaced old tensions that threaten to unseat

38

ethnicities,

cultures,

religions

and

financial

opportunities.

The Global Journal | Asia

Photo by Bobby Namdar

South Africa from the incredible progress it has

back to my South Africa and I will be able to give

made. And therefore, I choose, day after day, to

back to the country and the people that have

pursue a career centered around global issues.

made me all that I am. I have great dreams for

courtesy CSSH SouthPhoto Africa, andofits beautiful spirit of Ubuntu

myself, and even greater dreams for South Africa.

have inspired me to pursue my dreams, in hopes that one day, all that I achieve will be brought

I am because of who you are, South Africa.

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You Don’t Know Anything, Try to Learn Something: Reflecting on My Time in Burundi Story by Peter Vaselkiv, Personal Reflection

On my flight to Bujumbura, I had so many things

language. The first time I heard people speaking

going around in my head I was almost numb from

the local tongue, Dan and an airport security

trying to figure out what to expect. Looking back

guard were pointing at me and exchanging what

on my time in Burundi, it occurs to me now that

seemed like heated words. Dan later explained

trying to frame something before having feet

that after he ensured the guard we weren’t with

on the ground is counterproductive. I am now

an intelligence agency, he had to convince him

convinced that the entirety of time spent abroad

we weren’t crazy. Why would a Mzungo want to

can be shaped by what you hear beforehand and

be in Bujumbura during a rebellion if he wasn’t a

subconsciously prohibit you from fully investing in

spy or psychotic? The paranoia that surrounded

a rare opportunity. My experience was uniquely

me in that moment felt so tangible I could almost

mine, something I think few people afford

reach out and touch it. It took all of three days

themselves the chance to participate in. Over

for me to realize that caution was necessary- but I

the span of four months I felt scared, confident,

had no need to be paranoid.

lonely, embraced, awkward, welcome and most

What followed were some of the most

importantly- uncomfortable.

challenging and extraordinary times of my life.

To get a better understanding of where I was,

Rather than tell you every little detail of my

let’s back up to Burundi in 2015. After serving two

experience (it might be yours someday, I don’t

terms, President Pierre Nkurunziza decided he

want to spoil it) I will try to frame what I learned

would run for an unconstitutional third mandate

in a few paragraphs, at least what seems most

(unsurprisingly

important.

enough,

he

won).

Political

leanings aside, citizens were furious because they

Number one: you don’t know who you are until

felt the democracy they worked so hard, and lost

you are surrounded by strangeness. On so many

so much for had been violated. The consequence

occasions I learned something about myself by

of the President’s decision was rebellion and

making decisions in situations I had never been in.

violence that brought Burundi to the brink of civil

It’s easy to “know” yourself in a routine, but who

war, creating problems that still exist today.

are you when the circumstances change? Giving

I landed in the tiny Bujumbura airport two

yourself the opportunity to react in unbeknownst

weeks before the “election.” I was traveling

settings allows you to identify pieces of your

with an entrepreneur named Dan (who would

being that you didn’t know were there. If you ever

later become a dear friend and one of my few

get the privilege of doing something like I did,

inspirations) who was starting an energy company.

write down what you discovered about yourself-

He had lived in Burundi for several years during his

its amazingly easy to forget once your back in

childhood, so he had a pretty strong grasp on the

your comfort zone.

40

“

are miserable.” The notion inherently gives materialism the power people so desperately want to take away from it. Just because someone

You don’t know who you are until you are surrounded by strangeness.

”

Number two: don’t reject an opportunity because you’re not sure how it will play out.

Before I went to Burundi, I spent so much of my life being anxious and I missed so many opportunities because I was scared they would go poorly. Sure, things could go terribly and you could fall into a heap of humiliation. But honestly, how often does that really happen? Chances are things will go well and you will have a great time.

Don’t waste your life fretting over worst-case scenarios that are probably impossibly unlikely in the first place.

Number three: I don’t ever want to hear someone come back from a trip and say “wow, it’s amazing, they have so little, yet they are

is happy doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want the security of having food, water, a roof over their head. Maybe the people I had the honor of getting to know in Burundi seemed happier because they understand the value of family and the blessing of being alive. Inherently, when people describe this situation, the subjects of the debate have significantly less privilege. Maybe these people are happier because their experiences have exposed what is really important, and what is actually worth being upset over. Don’t waste time being unhappy about petty things- common traps we can all fall into, while studying in America.

I can’t possibly fit all the good, bad and everything in between from my time in Burundi in the columns of these pages. What I can do is encourage everyone to go out, make an experience for themselves and let the knowledge present itself- don’t create it beforehand. Make friends (it’s amazing how close you can get to someone without speaking a word of their language), take risks, do something that scares you and try your best to carry it with you long after. It’s remarkable how often I am reminded about my time in Burundi through mundane things, especially in the classroom. If there is one thing I want people to know it’s that I am

so happy.”

Assuming someone’s joy is related Photo courtesy of CSSH

enormously grateful for those four months and

as saying, “People who have more than others

that is as impactful.

to a lack of possessions is essentially the same

I hope anyone reading this can have a moment

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Photo by Bobby Namdar

Nursing Assistant or Friend?

Story by Caitlin Do, Co-op

I had no idea what to expect when I landed in

Cottage

Cape Town. The only pictures I had in my head

government-funded hospital for children with

were the ones I had found online, specifically of

orthopedic disabilities. My previous co-ops had

the hospital in which I’d be interning with, as well

been at highly ranked Boston hospitals, which

as the home that I’d be living in. I couldn’t have

had prepared me to work in various hospital

expected nearly how truly incredible these two

environments.

months would be.

hospital services I had grown accustomed to, it

Months prior, three fellow nursing friends and

was a truly eye opening experience to work with

I decided it was time to travel abroad. Unlike

a hospital in a developing country.

many of the other, heavily global majors here

was incredibly under resourced, which became

at Northeastern, nursing students have very

shockingly apparent within my first few days.

limited exposure to studying abroad. Eager to

Although my official title at the hospital was

travel, my friends and I looked into international

Nursing Assistant, I found myself taking on much

internships, which is where we found Connect

more valuable role: friend. During my time at

123, an organization that helps match students

Maitland, I grew close to many of the children,

with internships across the globe.

and cherish the fact that I was able to be that pillar

Through Connect 123, I found Maitland

of support for them. Although there are many

42

Home

for

Disabled

Children,

a

However, unlike the American

Maitland

Photo by Bobby Namdar

differences between South Africa and America,

Living in South Africa gave me the opportunity

such as the language, the hospital protocol, and

to explore the lifestyles of those who live

even simple things like greeting someone in the

continents away from me. Although you can learn

morning, the one thing that’s the same anywhere

about lifestyles, cultures and histories other than

you go is relationships. The bonds I made with

your own from reading textbooks, you can’t truly

these children were incredible. They didn’t know

develop an understanding until you physically

why I was a different color than them or why we

move and experience it first hand. From bungee

spoke different languages, but those differences

jumping and shark cage diving on the weekends,

didn’t diminish the love and appreciation they

to the endless failed searches for iced coffee,

had for me. I loved knowing that I could make

I returned to America with a heavy heart of

a difference in these kids’ lives and that I could

memories and the best learning experience that I

be the reason they smiled after various surgeries.

know will never go forgotten.

Similarly valuable were the bonds I made with others throughout my travels, from the tour guides, to the hospital staff, to the cab drivers… they were all unforgettable, because they were all part of my global experience.

43

44

45 Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

Apprehension and Excitement in Greece

Story by Max Read, Co-op

As I arrived in Greece for my first co-op at the European Public Law Organization (EPLO), I tried to avoid having too many expectations. I knew little about the country and even less about the organization I’d be working for. The few things I knew about Greece came mostly from news reports about the ongoing economic crisis, austerity measures, and the influx of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa. I also knew a bit about Greece’s ancient culture and philosophical contributions and more than a bit about its most attractive islands and beaches. Piecing together a comprehensive idea of the country and its people from the news, history books, and travel guides was a dangerous task, but in the lead up to my trip I had begun to imagine a country rich in cultural and natural resources but plagued by economic hardship and political upheaval. Global co-ops are all about being exposed to new cultural and professional experiences, and my experience in Greece certainly lived up to that mantra.

In previous travel experiences, I had always made an effort to keep an open mind. Going on co-op to Greece was different, though. The long process of application and preparation, as well as the daunting six-month commitment meant that Greece was always on my mind in the months leading up to my departure. I was excited and extremely apprehensive but also committed to letting my journey surprise me.

The organization I worked for, the EPLO, has an ongoing relationship with Northeastern, so there are always a few co-ops there in addition

46

to a fluctuating number of interns from around Europe. All the interns lived together in a house owned by the organization, situated next to its office in a beach town a couple hours south of Athens. Living and working closely with young people from around the world (we even had a couple interns from the Democratic Republic of the Congo) was one of the most rewarding aspects of the co-op experience at the EPLO. I learned more from cooking, travelling, working, and hanging out on the beach with my fellow interns than I could have in any classroom on campus. Sometimes I felt that, as a Californian

The Global Journal | Europe

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

with relatively few roots in the Northeast, even hanging out with my fellow co-ops from New England felt like being immersed in a new culture.   By the end of my co-op, I had made every effort to experience as much of the country as possible. Some of my experiences confirmed my preconceived notions about Greeks, especially their deep sense of pride in their heritage and hardiness cultivated by centuries of oppression at the hands of their Turkish neighbors. The natural beauty of the Greek islands and heavenly seafood also lived up to my highest expectations.

On the other hand, I was constantly surprised

by the generosity and genuine kindness of the overwhelming majority of Greeks I met. It may be a simplistic interpretation of a foreigner, but it seemed to me that centuries of oppression and years of economic stagnation had endowed in the Greek spirit a deep commitment to humanitarianism, charity, and kinship. I hardly heard a Greek utter an unkind word about the refugees arriving on their shores, nor did I ever get the sense that Greeks tolerated much selfpity. In my short time living there, I gained a world of respect for the Greek people, their history, and their enduring contributions to civilization.

47

The Global Journal | Europe

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

Lessons From the United Nations Story by Chelsea Lauder, Dialogue of Civilizations

It is amazing what one can learn from simply

in that it provides inside access to the world’s

listening

an

epicenter for peace and diplomacy, while still

international conference on today’s top security

allowing its students to ask questions, discover

issues, listening to your Professor speak at a

new ideas, and research personal interests.

Conference on Disarmament forum, and having

Nothing about this experience could be defined

in depth conversations with the men and women

as “easy.” It was, however, thought provoking, in-

who are actively writing treaties to change the

depth, and included a busy schedule and heavy

world are only tidbits of a typical day on the

workload.

United Nations Dialogue in Geneva, Switzerland.

The professional caliber of this dialogue, is

This Dialogue of Civilizations is unlike many others

both eye opening and challenging. Many of

48

and

questioning.

Experiencing

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou Andrea Bautil Medina

the students had been on co-op before or had

the knowledge and experience I gained from

already gone on different dialogues, and yet,

that month in Switzerland. Whether I speak up

during our conversations we often spoke about

about human rights in class, or have a discussion

the challenges and benefits of what we had

about international law with a fellow classmate,

been experiencing. For me, the challenge came

I am constantly reminded of what I was able to

in searching for the right words and the right

learn and discover while I challenged myself in a

questions. I was just a freshman, I barely knew

new place. Going someplace new and studying

how to get myself up for class, let only traverse

something different and exciting is an experience

the professional waters of the United Nations.

everyone should have. What does this mean? It

The best part about this all, however, was being

means, push yourself – allow your mind to open

able to prop myself up against the other students

and expand; don’t limit yourself to what you

who were feeling the same and together, we

already know; and explore the possibilities that

could search for our place and our interests.

await you.

One year later and I am still actively using

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Leap of Faith Story by Monika Khatuja, Co-op

As a twenty-four year old girl from India, coming to the states for college was a difficult transition.

The decision was difficult for my family and friends to digest, as I have lived in India my entire life.

However, I tend to live by the philosophy that if it’s meant to be, it will find it’s way. That mindset has followed me throughout my decision to attend Northeastern University, as well as my most recent decision to move to France for co-op. I believe that my co-op as a GUI Test Developer for GE Healthcare was destiny.

This may seem a bit crazy, and I am probably supposed to encourage others to work hard to find their way, as opposed to rely on destiny. Although this is true, my experiences have taught me that often times hard work leads to difficult decisions, and sometimes you need to take a leap of faith to truly experience your destiny.

“ After

again. However, it was my leap of faith that led to what I now consider to be a wonderful co-op and international experience.

At first, the position wasn’t exactly what I haimagined, however I was so eager to work for GE Healthcare in any capacity that I happily accepted their offer.

My expectations continued to be

proven wrong as I began work. I soon found that I needed to create work of my own, as opposed to waiting for assignments. The structure of this co-op was difficult, as I was used to completing tasks, as opposed to creating personal projects. However, with the help of various staff members, I was able to better define my time and purpose, which led to a more successful co-op.

One of my projects was to create a socket connection between two different applications, Python and Java. Due to the complexity of existing

The leap of faith paid off, and I am happy to have been along for the journey submitting

hundreds

of

applications, it was a difficult project to start.

However, once we gained momentum, we were able to reach our goal. I was able to create a test case without using any external third party software,

”

applications

for various jobs throughout the states, I grew increasingly frustrated that I hadn’t heard back from any ideal companies. Out of the hundreds of applications, one was for a position in France. After moving from India to the U.S., my family and friends

50

were shocked to hear that I’d be moving once

an accomplishment I’m extremely proud of.

As my co-op begins to end, I find myself reflecting on what I’ve learned and how I’ve grown.

My time at GE Healthcare has allowed me to grow as an individual, both in terms of career plans and personal development.

France has taught me a lot. Especially due to the various culture difference.

At first, it was a little

difficult to adjust on my own. I found it difficult to manage work, friends, and family while living

The Global Journal | Europe

Photo by Funmi Peters Elegba

countries away.

However, I eventually became

international field. As they say in French, “la vie

more comfortable with my job, my new home, and

est belle!”. Living in the city of love may have

my new city.

been more difficult than I had expected, especially

While living in France, I was able to visit many

since the company was unable to sponsor my visa,

other countries and cultures throughout Europe,

however it all fell into place with time. The leap of

while continuing to learn a bit more French- which

faith paid off, and I am happy to have been along

is a great asset for anyone looking to work in an

for the journey.

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The End of Asylum Story by Kayla O’Neill, Student Research

What factors have led to a change in refugee

to a survey saying they would “definitely” help

program policies in the historically welcoming

asylum seekers fell from 54 percent to 30 percent

countries of Sweden and the Netherlands? This

(Mohdin). In 2015, the country accepted nearly 2

question is important due to the number of asylum

refugees per 100 Swedes and this has been cited

seekers in these countries whose lives are directly

as some sort of breaking point. Some argue that

impacted. The European refugee “crisis” is a crisis

their generosity and welcome was too great a

of empathy and poor policymaking. There are

burden, causing social problems and leading to

opportunities for European Union countries and

the incitement of far-right and neo-Nazi reactions.

countries like the United States to learn from one

The Netherlands had similarly celebrated its

another to improve their approaches. Countries

cultural diversity and the benefits that immigration

in the EU would benefit from a more consistent

and refugee resettlement has brought to the

approach to granting asylum that would better

country. Although the Prime Minister Mark Rutte

distribute any burdens.

and centrist parties recently staved off a takeover

Sweden and the Netherlands have both

by the populist, anti-immigration party of Geert

historically been very welcoming of refugees,

Wilders, its influence remains.

both in accepting many asylum seekers and

The

going above and beyond international and

accommodation

regional laws in accommodating them. Many

asylum seekers from the general population.

European countries, including Sweden and

Some evidence shows “the lack of privacy and

the Netherlands offer “a rhetoric that portrays

autonomy” in asylum centers may hurt refugees’

their nations as having a long history of offering

mental health (Bakker, Cheung, and Phillimore).

sanctuary, being tolerant of difference and, until

New refugees must enroll in an integration course

recently, supporting multiculturalism” (Vertovec

and pass an integration exam, based on language

and Wessendorf, 2010).

abilities, social rights, and knowledge of Dutch

In 2015 alone, almost 163,000 people from

history in order to apply for permanent residence

places like Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq applied for

(Bakker, Cheung, and Phillimore). Once asylum

asylum in Sweden. But in 2016, fewer than 30,000

seekers in the Netherlands gain permission to

asylum seekers were able to apply in Sweden.

stay, they can do so for five years.

Under pressure from heightened numbers,

reception processes broke down, housing was in short supply, and the government reacted by greatly restricting the program. Over the same period, the number of Swedes who responded

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Netherlands

has

centers,

used which

asylum segregate

Pockets of the European Union will continue

to experience a refugee crisis unless a unified policy is implemented across its shared Schengen borders. The burden of refugee resettlement should be more equitably shared by EU countries,

The Global Journal | Europe

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

but no mechanism is in place to encourage this.

incite empathy in their populations, it is unlikely

Under international law, individuals have a right

that they will return to their previous generosity

to seek asylum, not to be granted asylum, and

toward refugees. Until then, Europe’s migrants

states have no obligation to grant asylum (Zamfir).

and asylum seekers will continue in the troubling

Unless and until Sweden and the Netherlands can

status quo.

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54

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Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

On the Edge of Syria Story by Devin Windelspecht, Co-op

The Syrian Civil War represents one of the

Za’atria where one of the largest refugee camps

greatest humanitarian disasters in recent memory,

in the world now resides, a small farm rests but

comparable to, if not in some ways greater than,

a few miles from the Syrian border. This farm is

the the conflicts in Rwanda, Bosnia, or Somalia

something unique: it’s a refuge, a place where 150

in the 1990s. In a country of just over 15 million,

Syrian families can live, work, and make a salary as

6 million people are internally displaced within

laborers all under the patronage of one Jordanian

Syria, while over 4.8 million refugees have fled

farmer who opened his arms to the refugees

outside the country from a war– at the time of

flooding across the border.

this writing nearly six years old– that has seen the

To us on the dialogue, the farm presented a rare

deaths of thousands and witnessed the rise of

opportunity: to sit down beside, interact with, and

one of the most dangerous and fanatical terrorist

talk to the very Syrian refugees who we so often

organizations since Al-Qaeda.

see on our news feeds, and whom we have been

Officially, there are around 600,000 registered

told to be afraid of by the likes of far-right voices

Syrian refugees in Jordan, a small, arid Middle

in Europe and the States. Although we are too

Eastern country nestled between Syria, Israel,

large of a group to enter the main refugee camps

and Iraq that I traveled to on dialogue during the

of Za’atarie and Azraq in Jordan, here we had

summer of 2016. Estimates by UNICEF and other

the opportunity to hear these people’s stories,

international organizations place that number far

to listen to their hopes for the future and try to

higher, to somewhere closer to 1.4 million– to

understand how they continue to move forward,

say nothing of the refugees from Iraq and other

day by day, after three, four, five years estranged

fragile states in the greater Middle East who

from their homes.

are themselves fleeing conflict in an increasingly

Yes, we did enter one afternoon on an air

unstable region.

conditioned bus, and left later in the evening

Altogether, Jordan’s population – which before

aboard the same bus. Yes, we could go home

the war hovered somewhere around 6.5 million

to showers and beds while these people would

and today pushes towards the 10 million mark–

continue to sleep in tents. And yes, there is a fair

now consists of around 30% refugees. When

amount of guilt to be had in doing so– I won’t

compared to the one million Syrian refugees

say that I changed the world simply by talking to

the entirety of Europe has taken in, or the mere

some families or playing soccer with children. I

thousands the 300 million large United States has

didn’t.

given refuge to, those numbers are astronomical.

But I can relay what these people had to say to

Perhaps thirty minutes from the northern

us, and that in and of itself is valuable.

Jordanian city of Mafraq, past the town of

Many of the men and women that we met were

56

The Global Journal | Middle East

Photo by Sahar Salari

from Aleppo, a city north of Damascus near the

friends they left behind often unaccounted for and

Turkish border that has endured some of the

feared the worst for. That is the reality of being a

worst of the conflict’s fighting. Some of them had

refugee: sitting and waiting for a conflict to end,

trekked for over 15 days to reach the Jordanian

hoping to one day be able to go back without

border, braving shelling, gunfire, and hunger in an

knowing if the place you grew up in, raised kids

attempt to escape the turmoil of their country.

in, and called home still exists, or if your friends

  For them, there was no home to go back to–

and neighbors are even still alive. It is being in a

their houses were destroyed, the families and

constant state of limbo, with the world continuing

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on even as your life seems to halt to a stop.

These people were taxi drivers. Construction workers. And now they were displaced, homeless, without hope in the future or of the future of their children, many of whom were born in Jordan without ever knowing Syria. Those were the things that we heard, and one more, very powerful question: Where is America?

Over and over this was asked. Where is America, where are the United States. If the United States is so powerful, if it can lead armies in Iraq and bring down Osama Bin Laden, if it truly is a power of human rights and democracy, than why hasn’t it

On the wall children have scrawled notes and drawn pictures of their memories from Syria: their houses, now probably destroyed, are most prominent. But there are also tanks. Men with guns. Helicopters and planes raining bombs.

These are the memories that an entire generation of children will always have, will always carry with them.

“

stopped what has happened in Syria? Why can’t the United States, in all of its power, let them go home?

I could tell them about the politics of International Relations and Political Science that we so often hear in the classroom at Northeastern.

I could tell them how, in our current political environment, nearly half our country sees them not as taxi drivers and construction workers but

That is the reality of being a refugee: sitting and waiting for a conflict to end, without knowing if the place you grew up in, still exists, or if your friends and neighbors are even still alive.

”

as Muslims, as foreign, and thus dangerous.

I could try to explain how, back home, good, honest people just like them have been misled into believing that, somehow, refugees like them

And yet, despite everything, the war still wages.

are a threat.

Despite

But I couldn’t. Because no explanation could

catastrophe staring us in the face, we, as an

give them their homes back. No rumination of

international

politics and international affairs could give them

allow this to happen. We, as an international

hope that their friends and families are still alive.

community, have not yet solved this conflict. We

No insistence that not all Americans are afraid,

have not yet allowed those displaced from it to

not all are intolerant, can bring back those who

return to what remains of their homes. Instead we

have already been lost.

face a continuation of the seemingly endless years

A wall stands not far from one of the largest

of violence that will forever scar a generation of

refugee camps in Jordan, Za’atarie, painted by

survivors, with no real end in sight.

the

enormity community,

of

the have

humanitarian continue

the hands of children displaced by the Syrian War. On it, in Arabic, a single phrase is written: “The Future is Between Our Hands”

58

That, above all, is our collective moral failure.

to

The Global Journal | Middle East

59

Photo by Sahar Salari

The Case for Dialogue Story by Connor Sadler, Dialogue of Civilizations

This summer I had the wonderful experience

Having been interested in learning more about

of traveling on one of Northeastern University’s

the Arab-Israeli conflict for some time, I decided

“Dialogue of Civilizations programs”. This one

to go on the dialogue to Israel and the West

month foreign immersion allowed me to take two

Bank, with Professor Dov Waxman and Professor

classes whilst also exploring and enjoying the

Lori Lefkovitz. I can say without a doubt that this

delights of Israel. The beauty of dialogues, is that

was the most valuable travelling and educational

because they are short-term summer programs,

experience I have had in college thus far.

rather than traditional semester-long programs,

People often worry that

they give students who are unsure of studying

controversial nature of the Israeli-Palestinian

abroad the opportunity to test the waters.

conflict, implicit bias’ are inevitable.

While the number of international students

the structure of this trip made that impossible.

coming to America is increasing, less than two

We were to learn about a number of key issues

percent of American students studied abroad in

in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ranging from

the 2013-2014 academic year.

settlements, to the status of Jerusalem and the

“

due to to the However,

issue of refugees, in an unbiased, holistic nature.

During our visit to the Old City of Jerusalem, we saw both Jewish and Muslim holy sites, and

I can say, without a doubt, that this was the most valuable traveling and educational experience.

”

heard both Jewish and Muslim perspectives on the issues facing Jerusalem. Similarly, during our visit to the West Bank, we saw both a Palestinian refugee camp and an Israeli settlement. Due to the fact that we visited both Israeli and Palestinian sites, we were exposed to speakers who held a diverse range of opinions – which in turn provoked engaging and diverse discussion between the speakers and the students.

At the beginning of the dialogue, Professor Waxman warned us that we would be confused by the end of the trip. He also went on to reassure

Because we are living in a more globalized age, it

us that this was not necessarily a bad thing. The

is important to encourage students to be global

Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an issue in which

citizens through study abroad programs like

many people already have preconceived notions,

these.

including myself. However, this trip challenged

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The Global Journal | Middle East

61

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

many of my opinions and even as many months

classes at the same time? I would imagine that this

have passed, I am still torn on many aspects of

would be a very small number. This opportunity

the conflict. This experience has encouraged me

is somewhat of an untapped resource in the

to continually learn and read about the issues I

university experience, that allows students to gain

saw first hand while abroad. How many university

hands-on experience outside of the classroom.

students could say they have been to the Western

We can learn about foreign countries by reading

Wall, the Dome of the Rock and met the US

about them in books and watching documentaries,

ambassador to Israel in a month, whilst listening

but there is no replacement for travelling to these

to a variety of different speakers and taking two

countries, interacting with locals, hearing their

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Photo by Lydia Ioannidou Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

views on the issues they face, and observing the

to new perspectives and ways of life, that they

way that they live.

can bring back to campus and share with fellow

  My trip is just one of many examples in

students. It is vital that universities explore

which study abroad can be an effective way to

innovative ways to incentivize students to study

widen your horizons and allow you to hear new

abroad, as Northeastern has done with their

perspectives on a number of issues. Study abroad

dialogue of civilizations programs, in order to

can be a lifechanging experience and this month-

maximize the college experience and gain global

long immersive option offered by Northeastern

perspectives.

is an exemplary program. Students are exposed

63

National Remembrance in Israel: Identity, Tradition, Emotion and Politics Story by Marie Schulte-Bockum, Co-op & Dialogue of Civilizations

Chirping birds were circling above, the Spring

my first time in the Holy Land. I interned at the

sun was warming my back, and Orthodox men’s

“International Institute for Counter-Terrorism” on

singing voices of great yearning filled the air. As

the leafy campus of Israel’s only private university

I looked at the Western Wall for the first time

in the affluent beachside town of Herzliya. All

in my life, I felt weak at the knees and had an

my colleagues were Jewish – hailing from Israel,

overwhelming urge to cry: there it was, the last

the US, Canada, Iraq, Yemen, Morocco, Russia,

part of the Second Temple standing proud and tall,

and Belgium. Each morning, the 347 bus I rode

brick upon brick, climbing into Jerusalem’s sky. I

from Rabin Square to my office passed a graffiti

stood there in the women’s prayer section, my

portrait of Theodor Herzl on the Menachem

feet firmly rooted to the holy ground, surrounded

Begin motorway.

by Orthodox Jews holding their prayer books and fervently bobbing their heads back and forth.

There are many Jerusalems: no one experiences it the same way. When you stand in Jerusalem’s Old City, close your eyes and let your senses rush to your head, you can smell and taste history and religion all around.

Between January and June 2016, I lived in Israel first for a co-op at a counter-terrorism think tank, and then for a Summer I Dialogue of Civilizations exploring the multiple narratives surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. You may presume that six months on this tiny, contested territory would have made me an expert in Arab-Israeli relations, however, you would be gravely mistaken. At the end of my time in the Holy Land, I felt more confused than ever before. Exposed to

“

When you stand in Jerusalem’s Old City, close your eyes and let your senses rush to your head, you can smell and taste history and religion all around.

”

Palestinians and Israelis of all religious convictions,

The influence of four months of continuous

political shades, backgrounds and ideologies, my

exposure to mostly Jewish, Zionist, and/or

heartstrings were pulled in every direction.

Israeli narratives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

My journey began at Ben Gurion International

culminated in three events over the course of

Airport in Tel Aviv on January 10, 2016. I am

two weeks: Holocaust Memorial Day (May 3),

German, American and Christian, and this was

Remembrance Day (May 11) and Independence

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The Global Journal | Middle East

Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

Day (May 12). The Israeli nation mourns and

action through the window of the commuter bus.

celebrates these three days in a manner more

It happened suddenly and unnaturally; as if I had

intense than Germany’s Reunification Day, France’s

pressed pause on a television screen.

Bastille Day, and America’s Independence Day.

But a siren paused the action, not a remote.

Let me walk you through my own experiences on

At 10:00AM on a sunny Thursday morning, Kikar

Israeli soil of these three important Jewish Israeli

Rabin in Tel Aviv – the square where you can

holidays…

feel the pulse and blood pressure of the Israeli

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day);

nation – lost all its life. Hauntingly loud, the siren

Tel Aviv, 10:00am on Thursday, May 5, 2016

cut through Tel Aviv like a sharp knife through a

A young woman with dark curls, jeans and a red

birthday cake. As the other passengers and I stood

polo top brought her baby stroller to an abrupt

up in the bus, eight million Israelis stood with us.

halt. An old couple sitting on a bench holding

Why? The eight million citizens of Israel proper, of

hands stood up. A Labrador puppy obediently sat

whom approximately six million are Jewish, stood

down. I was watching Rabin Square freeze in mid-

up to commemorate the six million Jews that

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fell victim to Nazi Germany’s death machine of ethnic cleansing. Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day); Jerusalem, 11:00am on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 The bittersweet smell of Turkish coffee and the rich, spicy, tomato-filled scent of Shakshuka lingered in the air while our entire dialogue group stood up at breakfast and faced away from our long group table. We leaned across the balcony overlooking the Old City’s Wall built by the Ottomans. And when the siren fell over this holy city with a history stretching back more than 5,000 years, we experienced the purest silence. Looking down on one of Jerusalem’s busiest roads, we saw an Israeli couple park their car mid-traffic and stand sorrowfully next to the open car doors. We saw large buses park one after the other. Yet, we also saw motorcycles speeding past all this with their motors blasting, taxis racing up the hill, and a young man walking along the sidewalk. Did they not hear this loud silence? Did they not care?

In the millennia-long history of Jerusalem, the 68 years of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state are nothing more than the blink of an eye in a larger scheme of time, rule, ownership and religion. As such, while Holocaust Memorial Day is an important Jewish holiday – mourned worldwide across the diaspora – Remembrance Day is an important Israeli holiday. On Remembrance Day, Israeli Jews mourn the lost souls of 25,000 Israeli soldiers who gave their lives in Israel’s Wars since 1947. They also mourn those among their nation who’ve been killed in terrorist acts.

Yom HaAtzma’ut (Independence Day); Jerusalem, 11:50pm on Wednesday, May 2016 How does a nation-state only sixty-nine years old build loyalty and identity among a people who immigrated from Romania, Iraq, France, Poland, Morocco, Russia – who practice Judaism in distinctly different ways, speak different tongues,

66

and look dissimilar to each other? How does a nation survive whose sons and daughters must serve in its Defense Forces, where many perish on the frontlines in Gaza and the West Bank, or worse still, fall victim to terrorist attacks in their own hometowns?

Hobsbawn, an influential political theorist, writes in his controversially named book, “Invented Traditions,”

that

communities

institutionalize

customs with “a process of formalization and ritualization, characterized by reference to the past, if only by imposing repetition.” When the sun sets on Yom HaZikaron, a memorial day for fallen soldiers and terrorism victims, the saddest day of the Israeli calendar is replaced suddenly, spectacularly with the nation’s happiest day: Yom Ha’atzmaut, otherwise known as Israel’s Independence Day. The official switch between these two ceremonies occurs on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, named in honor of the most influential Zionist, Theodor Herzl. It is the site of the national cemetery. At sundown the Israeli flag is raised from half-mast (due to Memorial Day) to the top of the pole where it flies high and proud for all to admire – the blue and white, star of David-bearing symbol of the Jewish nation-state.

And now some final thoughts…

Israel can give Holocaust Memorial Day, Remembrance Day and Independence Day three different names. Israel can pencil these down in the Jewish calendar on three different dates. But the Jewish state of Israel and her children cannot separate emotion from politics, politics from identity, or identity from emotion. Emotion can blossom into identity; identity can self-destruct through politics; politics can give a microphone to deeply felt and meticulously concealed personal emotions. The three concepts are fluid and everevolving…and they are here to stay.

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Photo by Lydia Ioannidou

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