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Category: Commitment to Community

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By ecirrincione

As I mentioned in my last post, I am volunteering teaching English at the Mubarrat Um El Hossain in Amman, Jordan. I just got back from class-whew! I am tired. It's a far trip from my house, but it is such a rewarding experience.

I teach ten girls, who range from high school age to mid-20s. They all have different reasons for wanting to learn English. Some of the reasons they have told me have been to further their educational career or because they love to learn new languages. The class is a conversational English class, so it is important to always engage the students in conversation. Students in Jordan are mandated to take English class in school, but this usually means that they learn grammar. It can be hard to practice speaking conversational English, so these girls have a good opportunity to practice speaking with a native - me! ...continue reading "First two weeks at the Mubarrat"

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By ecirrincione

As you may know, I am writing this blog on behalf of the GW Commitment to Community scholarship, and part of this scholarship includes me volunteering abroad. When I was applying for the scholarship, I was thinking about what kind of activities I wanted to be involved with during my time in Jordan. I knew I wanted to somehow teach English, work with the community and deal with women. Alhamdulillah, I have found a volunteering opportunity that deals with all of them.

...continue reading "Volunteering in Jordan!"

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By tokyostyle101

In my work with the TOMODACHI Initiative I have been focusing on reaching out to young potential members of a TOMODACHI Generation. We are trying to connect interested young Japanese and young Americans to collaborate on short term goals like working on projects in Tohoku together or on our larger goals of improving cross-cultural relations between the US and Japan.

...continue reading "TOMODACHI Connects"

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By hfirlein

"Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." -Mother Teresa

Mandela DayIn South Africa, Nelson Mandela is more than just a politician- he is a national hero. And every year his birthday is celebrated through service; people take time to honor Madiba by helping others.  For Mandela Day, CIEE, along with a local organization, took us to a township about 20 minutes outside of Cape Town. This was my first trip to a township, and while I understood poverty in theory, I don’t think I was entirely prepared for the state in which people lived. There is very limited access to electricity and water, none have indoor plumbing. Unemployment in the townships surrounding Cape Town is an average of 50%, schools are overcrowded, and residents have little hope for a brighter future. Faced with such daunting conditions, I wasn’t sure how a group of fairly privileged American students could possibly empathize with and in some way help these people.

...continue reading "Smiling for Madiba: Mandela Day in Cape Town"

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By ecirrincione

There were protests planned for Jordan. Now nothing dramatic or horrifying had happened here, such as in next-door Egypt or Libya, but there was a nervous feeling in the air as Friday approached. Emails were sent to our parents, the State Department gave us a debriefing, and we all waited to see what would come out of it. Some students claimed they wouldn’t tell people they were American, others planned to stay out of the downtown area; each had their own plan to deal with the seemingly impending chaos.

Friday came and went, and some small protests materialized in front of the American Embassy, mosques and a gym. The police had come out in full force to quell any potential riots, but those riots never appeared.

I am an American, but I do not visibly look like one. Because I am a Muslim, I wear Islamic dress which has give me a “pass” to blend in with the local Jordanian culture. This has its pros and its cons. It’s great to have people automatically speak to you in Arabic and give you the local price for things, but it can be a little confusing trying to explain to them why you have no idea what they just said.  As a Muslim American, I have two identities, which are often in conflict with one another. In America, Muslims are the “other”. We are not welcomed in politics or mainstream society. Ours mosques are targeted and infiltrated; some do not even consider us American. I have walked in the streets of DC to have people tell me “Go back to your own country”, even though I am in it. On the other hand, Muslims view America as the big bad monster in the room. Due to American foreign policy abroad, America is often seen as an antithesis to Islam and our Prophet. The recent film uploaded on YouTube did nothing to help that reputation.

...continue reading "Lessons from Amman: How to Love One Another"

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By hwscott

Since my last post, I have gained so many new understandings of the complexities of Bolivia that, as I read it, I feel almost childish. But I guess that is the point of naïveté. I'm sure the same will be true for my next post as well.

Hunter While I  haven't started my research, and won't for a while, I have been exploring other research questions and topics, all within the general subject of the relation between Catholicism and revolution in Bolivia.  I have been able to do this in the context of what we are studying in the program. So far, we have heard speakers on the Mexican, Cuban, Bolivian, and Venezuelan revolutions. We have dug deep into the history of indigenous to peasant back to indigenous struggle in Bolivia, and the differences between highlands and lowlands, the complex overlap between Aymara and Quechua languages. We just got back from Brazil, where we studied the Landless Workers Movement (MST), a 30 year old movement that occupies unused land for rural peasants, and then establishes communitarian agricultural settlements on the liberated land (also was founded in the context of Liberation Theology!) This week, we are back in Bolivia in Santa Cruz, looking at the movement for autonomy by the landed elites (quite a shock, coming from landless movement in Brazil, who fed us in tents on the side of the road). Spending a few days in uber-rich Santa Cruz by the pool has given me a chance to write this and think more about my potential Independent Study Project topics.

...continue reading "Revolutionary Movements in Bolivia"

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By bbuck92

Valpo Surf ProjectIn Valparaiso, a city comprised of homes built on the hills surrounding an industrial port, there is a disconnect between its youthful inhabitants and the ocean. The Valpo Surf Project (VSP) was in part inspired by that disconnect and the need to repair it. VSP explains it’s founding as thus, “Although most see the ocean everyday of their lives, many of the city’s youth have never had the opportunity to experience the Pacific Ocean and Chile’s beaches. We wanted to create a way that Valparaiso’s disconnected youth could learn to engage with and protect the local marine environment. The resulting idea evolved into the Valpo Surf Project, a community organization that engages its young participants with the surrounding marine environment through weekly surf outings and focus on fostering three distinct components: personal character development, environmental consciousness, and English language education.” The program works with children ages 7-16 from various organizations within Valparaiso, including the neighborhood organization of Cerro Mariposa and SENAME.

...continue reading "Surfing and Stewardship of the Environment with The Valpo Surf Project"

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By hwscott

Right now, I am sitting in a hotel that was built in the 1600s, in one of the craziest (and highest) cities in the world, La Paz, Bolivia. In the past 24 hours, I've had about 3 hours sleep, traveled almost 4000 miles, ascended 13,000 feet, walked through a street fair, encountered a huge demonstration, and seen countless amazing political graffiti. This morning after we landed, the sun came up on Mt. Illimani in the distance, and as we drove away, we came up to the edge of the altiplano and looked down more than 5000 feet to the bottom of the city. We all couldn’t keep our mouths shut as we looked upon row after row of colorful houses and shacks clinging to the slopes, descending to the colonial/ modern skyscraper city center below.

...continue reading "Las Investigaciones en La Paz"

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By hfirlein

Hi blog readers! I am a senior at GW, spending the fall semester in Cape Town, South Africa with the Council for International Educational Exchange (CIEE). I knew I wanted to come to Africa, and when I started looking for programs, CIEE immediately jumped out because of their curriculum flexibility (no specific class requirements) and their commitment to engagement in local communities. I narrowed down my options to Legon, Ghana, and Cape Town. The classes offered at the University of Cape Town fit better with my academic plans, and the social and economic problems associated with the aftermath of apartheid really intrigued me, so I decided on Cape Town!

...continue reading "Hello from Cape Town!!"

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By ecirrincione

Hello everyone! My name is Elizabeth Cione and I am currently spending the fall semester abroad in Amman, Jordan. I am participating in the Language and Culture program at CIEE, who hosts various programs all over the world. I have chosen to study abroad in Jordan specifically with CIEE for several reasons. I am majoring in Middle East studies at the Elliott school; therefore it is only fitting that I will be studying in the Middle East. There were several Middle Eastern countries offered, but I chose Jordan because it is an emerging Middle Eastern power that still holds true to its traditions and cultures. I was searching for a country that would welcome me as a foreigner, but would also have a lot to teach me about the rest of the world. Out of all of the programs, the Jordan program seemed to be the best match for me because of the focus on the language that was essential to learn. In addition to the language, the CIEE program focused strongly on providing a great cultural immersion, which was also very important to me.

...continue reading "Hello from Amman!"

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