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Sep 02

Former FBI Agent Claims Amanda Knox is Innocent

By Missy Gluckmann Amanda Knox/Meredith Kercher, Uncategorized No Comments »

Amanda Knox, study abroad student

Former FBI agent, Steve Moore, was interviewed in the press in the United States this morning, firmly communicating his belief that Amanda Knox is innocent.

Moore claims to have looked through hours of crime scene videos and reviewed the detailed report of “evidence.” He states that her evidence is absolutely coerced. His belief is that the evidence cannot support a conviction.

He also claims that he is not receiving any financial incentive to comment on her case. He states that he only got involved in commenting on this case as a result of a discussion with his wife, who had seen a television show about the case that raised questions about Ms. Knox’s conviction.

Amanda Knox, an American student studying abroad in Perugia, Italy, was convicted of the murder of British student, Meredith Kercher. Her appeal is set for November 2010.

Here is an interview of Steve Moore by Ann Curry of NBC News in New York:

Sep 02

The Taste and Smell of Culture – Cooking with Rinku

By Missy Gluckmann India, International Education Tools, International Education Week, Multicultural Lives, Uncategorized No Comments »

Guest Blogger, Rinku Bhattacharya

Today’s guest posting is by Rinku Bhattacharya. I met Rinku several years ago when I signed up for one of her Indian cooking classes. We had a marvelous time and learned some terrific recipes, however the best gift from that class is that Rinku and I stayed in touch over the years and have had some very interesting conversations about culture. I recently asked Rinku if she would write about how she teaches her 2 beautiful children about her Indian culture while living in New York. (Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this posting for one of her delicious recipes!)

Can your memories have a scent? Can your culture and childhood have a taste? It is a matter of perspective, if you are like me, where your world and memories are composed of a heritage of food, a heritage of tastes and flavors that link your past to your children’s flavors you would say – yes! Like me, you would remember childhood cures for a cold and your mother’s nurturing touch in a pot of simmering soup spiced with ginger and tomatoes, you would crave traditional rice pudding on your birthday and your Thanksgiving meal would need some cranberry chutney to complete the all day long feast before it made it to the table.

Two decades ago, I made the US my home. It really was a more evolved rather than consciously planned decision. There is a lot of truth to the saying “home is where the heart is!’ Actually in my case, “home is where the “hearth is.” I also do think you can have more than one home, I do not feel out of place when I go back to India, but also feel very much at sync in New York. Like most people with a foot in two cultures, there is a need not to want lose the richness of heritage and identity. In some ways this becomes more an issue when you are raising children. Our household does not even have a common language outside of English, since my husband speaks Hindi and I Bengali, but we do share a love of food both Indian and Global.

This is not surprising since this is the most basic element of heritage. My earliest memories and my most vivid ones of my childhood are of chatting with my grandmother while she ground spices carefully, used the freshest of ingredients and carefully created simple delicacies that graced our table every time we visited. People often ask me whether I learned to cook from my mother or grandmother – this is a tricky question because while my memories of shadowing them and observing them in the kitchen are deep and very profound, I never actually cooked when they were around. I never needed to. It was only after I left home that I missed home cooking and my own culinary adventures began.

It is to keep this sense of creativity and wonder, I started Cooking With Rinku, a personalized set of cooking classes designed to teach the interested learner a true taste of Indian cooking, in a practical and personalized way. I have been offering classes for groups and couples. We use the freshest of ingredient and students learn how to grind spices and season and flavor food the way I remember it being done growing up. The kitchen is a place of solace, wonder and creation for me. When I cook with my students, it is a very personal connection, the classes are very home style and designed to replicate flavors of simple and pure home cooking.

My classes also help me meet people from so many different walks of life and also allows me to learn the many ways people relate to India. I have students who have visited and lived in the country as curious travelers, others who have embraced the nuances of eastern religion and surprise and teach me the depth of traditional Ayurvedic cooking and other fellow kindred spirits who learn to savor and smell India through my spice box. Indian cooking is so much more accessible today; it never ceases to amaze me how close the world really is.

This is also how my children learn about the richness of India – spice by spice. Their high chairs were in my kitchen and from very early on, their memories of interacting with me are watching me cook and work with spices. My five year son, today calls me “the best cooker!” It is amazing how some things never change, like my grandmother, it is very important for me to both cook and feed my friends and family in a very personal way.

My husband and I also have a deep love of nature and try to grow our own produce, especially in summer. This is why I also like to think that I often cook Indian food with a New York accent; my summer zucchini is seasoned with cumin and turmeric, cherry tomatoes get tossed into a yogurt based salad and my beet greens are tossed and seasoned with almost any imaginable combination of spice. My recipes and food experiences are also shared in by blog – Cooking In Westchester. Keeping the blog has allowed me to also track my life as it relates to food. It often brightens a mundane day to look back and realize the first time you cooked a recipe was when your daughter took her first steps. I also think it helps me provide a real life medium to a food legacy that was passed on as an heirloom by my grandmother.

Recipe:

This recipe is an adaptation of my mother’s tomato chutney recipe. It is from the eastern part of India and is tempered with the classic 5 spice seasoning called panch (5) phoron. This is a mixture of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds and fennel seeds. Most India stores sell the blend pre-mixed, it is used in small amounts and is supposed to bring the entire complement of tastes to the recipe. This recipe is a great use of summer tomatoes that are so plentiful these days.

Bengali Tomato Chutney

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Makes 1 cup chutney

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1.5 teaspoons panch phoron
1 tablespoon diced ginger
1-2 dried red chili
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 small can diced tomato
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Papads or pappadums for serving

Method of Preparations:

1. Heat the oil and add the panch phoron and wait till the mixture crackles.
2. Add in the ginger and the red chili and saute lightly.
3. Add in the salt and the canned tomato mixture.
4. Add in the raisins and the sugar and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, till the mixture is thick and fairly sticky.
5. While the chutney is cooking, cook the papads by microwaving on for 1.5 minutes.
6. Cool the chutney slightly and serve with the papads.

About the Author: Rinku Bhattacharya was born in Kolkatta, India and has had a life that has taken her traveling extensively to most places in the world. Rinku has been passionate about food from a very early age and loves to talk and work with food and people. She started teaching Indian cooking in New York about 5 years back to share her love for food and cooking. Her classes can be found at Cooking With Rinku. Rinku shares her food and life experience at her blog at Cooking in Westchester. Rinku live in Westchester County, NY with her children Deepta and Aadi, husband Anshul and her cat Benji. Rinku is trained as a financial professional and specializes with non-profit organizations. She has masters degrees in areas of finance and non-profit management. She is currently working on a cookbook – The Contemporary Indian Table – to be published by the Bryant Park Press.

Aug 21

Interview with Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq from “30mosques.com”

By Missy Gluckmann Cordoba House, International Education Tools, International Education Week, Islam, Middle East, Multicultural Lives, Muslims, Research, Uncategorized 4 Comments »

That's me on the right, at the Masjid Ash-Shaheed mosque, enjoying conversation with some fabulous women. (Photo courtesy of Bassam Tariq, from www.30mosques.com)

I have been writing a lot about Islam lately and my last post was about 2 young New Yorkers, Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq, who are currently traveling to 30 mosques in 30 days. I have been fascinated by their journey and the controversy surrounding the proposed Islamic Center near Ground Zero. I realized that while I write about Islam, have Muslim friends and have been to mosques before, I have never actually attended a prayer service at a mosque. So, I decided it was time to experience this. I contacted Aman and Bassam to find out where they’d be on the east coast and I managed to meet up with them at the Masjid Ash-Shaheed in Charlotte, North Carolina (US) on August 17th. Here is my interview with these 2 delightful guys. Please check it out and then read on to hear my thoughts on my experience breaking fast with them and the congregation at Masjid Ash-Shaheed. http://www.vimeo.com/14316792

(Please note that any edits in this interview are simply to cut out my voice or any of Aman or Bassam’s verbal “hiccups”; no content was cut from this interview.)

I didn’t take any photos of the mosque or the people I met. I interviewed Aman and Bassam and then put the camera away. I felt it was important to focus on my experience, my thoughts, observations and feelings. I didn’t bring in my notebook or pen. I wanted to experience this visit to a mosque as I’ve experienced religious services at churches and synagogues over the years with friends and family.

I put a pink scarf over my head and entered the mosque, which as Bassam describes in the video, was a small, one level structure. From the road it looked like a little office building). The women were putting out a beautiful display of food for break fast in the small lobby area. I was warmly greeted by several women (who had no idea who I was or why I was there. It appeared to be a primarily African American congregation. Many men were also in the lobby and shared kind greetings. But the sisterhood definitely prevailed here; the women hugged me and introduced me to other women. I offered to help in the kitchen, but they were all set, so I gravitated toward a little girl who reminded me of my niece. I have often found in my life that children are our best teachers. She was 8 years old and proved to support my belief that when you want information, ask a kid! I told her it was my first time at a mosque for prayer and asked if she could help me. She told me that there was a prayer room with white lines on the floor and that we take off our shoes and go in and stay behind the “boys” and we line our toes up along the white line. And then she relayed the movements for the prayer including the kneeling/bowing and the expressions in Arabic that I should listen for. She told me to put my hands upon my chest, but that my right hand should be over my left. (I later asked an adult why this was important. She indicated that there is some evidence that Mohammad prayed this way, or with his hands to his sides.) Then the little girl quickly switched subjects, telling me all about her school, her friends and how her bus stop is not super close to her house but around a corner. Ah, from the mouths of babes….

When the call for prayer came, the congregants moved to the table of water and dates. They each sipped some water and ate a date, then took off their shoes and headed into the prayer room. One of the women came over to explain to me that when breaking fast, it was important to eat something “natural” first. The women entered the communal prayer space through a different door and we lined up along the white line in the back of the room. The men lined up in the front. The women coached me to stand close together, with our arms nearly touching. I simply followed along, as the prayer was in Arabic, so I was simply mimicking what I observed around me. There was some standing, some kneeling, some bowing, some hand gestures, some repeating of phrases. Yup, it reminded me of a bit of church but without the pew….and a bit of the synagogue, as I didn’t understand the language there either! But I knew that there was something being said that was resonating deeply with the congregants and that was giving them peace and strength. Toward the end of the approximate 10 minute prayer, a women explained to me that the congregants were repeating some silent phrases about God and counting the number of times that they said them on their fingers (using their thumb on the right hands to touch their other fingers to keep count.) At the end we all cupped our hands in front of our faces to pray and then took our cupped hands and ran them over our head, faces and down our bodies. The woman explained that the prayer was washing away sins and that the good of the prayer was in our cupped hands, so we were to wash it over our bodies. I later asked someone what the prayer was about – and because I left the journalist in me outside the mosque, I can’t tell you verbatim what was said. However, I do recall that the gist of it was thanking God and taking time to be close to God.

When we were done, the brother leading the prayer announced that Aman and Bassam were part of the 30mosques.com project and he welcomed them and wished them a safe journey. And then he joked about their New York accents and everyone had a good laugh. And he giggled as he told us that his stomach was growling, so it was time to eat!

We left the room and the men set up tables in the same space for us to break fast. We all served ourselves from the huge buffet that was prepared by the women before our arrival. Several congregants also brought covered dishes and non-alcoholic drinks. I sat with a group of women and we talked a lot about the same things I talk about with friends at home. At one point, we were hysterically laughing about our common experiences dropping our cell phones in water (including one woman’s story about going to the bathroom and hearing the phone plop into the water…and literally saying out loud “oh no you did NOT just fall into the toilet!” We gabbed about how we have all had to figure out how to dry out the battery when that happens (rice in a bag was the agreed upon best method.) We talked about recycling. We talked about shopping at Walmart. We talked about work. It was life. Every day conversation. Except this time my new friends and I were all wearing scarves to cover our heads because Islam believes that the headscarf is an outer manifestation of an inner commitment to worship Allah – that is it a commitment to piety. As a visitor to this mosque, I was fine covering my head, just as I’d be covering myself while visiting a more conservative church or synagogue. I did catch myself, a couple of times, having to check that the scarf was still on though. I’m clearly not well versed in the beautiful craft work required to cover my head completely with a scarf – but I did okay considering I’m no fashionista!

In the interview, you heard Aman and Bassam offer me sage advice when I asked them about the role of women in Islam. I took this advice and asked several of the women about their role and the perceptions of how women are “treated” in their faith. One women shook her head gently and told me that her faith doesn’t oppress her at all. She said it gives her the strength to be a good mother, her most important role. She said that men and women inherently are different and that Islam simply recognizes this. She said if someone feels oppressed, it is because they allow themselves to be. Another woman told me that women praying behind men is simply a way to avoid any distraction. She said it allows her to focus on her prayer and not feel self conscious of others looking at her. My sense is that the women had a very strong sisterhood and that any issues with gender were mostly from outsiders, not internal.

Based on our conversation about the subject, one of the women I met with did give me a pamphlet about the status of women in Islam. It closes by saying: “There does exist a gap between the rights of women outlined in the Qur’an and the prevalent reality in the Muslim world. However, images of Muslim women as ignorant, oppressed and submissive are stereotypical. They do no justice to the large number of Muslim women whose conviction in Islamic concepts of family, cohesiveness, happiness and individuality ensures their sense of self- fulfillment.” In my experience at this mosque, the women that I spoke with appreciated their roles and contributions in their religion, embraced the sisterhood and valued their religious community. No one was forcing them to be there; they were there because they have deep faith and feel comforted by it, similar to what I’ve experienced congregants in churches and synagogue services.

I did have a conversation with one woman who felt that there is a huge challenge for women in the faith. She said she has been to mosques that have a separate entrance for women and that it makes her feel less than valued in the structure. Having traveled to Muslim countries, I had a sense of what it feels like to not be treated the same as a woman would be in the US. But I also recognized that I was not in the US, and shouldn’t expect things to be the same. I don’t go to a mosque regularly and I’m not Muslim, so I don’t feel that it is right for me to tell a Muslim woman how to feel about her faith. Each mosque has its own norms and I can see from reading the 30mosques.com site that there is a wide range of experience within each community despite the common denominator of Islam. Clearly, it is a sensitive issue – and perhaps Aman and Bassam say it best in the video above – if you have questions about this issue, ask a Muslim woman. I’m really glad that I did.

Personally, professionally and spiritually, this was easily one of the most beautiful learning experiences that I’ve had on my life’s journey. I am grateful for the opportunity and thank the people of Masjid Ash-Shaheed for welcoming me with such open arms. I’d also like thank Aman and Bassam for taking the time to speak with me and Melibee readers – and for allowing me to tag along for this leg of the journey. To read more about this stop in Charlotte, check out Aman and Bassam’s blog entry. And be sure to check out their overall journey as we can all learn something from their bird’s eye view! Meanwhile, I look forward to your comments.

(By the way, if you would like a good laugh, check out Aman’s stand up comedy web page. He and Bassam are very talented outside of their 30mosques.com lives!)

Tagged with: 30 mosques • 30mosques.com • aman ali • bassam tariq • Cordoba House • ground zero mosque • Masjid Ash-Shaheed • mosque • mosque in North Carolina • muslims in America • Pluralism in America

Aug 14

A Ramadan Adventure: 30 US Mosques in 30 Days

By Missy Gluckmann International Education Tools, International Education Week, Middle East, Muslims, Uncategorized 1 Comment »

I am so excited to blog today, as this is one of the most fun and informative adventures I have read about in some time! Two young men, Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq, are on a Ramadan road trip. Their goal is to visit 30 mosques in 30 US states in 30 days, crisscrossing the US to break fast with a new mosque each day and to blog about the experience.

These two young men visited 30 mosques in the New York City area in 2009 and started a blog at the request of friends and family. They were stunned to learn that people all over the world were following their journey and learning about the diversity within the Muslim community and foods that are eaten to break fast. Check out this interview about their 2009 New York experience was covered by the Brian Lehrer radio show in NYC.

What I particularly love about Aman and Bassam’s journey is that they are Muslim, but they write about their mosque experiences as anyone visiting for the first time would. And they’re FUNNY guys – blunt, honest and playful in their writing. They started in NYC and decided to visit the controversial Park 51 (the Cordoba House) for evening prayer. Their observations are definitely not what the mainstream media is covering, and it is downright refreshing:

“I’m standing in prayer expecting to feel something considering I’m inside the Ground Zero mosque. I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel, but for some reason I’m confused why I’m not feeling some mythical sensation.

Then I realized, it’s just a mosque, just like any other place of worship in the country. So the only thing I was feeling was an earache from all the screeching on the microphone from the sound system — just like every mosque in America. “

(Note: Park 51 has not been built into a cultural center yet. The site is NOT at Ground Zero, but 12 blocks away in the old Burlington Coat Factory building. I clarify this because calling it the “Ground Zero mosque” supports the misinformation that has floated around about the plans for an Islamic cultural center. It is NOT on the Ground Zero site!)

and

“After the prayer, I walked outside and said goodbye to the security guard. His name was Rohan and he spends his days working security outside the building on a regular basis. I asked him if there’s been any kind of problems outside the building, considering all the protests. He said there hasn’t been any incidents at all, except for a random homeless guy that walks by asking people for marijuana. He joked, ‘Yeah but it’s New York City, if I didn’t see a homeless guy walking by asking for weed, I’d be surprised.’ “

and perhaps most humorous:

“An announcement is made that the toilets are broken and people should go across the street. You can’t have a community prayer without the standard hilarious housekeeping announcements…”

The 30 mosques web site has some great photos of their travels and the inside of mosques they’re visiting – as well as the people they’re meeting along the journey.

Al Jazeera news interviews congregants at a NYC mosque

A handful of people attend evening prayers at Park 51 (the Cordoba House site, NYC)

Aman Ali (right) speaks with a local Muslim in Augusta, Maine (USA)

This site is particularly important, as there is so much emotion and anger around the building of mosques and Islamic cultural centers in the US. For those raising ‘objections’ (code word for FEAR in my humble opinion) about Park 51 (the Cordoba House), I immediately ask the following questions:

1) have you ever been to a mosque?

2) spoken with a Muslim person about their faith?

3) read or heard anything about their faith that didn’t come from a mainstream news outlet?

The answers are usually no, no and no – and “I don’t need to – I ‘tolerate’ them.” (Of course, the easiest way to manifest tension is to create an enemy using the “us/them” paradigm). Forgive me world, but I have high expectations. I don’t want societies to simply ‘tolerate’ others. Tolerating isn’t enough in this fragile world we live in. I want us all to attempt to respect others whenever possible. Lofty idea? Perhaps.

This usually means that we have to ask hard questions and put ourselves in others’ shoes to truly communicate effectively and to have an understanding of the lens that one sees the world through. It also means that we need to be willing and open participants in conversation and we must often tune out the media.

I recently had a conversation with some folks via Facebook about the Islamic Cultural Center that will be built 12 blocks from the World Trade Center site. It went like this:

Person A: I have decided that I’m ok with this center. But the Muslim community has to come out and be more clear that they are moderate in their religion.

Person B: They (Muslims) have no respect wanting to build so close to Ground Zero - 3000 people died and they shouldn’t build a site near that center. That is disrespectful.

Me: Regarding the media – I have seen many interviews where Muslims speak about their religion being hijacked by terrorists. I also think that many Muslims died in the 9/11 attacks, so I’m not understanding why they are somehow not allowed to be mourned in the same way. I also don’t understand what you mean by “too close” to the Trade Center. What is “far enough” – the east side? uptown? midtown? Queens (across the East River)?

In the end, we all agree to disagree on the subject. I don’t disrespect these people – I welcome the dialogue as it inspires me to write on this blog and share my opinions and findings.

I hope that Melibee readers will check out 30 Mosques 30 States. Content is more quickly uploaded to their Facebook page – so feel free to check that out too!

Tagged with: 30 mosques • 30 mosques in 30 days • 9/11 • al jazeera • aman ali • bassam tariq • Cordoba House • Ground Zero • Islam • Muslim • Park 51 • September 11th

Aug 07

Study Abroad: How are Muslims Being Impacted by Stereotypes?

By Missy Gluckmann Middle East, Multicultural Lives, Muslims, Uncategorized, safety abroad 2 Comments »

The Wisdom of our Youth

The New York Times recently reported about the increased number of American students studying abroad in the Middle East. The article, Life Lessons in the Middle East, covers several students’ experiences at institutions such as the American University of Cairo and the American University of Beirut, documenting their language study and travel. The article states that these students have been not been met with any anti-American sentiment, rather with the occasional disagreement regarding foreign policy. This in an uplifting piece, suggesting that despite increased conflict in the world, we still seek to learn about each other and to explore our commonalities, moving beyond the negative stereotypes that are frequently perpetuated about this region of the world.

Sounds peachy, right?

I thought so, until I heard a radio interview about the recent situation that Mr. Yahya Wehelie, a 26-year-old Muslim/US citizen, found himself in while attempting to return home to the US after a period abroad. Mr. Wehelie was born in Fairfax, Virginia to Somali parents and he spent 18 months studying in Yemen. He left in early May, only to be told upon arrival in Egypt (where he was to change planes on his way home to Virginia) that he was on the “no fly list” and could not board the plane. Why? Because he had spoken with some questionable people who were being watched by the FBI while in Yemen. He claims that he had shared no more than polite conversation with these people and that he simply wanted to return home to “his mother’s cooking.” Despite being questioned by the FBI several times, he was not permitted to return home until 2 months later, and only after legal intervention.

Ironically, Mr. Wehelie had gone to Yemen to study Arabic at his mother’s request. According to MSNBC’s article, Wehelie’s family said “it was natural for the family to send him there to study. Many Somalis live in Yemen, and educational opportunities there are cheaper than in other parts of the Middle East.”

Muslims abroad are increased targets for discrimination, even when simply attempting to earn educational credentials to further their careers. Mr. Olugu Ukpai, a Christian Nigerian PhD candidate studying in England, wrote a heartfelt op-ed in the New American Media (NAM) that was picked up by the Muslim Observer earlier this year about his experience as a student in England. Prompted by the media’s reporting about Mr. Umar Faruq Abdulmutallab’s failed attempt to blow up a U.S. airliner in December, Ukpai describes his concerns about Nigerians being labeled as being from “the hotbed of Al Queda,” as the media seemed to describe his home country after the December incident. As a result of one Nigerian’s involvement in an attempted terrorist attack, Nigeria is now on a list of 14 countries whose citizens will be singled out for additional screening when coming to the US. (My humble opinion is that this is ridiculous; have we not realized that anyone, including an American, can be part of Al Queda’s network?) Ukpai also writes about the fear that Nigerian parents have of sending their children abroad, skeptical of “cults” that their children could be exposed to. The article also cites a study by the University of Notre Dame in 2009 that found that parents tended to know only 10 percent of what their children were doing abroad.

We all want to live in as safe a world as possible, yet how does our nation strike a fine balance between protecting our citizens and not discriminating against Muslims? It is not ironic that the number of Americans going abroad to study in the Middle East are being countered with increasing numbers of Muslims studying abroad landing on the no fly list (pun intended) once outside of the US? Education is supposed to be about having new experiences, yet if one portion of the potential student equation is constantly questioned about their role in the intercultural dialogue, how can we ever move forward to a more peaceful world? Don’t we create more of the same old “us/them” mentality this way? And isn’t that completely counterproductive to learning in a cross-cultural setting?

I’d be curious to hear your thoughts and experiences around this issue. Feel free to comment.

(Note: I have edited this article since its original posting to clarify two points: 1) Mr. Ukpai is a Christian Nigerian and 2) Mr. Ukpai’s original op-ed was published in the New American Media. It was picked up at a later date by the Muslim Observer, which is where I read the piece initially.)

Tagged with: Al Queda • American University of Beirut • American University of Cairo • Lebanese International University • Life Lessons in the Middle East • Muslim Observer • Nigeria • Olugu Ukpai • Safety in study abroad • Umar Faruq Abdulmatallab • Yahya Wehelie • Yemen

Aug 03

Journalism Abroad: Win a Trip with Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times

By Missy Gluckmann Career, Globalization, Multicultural Lives, Professional Development, Uncategorized No Comments »

I read the New York Times online every morning and was delighted to learn about the “Win a Trip with Nicholas Kristof” contest. For those of you who don’t know, Nicholas Kristof is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who focuses on human rights issues, primarily in Africa and Asia. The 2010 winner of this contest, 19 year old Mitchell Smith from the University of Nebraska, accompanied Mr. Kristoff to Gabon, The Congo Republic, The Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa. This was Mr. Smith’s first time abroad.

Mr. Kristof’s goal is to encourage young people to read about the human rights issues in Africa and Asia; his hope is that by having a young and fresh perspective report on the issues abroad, young readership will expand.

Please enjoy this video of Mr. Smith’s reflections on his experience traveling and learning with one of America’s finest journalists. (Be prepared for a short ad – sorry, I have no control over this – but the video is worth watching!)

If you’d like to learn more about the “Win a Trip Abroad with Nicolas Kristof” contest, please play this video which explains last year’s contest. (The 2011 application is not available yet.)

Tagged with: Congo • DRC • Gabon • Journalism abroad • Mitch Smith • Mitchell Smith • New Yort Times • Nick Kristof • Nicolas Kristof • NY Times • South Africa • University of Nebraska • Win a trip with Nicholas Kristof

Aug 01

Melibee’s Top 5 New York City Tips

By Missy Gluckmann Multicultural Lives, Travel Tips, Uncategorized No Comments »

I am a native New Yorker and have been exploring one of the world’s greatest cities for my entire life. Here are some tips for a great NYC trip that won’t be in the guide books:

1) The Tenement Museum: I love history and therefore this small museum is easily one of my favorite NY experiences. While everyone goes to Ellis Island Museum to learn about the immigrant experience, the Tenement Museum tells the stories of immigrants who lived in 97 Orchard Street, a tenement built in 1863 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The building was painstakingly restored to illustrate the lives of NY immigrants after they left Ellis Island. Researchers scavenged through the building, which had been vacant for 50 years, combed through archives, and complied evidence about tenants and tenement life. They managed to restore 6 apartments, including the home of the Moores, Irish immigrants who lived at 97 Orchard in 1869. Walking through this building, which can only be seen by guided tour, gives you a sense of how incredibly difficult it was to be an immigrant in NYC. You really can feel the spirit of the people who once resided here and you leave looking at Orchard Street through an entirely new set of lenses.

2) The High Line: This is one of New York’s newest outdoor spaces and it would have even wowed Frederick Law Olmstead. The High Line is located on Manhattan’s West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, between 10th/11th Avenues. The High Line was originally constructed in the 1930s, to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan’s streets. Today, it is a gorgeous park that seems to float above the city. The old train rails are incorporated into the design – and the landscaping is spectacular. During the summer you’ll find local sunbathers parked on the benches scattered throughout the park and you may even catch a wedding ceremony taking place! Check out this video about the High Line:

3) Punk Rope: If you’re game to meet “real” New Yorkers, you must try one of NY’s most social fitness raves – Punk Rope! This exercise class is so much fun – you jump rope to punk music and play games that will make you laugh while working out and meeting new people. Each week, Tim Haft, Punk Rope’s Founder and President, offers a new themed class and play list. One of his goals is to celebrate cultures around the world, so you may catch one of their tribute classes such as Japan, Mexico, Sweden, China, Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, and India – all while in the Big Apple. Now you’re wondering how you’re going to meet people while exercising, right? Here’s the best part of Punk Rope: they have a happy hour at Otto’s Shrunken Head the first Monday of every month (all drafts only $2). And Punk Ropers are known for their “pizza crawls” – they hit some of NYs best pizza joints together! Feel free to check out their Facebook page for more information. Check out this great video about PunkRope:

4) Food: One of the hardest things about traveling for me is finding the “right” place to eat. I’m a “foodie.” I love to cook, I love to eat and I love to eat “clean” food. After all, there is nothing worse than knowing your dinner has been sprayed with enough pesticides to kill a small army of ants! The NYC solution is GustOrganics, the first and only certified organic restaurant in NYC. And this INCLUDES the bar. It also includes gluten-free options for those of you who are sensitive to gluten. Oh, and did I mention that the food is FABULOUS? From their risotto, to their Argentinian stew, to their hearty soups, you will not be disappointed. And for those of you who don’t normally eat organic food, you’ll quickly taste the difference, you’ll also feel the difference. After all of this incredibly healthy food, I realize that sometimes one must indulge on the sugar “dark side.” My strongest recommendation is Rice to Riches. This is a rice pudding bar and it is so incredibly mouth wateringly delicious that I can’t believe it hasn’t been franchised. My mouth is seriously watering just thinking about this perfect foodie combination!

5) View of the NYC Skyline: Head over to Weekhawken, NJ for the best view of the NYC skyline. This is a photo of me and my beau, Tony, with the view of the skyline. Note the Empire State Building lit up in red, white and blue behind me.

Missy and Tony in Weehawken, New Jersey (USA) with a view of the NYC skyline behind us.

Tagged with: Empire state building • Food in NYC • GustOrganics • New York City • NYC • organic food NYC • Punk Rope • Rice to Riches • The High Line • The Tenement Museum • view of the NYC Skyline • Weehawken New Jersey

Jul 20

Interview with Dr. Craig Shealy, Author of the Beliefs, Events and Values Inventory (BEVI)

By Missy Gluckmann International Education Tools, Professional Development, Uncategorized No Comments »

I had the pleasure of attending the Beliefs, Events and Values Inventory (BEVI) Certification Training in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania (USA) back in June. The BEVI, created by Dr. Craig Shealy, is an innovative measure designed to assess “worldview shift” as well as the processes and outcomes of international and multicultural learning. This assessment measure uses 18 different scales to understand “who learns what and why, and under what circumstances.” The BEVI tool is delivered on-line and it takes about 35 minutes to complete. Unlike some other assessment tools, participants are not “graded” on a continuum. Rather, they are given an individualized report to explain how the BEVI understands his/her world view.

Please enjoy Melibee Global’s interview with Dr. Shealy:

http://www.vimeo.com/13442243

Dr. Shealy mentions that the International Beliefs and Values Institute (IBAVI) is hosting a conference next spring and as its title suggests, Sustainable Visions and Global Values: Placing Local Action into Global Context builds upon the complementary missions of the IBAVI by facilitating a dynamic process for civic and global engagement through the IBAVI’s six areas of thematic focus:

Conflict Resolution—conflicts can be resolved through dialogue, reason, mutual understanding, and reconciliation;
Human and Minority Rights—human and minority rights are respected and protected;
Sustainability—the natural resources upon which life depends are preserved;
Equal Treatment and Access—individuals and groups are neither persecuted nor denied equal access to education or social, legal, political, and economic resources;
Global Education—educational systems expose students of all ages to the perspectives of individuals, groups, and cultures around the world; and
Religious and Cultural Understanding—tolerance and understanding supplant hatred and violence in matters of cultural difference and religious faith.

I encourage you to share this information with your students, faculty and colleagues. This event looks like a terrific opportunity for meaningful dialogue about the state of our world and how values impact policy around the globe.

Tagged with: assessment tool • Beliefs Events and Values Inventory • BEVI • BEVI certification training • clinical psychology • Dr Craig Shealy • IBAVI • International Beliefs and Values Institute • world view

Jul 17

Sustainability in International Education: Interview with Michael Despines

By Missy Gluckmann Globalization, International Education Conferences, International Education Tools, International Education Week, Multicultural Lives, Professional Development, Travel Tips, Uncategorized No Comments »

Michael Despines, Guest Blogger

Today’s guest post is by the very talented Michael Despines, Sustainability Advocate. I had the pleasure of meeting Michael at the School for International Training in the early 90s. This past year, Michael served as the keynote speaker at the Connecticut State University System’s International Education Conference. His multimedia presentation was talked about for weeks! He was incredibly effective at breaking down very complicated issues (climate change/sustainability and how it impacts the global community) into digestible morsels, while relaying individual action plans for participants.

For today’s guest blog, I asked Michael about how the crisis facing our planet is impacting communities around the world. Please enjoy his thought provoking responses and be sure to check out his incredible bio below.

Note: Michael is available for presentations (on both issues of sustainability and development) and can be booked through Melibee Global.

Melibee Global (MG): Michael, what prompted you to shift your career and personal focus from international relief work to environmental sustainability ?

Michael Despines (MD): Early on in my career overseas I realized that our work was to help poor countries become economic replicates of the United States or Europe. Intuitively, I sensed that our society was not sustainable and I began a lifelong study on issues related to sustainability. The more I learned, the more my sense of concern and urgency grew. Over time, I decided to return to the U.S. and work on educating people about these issues and promoting a prosperous and sustainable society.

MG: Melibee Global is a blog that focuses on international education. In this field, there has been a lot of buzz about the “Green Passport” program. Are we moving in the right direction with this program? How can those of us who plan programs around the world (study/internships/volunteer abroad) be more effective in minimizing or offsetting the carbon footprint?

MD: Your question is a profound one. I am a passionate believer in the value of travel abroad – my overseas experience completely transformed me and opened untold worlds of intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth. That being said, international travel has a tremendous cost and recreational air travel will soon be an anachronism. The Green Passport program is right on – it places travel in proper perspective. Travel must be revered and respected for the extreme privilege that it is. The traveler must understand the high cost to the planet of such an experience and be committed to making the changes needed to live his or her life, day in and day out, in balance with nature. Carbon offset projects rarely produce the promised reductions – do not rely on them.

MG: As individual travelers, what are the changes we should be making to impact sustainability positively?

MD: Use public transportation as much as you can. Drive as little as possible. Support local business and local food suppliers. Carry your own water. Avoid plastic. Be aware of your choices and their impacts. Take your time. Much of the worst damage we do to the planet takes place when we rush or when we are short on time (eating fast food, buying bottled water, using throw away goods, etc.)

MG: How do you address those who say that climate change is a fairy tale?

MD: The debate was over 20 years ago. Every, and I mean every, credible scientific body in the world has signed on in support. Every government in the world, including the United States under George Bush, has publicly acknowledged that man-made climate change is a fact. Get over it. Climate change deniers now fall among those who believe that world is flat, or that man did not go to the moon.

MG: Can you recommend any books for our readers?

MD: Hmmm, so many. “The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability” by James Gustave Speth. Read this book and you will understand all the key environmental, social, political, and economic issues, problems and solutions related to creating a sustainable society. “An Agenda for a New Economy” by David Korten. A thin book that changed how I live my life. Here is a longer list.

MG: You spent many years working with the International Rescue Committee in Africa. How are issues with climate change specifically impacting this region of the world?

MD: The poorest people in the world in both Africa and Asia are being hit hardest by the impacts of climate change. Developing countries are heavily reliant on agriculture – the dramatic shift in climate is causing more frequent floods in some areas and extreme droughts in others. Either way yields are dropping. Hunger is rising. Each year there are an additional 150,000 deaths from malaria as the rising temperatures are allowing malaria laden mosquitoes to move into new areas. Women are particularly vulnerable – they have the least access to education and information about how to respond to climate change. Most farmers are actually women so they suffer most when crops fail. Women also take care of the children and the household so they are least able to flee the rising number of extreme weather events caused by climate change.

MG: Is it too late for us to change to deal with climate change? Is it too late to create a sustainable society?

MD: The way we live our life right now in America is taking us on a path to societal suicide. Our demands on the planet are overwhelming the planet’s life support systems. The signs are everywhere. Temperatures rising. Fish stocks collapsing. Forests disappearing. Water tables dropping. That is the bad news. The good news is that all the solutions are here, right now, today. We don’t need any new technology to create a world that is prosperous and in balance with nature. We simply have to make different choices. The future can be astounding. Really. In my talks I help map out both the bad and the good and the potential that awaits us. But the clock is ticking, and we must start making these changes NOW. Mother Nature will not wait much longer before she takes corrective action.

MG: Before we wrap up, I’d like to switch gears for a moment. You are an accomplished photographer. Tell our readers about how you got started with this hobby.

MD: As a child I was always crazy about animals: my room was full of stuffed toy animals and animal picture books. Every Sunday night I would anxiously await the next episode of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. I had seen every animal documentary made. So, when I went to Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer I bought my first cheap Nikon camera. Over the years I gradually taught myself how to take a decent photo and I went on safari every chance I could. Connecting with nature is essential. Nature nutures.

MG: Thank you, Michael, for sharing your wisdom with our readers.

Michael Despines' safari photo: Zebras

About the Author: For 17 years Michael Despines worked as a senior manager, strategist, and advocate for several international relief and development organizations. As Regional Director for the International Rescue Committee, he supervised programs in Rwanda, Burundi, The Republic of Congo, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Tanzania. Michael spent six years in eastern DRC as the country director overseeing a broad range of humanitarian and development programs. He has also worked for the International Medical Corps in Angola, and Action against Hunger-USA in Rwanda. He began his overseas work as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gabon. Over the last several years Michael has focused on promoting sustainable development in the United States. He has worked with Environment America, Clean Air-Cool Planet, and spent a year with Friends of the Earth advocating for sound US policy to address the impacts of climate change and he co-authored a report on the risks associated with the use of carbon offsets. He is currently the Regional Director for Asia for CHF International, an international development organization. Michael has conducted extensive reading and research on environmental science, climate science, energy technology, consumption, economics, and other topics related to sustainability. Based on this research and life experience Michael created “The American Dream – The World’s Nightmare,” a powerful presentation that he offers to high schools, colleges, universities, churches and other public venues to increase public awareness and action on these issues. Michael holds a B.S in Electrical Engineering, a B.A. in General Arts and Science, and a Masters in International Management. He is fluent in French and English.

Tagged with: Action against Hunger • Angola • climate change and international education • David Korten • Dem Republic of Congo • DRC • Friends of the Earth • Green Passport program • International Medical Corps • International Rescue Committee • interview with Michael Despines • IRC • James Gustave Speth • Melibee Global • Michael Despines • Mutual of Ohama • Rwanda • safari photography • School for International Training • Sustainability Consultant

Jun 29

Melibee Global Update

By Missy Gluckmann Uncategorized No Comments »

Greetings! Just wanted to quickly update you on some changes that are underway here at Melibee Global. I am very focused on making some minor changes to the website. Our digital strategy partner, Digital Strategy Works, is advising on some design and usability features that were rolled out with WordPress 3.0. As a result, I will not be writing any new postings until after the long US holiday weekend of July 4th. But please be sure to visit us in early July to see the minor changes to the site. Meanwhile, feel free to visit the menu along the top of this page and/or to email me with any topics of interest for future postings. Peace!

Tagged with: Digital Strategy Works • home • wordpress 3.0

Jun 15

Reflections on the World Cup and South Africa

By Missy Gluckmann Career, International Education Tools, Multicultural Lives, Uncategorized, safety abroad 2 Comments »

Guest blogger, Stefanie DeLeo

I am delighted that Ms. Stefanie DeLeo has written today’s guest blog. (Please be sure to read her bio below.) I am equally delighted to disclose that Stefanie is my cousin. She has an extensive travel background, supporting the theory that it must be something in our gene pool! Please enjoy her commentary on the World Cup and South Africa.

When asked to write about opinions on the World Cup in South Africa, I didn’t know where to begin. I am an American who lived and worked in South Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer for two and a half years. My relationship with South Africa became a love-hate relationship that stretches my emotions from immense joy to blood boiling frustration.

I first learned about the World Cup being held in South Africa long before I was slated to move there. I had always had a desire to go to South Africa, and my only real thoughts about the Cup being held there was, “wow, that’s so cool.” Flash forward a few years, and I can remember being in South Africa and seeing huge countdown signs on every street and in every restaurant reading “739 days until kickoff…738 days until kickoff…” Hard to believe we are now in the midst of it. My thoughts after living there were no longer, “cool,” but rather, “how on earth will this country pull it off?”

In 1997 Nelson Mandela invited and welcomed the Peace Corps into South Africa with the purpose of educational reform and community development in rural black villages. By the time my group arrived in 2007, the Peace Corps decided to expand its work into the Afrikaner community, and I was one of four volunteers selected to live in town working in a racially diverse school. While there, I used my graduate training from New York University in Educational Theater to rewrite curriculum and use theater as a tool for socially conscious dialogue.

Though my experience was the most amazing of my life, it had its share of challenges. The high violent crime rate, which was once just an abstract idea, was now part of daily life. Like the local people, we lived in houses with burglar bars over the doors and windows, and going out after dark was unheard of. All of my local friends had had brushes with crime. The Peace Corps group before us joked that we wouldn’t officially be true South African volunteers until we got mugged – at least twice. Another frustration included a slower pace of life and very different work ethic. As a fast paced New Yorker, it was a daily struggle to acclimate to my new host culture.

The crime and slower pace of life, underscored with political and racial tensions, certainly left many of us wondering how a World Cup could be pulled off successfully, and yet, so far, the games have gone on without major incident. The stadiums were completed, contrary to predictions made by the international sporting community. In addition, the police force has mobilized and acted swiftly to keep the 350,000 plus visitors safe.

The harder thing to fathom, which has less impact on the World Cup and more impact on the country’s post-Cup life, is the racial and political tensions. While rugby has often been considered the “white” sport, soccer has often been perceived as the “black” sport. This is evident both in the color of the athletes, and by the majority of spectators in each sporting event. Would the country be able to ban together to support such a huge soccer event in the same way they came together for the 1995 Rugby World Cup?

The film Invictus demonstrated how sport has served as both a political and racial unifier. What I witnessed in the two and half years in South Africa was a shift from skepticism to pride. Many of my South African friends shared their doubt that their country could pull this off. By the end of my time in South Africa, many of those same people were wearing FIFA shirts and telling me how proud they were to be South African. People of different races, cultures and languages waved the same flag as South Africa surprised everyone by tying Mexico, while the whole world watched. This Cup has been a chance for people to be proud of where their country has been, where they are and where they certainly have the potential to be.

About the Author:

Stefanie DeLeo graduated from Eastern Nazarene College in Boston, Massachusetts (USA) in 2004, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts with an emphasis in Theater. After taking a year off to direct a show at a Boston middle school, she moved back to her native New York to earn her Masters Degree from New York University, in 2006, in Educational Theater. Stefanie also recently returned from two and a half years in the Peace Corps, serving in South Africa, where she focused on theater for social change in rural schools. She has traveled extensively and has worked as director, playwright and English teacher, with two of her plays being produced in New York . Stefanie writes for an online travel site – please see her travel video and photo that were entered into a contest. (You can feel free to vote for the video/photo if so moved). Feel free to contact Stefanie at NatalilyS@aol.com.

South Africa's school children

Johannesburg, one of the World Cup host cities

(Photos courtesy of Stefanie DeLeo.)

Tagged with: Afrikans • eastern Nazarene College • FIFA • Invictus • Mandela • New York University • Peace Corps • returned peace corps volunteer • Rugby world cup • safety abroad • South Africa • Stefanie DeLeo • theater abroad • world Cup

Jun 11

BEVI: Beliefs, Events and Values Inventory Update from Pennsylvania

By Missy Gluckmann Forum on Education Abroad, International Education Tools, Professional Development, Repatriation, Research, Uncategorized 3 Comments »

I am writing from the BEVI (Beliefs, Events and Values Inventory) training in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, US. I learned about the BEVI at the Forum on Education Abroad Conference earlier this year.

While I will be filming Dr. Craig Shealy, founder of the BEVI later today for a future blog posting, I thought I would give you a preview of the training so far.

By way of introduction, the BEVI is designed to assess a number of relevant processes and constructs including (but not limited to): basic open receptivity to different cultures, religions, and social practices; the tendency (or not) to stereotype in particular ways; self and emotional awareness; and strategies for making sense of why ‘other’ people and cultures ‘do what they do’.

Dr. Shealy started our certification training by having us actually take the BEVI online. It took about 40 minutes and we each answered, in strict confidence, a series of questions related to our demographics, personal histories and upbringing. We were then asked 336 questions about our beliefs, life events and values that required answering with either “strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree.” There was no room for being wishy washy – you had to dig deep and answer questions that evoked feelings and emotion, ranging from how you were raised to your opinion about the environment. The BEVI successfully hones in on thoughts we have but don’t necessarily speak to others about.

BEVI emphasizes that there are no right or wrong answers and that there is no judgment attached – it is simply a way to collect information and ultimately create a confidential report that can be used by the reader as a summary of the individual’s world view and how learning can be considered as a result of the BEVI findings. Ultimately, the BEVI looks at who learns what, under what circumstances and to what degree.

Several schools are here for the training – some, simply to explore the tool and how it can be used in a learning environment, while one university is actually having a sample of freshmen take the BEVI at orientation this summer (it is not mandated, but a volunteer request) before the students’ first semester and then having the sample population retake the BEVI at the end of their junior year or beginning of their senior year, to see if and how the group’s world view has changed. They are also asking participants to create an electronic portfolio, where they can deposit copies of course papers and other pieces of work that related to international, global and multicultural learning.

It seems that the BEVI can be used in a variety of ways:

- looking at world view of a cohort in a class or study abroad/international program (study abroad, service learning abroad, etc)

- a tool for Multicultural and Human Resource offices

- as an assessment tool , perhaps prior to freshman year and then after an international experience/multicultural focused course

- exploring what type of experience the student may be ready to have, perhaps in an advising capacity (with the student’s permission, obviously, as the BEVI generates a confidential report)

- perhaps as a tool in re-entry workshops

As mentioned earlier, I will soon have a video interview of the BEVI’s founder, Dr. Craig Shealy, so that you can hear more about this new inventory tool.

Tagged with: beliefs • Beliefs and Values Inventory • BEVI • Dr Craig Shealy • global learning • international education research • life events • multicultural learning • values • world view

Jun 05

Active Ignorance at Play: The Controversy Over Building The Cordoba House Near Ground Zero

By Missy Gluckmann International Education Tools, Professional Development, Uncategorized No Comments »

I am a New Yorker. I am also a world citizen. Therefore, I have a responsibility to write about this horrific debate that has been brewing in New York City over plans to seek approval to build a new cultural center called the Cordoba House a mere two blocks from the World Trade Center site.

Approximately a week ago, there was an open community board meeting to discuss the plans for the Cordoba House. People came out in droves to voice their objections, claiming that Ground Zero is too sacred to put a “mosque that symbolizes the ideology that inspired the attacks of 9/11.” You’ll see in this interview and video on ABC news that the media continues to perpetuate the inaccuracy that Muslims “were cheering in the streets in streets in the Middle East and in America” on 9/11. I didn’t see any Muslims dancing in our streets? Did you? How about our friends in the Middle East? Were there droves of people dancing in your streets when the towers fell? What I do recall are images from around the world showing people crying and holding candle light vigils. I recall friends from all regions of the world, including the Middle East, sending their heartfelt condolences over the terrorist attacks and reminding us that this is not what Islam is about.

The same ABC news video clip shows Daisy Khan, Executive Director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement serving as a voice of reason. She states: “It is active ignorance at play, and a center like this will be dedicated to removing that ignorance.” Bravo to Ms. Khan for stating what needed to be said. It makes me wonder how many of the people condemning the Cordoba House initiative have ever SPOKEN with a person who is Muslim. I wonder if they’ve ever directly sat down and asked a Muslim person about their faith and what they do in a mosque when they pray. I wonder if they’ve ever seen anything about Islam that didn’t come out of Fox 5 news or any other conservative news source. I wonder if they have ever picked up an English version of the Koran or traveled to a place that is primarily Muslim? I wonder if they have ever visited the Cordoba House Initiative’s website which clearly explains the goals of the project and the legacy of work done on behalf of peace building around the world.

I was in New York on 9/11. I spent the day frantically trying to contact my family. I went to the local hospital to try to donate blood. My family awaited news of my brother-in-law who worked near the towers; he wasn’t reached for a few hours but at the time it felt like days. Thankfully he was alright, just difficult to reach. We watched as thousands died on that day in New York and in Washington DC. I tear up just thinking about how many people I know who lost someone close to them and I mourn the passing of a way of life in this country that died on that day. While I can’t completely understand the grief and pain of those who had family members and friends murdered, I do have an obligation to push back against ignorance about what the Muslim community stands for and what they are trying to do with Cordoba House.

When people are angry enough to state things such as “this is where the next terrorist act will be planned,” we have an obligation to say, ok, enough is enough. Let’s not forget that innocent Muslims were killed in the Trade Center on 9/11. Is it not their right to mourn also and build an educational and spiritual center that is based on religious leaders working together to minimize tension between Muslims and the West? And if two blocks away from Ground Zero is “too close,” what is far enough away? Are we talking 5 blocks? Above 23rd street? Above 59th Street? One of the outer boroughs of New York? New Jersey? This ridiculous notion that the plans for the center are “too close” are sprung from a group of people who are drowning in sadness, anger and ignorance.

I can’t believe that I even have to write this because it seems so ridiculous that somehow Muslims are all being labeled as terrorists by people who live in one of the most diverse cities in the world. For me, it is as silly as saying that all Republicans are terrorists because Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City bomber) was a registered Republican. Any extremist view is dangerous, but to label all people under one umbrella of faith is simply ignorant.

As an international educator, I work tirelessly to bring diverse people together to create opportunities for authentic dialogue. In the past, I’ve brought World Religions for Peace to speak with students and recently wrote about my experience bringing the film “Crossing Borders” to Western Connecticut State University. This marvelous film about a group of American students who travel to Morocco to meet a group of Muslim students prompted several Western Connecticut State University students to write papers about their negative stereotypes of the Muslim world, admitting they had never even had a conversation with a Muslim before and feeling ashamed that they judged them without warrant. The simple lesson of not judging a book by its cover is certainly applicable here.

When these protesters in New York City have actually had a conversation with a Muslim person, I’m quite certain that they won’t be standing in line to complain about the Cordoba House Initiative. In fact, I think they’ll be standing in line to attend one of the cultural events. I know I will be.

Tagged with: 9/11 • American Society for Muslim Advancement • Cordoba House • Crossing Borders Film • daisy khan • Ground Zero • ignorance • Imam Feisal • Koran • Middle East • Muslim • Timothy McVeigh • world trade center

Jun 02

Wyclef Jean’s Commencement Speech – His American Dream

By Missy Gluckmann International Education Tools, Multicultural Lives, Professional Development, Uncategorized 1 Comment »

Wyclef Jean

As many of you know, I serve as Coordinator of International Services at Western Connecticut State University. I have the pleasure of working international students coming to the US and with study abroad students leaving the US. In addition, I am an active member of the International Center and we work as a team to bring as much international programming as possible to campus.

Last summer, my colleague in the President’s office mentioned that the university was interested in a commencement speaker in the Arts. I mentioned a few fine musicians that I know in the area. I casually mentioned that Tony Zeoli from Digital Strategy Works (my web guru) may have some connections through his music industry background. Suddenly, the words Wyclef Jean slipped from my mouth, as I knew that Tony Zeoli had a dear friend who is from Haiti who had some sort of connection in that world of Haitian music. Needless to say, the President’s office was keen – could we really get Wyclef? The university worked tirelessly to make it happen once the introductions were made through Digital Strategy Works.

WCSU had selected Wyclef because of his humanitarian work in Haiti and also because of his incredible gift of sharing music across cultures. Fast forward to January 2010. This was no minor earthquake – this was an earthquake to end all earthquakes.

But how could we help? We all struggled with this question as we watched the live footage of death, despair and lives torn apart. What could we, as a campus, do to show our support? I’m pleased to say that WCSU acted swiftly and formed a group to support Haiti within days of the earthquake. Students, faculty, staff and community members hosted a range of fundraising events, raising $9500 for Yele Haiti, the not for profit founded by Wyclef. We watched the news and destruction, and it motivated this incredible campus to fundraise despite the difficult economy. I don’t think I could be more proud of the response to such a need for humanitarian aid. It is moments like these that we feel empowered to act and to do more than we knew we were capable of. We needed to, it was that simple.

In late May, Wyclef delivered his first ever commencement speech at WCSU. Ironically, I was scheduled to be out of town that weekend (argh!) and was not there, but am thankful for the following video put on youtube by Wyclef’s fine marketing machine. Upon my return to campus after commencement, I repeatedly heard from colleagues about how kind, easy going, accommodating, and ego-less Wyclef is in person. As you’ll see in the following video clip, his “real talk” and humor inspired our students to think about their futures despite the rough economy. He asked the hard questions: “What do you see?” and “What are you going to do when you get it?” Wyclef Jean chose to go back to Haiti to help the less fortunate and I’m certain that his works in Haiti are his proudest moments in his life, more than Grammys and filled houses at Madison Square Garden.

Listen in for some inspiration:

And if you haven’t heard his music, you must check out this beautiful video from the 2009 Nobel Peace Price performance in Norway. (Skip to 4 minutes in for an incredibly moving performance of “Sweetest Girl.”)

Tagged with: Digital Strategy Works • haiti • tony zeoli • western connecticut state university • wyclef jean

Jun 01

“A Free Life” by Chinese Born Author Ha Jin

By Missy Gluckmann ESL, International Education Tools, Multicultural Lives, Professional Development, Uncategorized No Comments »

Chinese born author Ha Jin.

I am a big fan of books written by those who are not born in the United States. Not only is it a wonderful way to explore another culture, but it is a useful tool when examining your “home” through your own cultural lens.

I have recently discovered the writing of Ha Jin, an immigrant from China. His personal story is very moving- he was studying at Brandeis University when the Tiananmen Square broke out in 1989. After seeing footage of the situation in China, he opted to immigrate to the United States. He eventually went on to earn a PhD here and taught for many years at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia (USA). He is now a Professor at Boston University in Massachusetts.

While I just finished his short book, “In the Pond”, written in 1998, I am going to focus on his novel entitled “A Free Life.” This is his first book written about Chinese immigrants in the United States. He tales the tale of a family that gets “stuck” in the US as a result of activities related to Tiananmen Square. This is not autobiographical – but rather a book idea that sprung as a result of meeting the owner of a Chinese restaurant in the US many years ago.

Ha Jin’s main character, Nan, leaves university to work and focus on his dream of being a poet. His tales of living the American dream are filled with the routine and mundane tasks of bill paying and going to work each day, yet each step in his journey is a lesson in cultural understanding. The book is filled with reflection and humor. I read this several weeks ago and it still is resonating with me. Ha Jin’s writing leaves me with a better understanding of Chinese culture, but also of the human condition. We all struggle on our paths, trying to live our dreams and deal in our realities. Something about his writing reminds me of one of my favorite authors, Chinua Achebe, author of Things Fall Apart.

I came across this thought provoking video (below) of Ha Jin speaking about “A Free Life.” He reminds the audience that he did not write about his own experience in this book – for example, he did not drop out of graduate school or work in a Chinese restaurant. But he does talk about the emotion of fear in the immigrant experience. This is a fear of not being able to return home – or that home is not ever going to be the same, fear of learning a whole new language and having to trust the processes that don’t make sense in one’s own life experience and fear of this new identity in the new homeland.

Ha Jin talks about the challenge of tackling the subject of language in his writing and how to present two languages into his writing. He says that learning a new language comes with a childlike innocence and that he specifically uses and misuses the language to reflect this. There is certainly humor in the meaning of many new American idioms and phrases, and he is a master at highlighting these.

He also talk about the importance of the physical land in his writing. When he first came to the United States, his first impression was how different the actual land was in this country. He speaks about writing a letter home early on and how he expresses how his native country’s land was overused and that “nature was extraordinarily generous to America.” He clearly connects with the land and intended to write about it as part of the characters’ immigration experience in “A Free Life.”

One of the most beautiful pieces of his presentation in this video below is his commentary on the use of the word “homeland.” Ha Jin says that in other parts of the world, people reference their “mother” or “father” land. But in the US we speak of a homeland, a place that is our land of origin AND a place where home physically is, and how the latter is primarily how the word is used now – even if it means “adopted homeland.” He feels that the word homeland is a very rich word in our language.

Ha Jin also speaks about immigrant authors not being simply “brokers of culture,” but responsible for also creating culture. He cites the example of using old things to create new – such as how Chinese Americans created the fortune cookie, which is not really common in China, as a new phenomenon and twist for the American culture.

I would strongly encourage anyone interested in a learning about culture to pick up a copy of “A Free Life.” Meanwhile, check out this video of Ha Jin speaking in Boston about his novel:

Tagged with: A Free Life • China • Chinua Achebe • Ha Jin • homeland • immigrant experience • In the Pond • Things Fall Apart

May 11

Teaching Across Cultures: “Japanese Me”

By Missy Gluckmann Fulbright, International Education Tools, Multicultural Lives, Professional Development, Uncategorized No Comments »

Art by Nikita Hunter

As a young child, I lived in Rego Park, New York. For those of you not from the United States, Rego Park is in Queens, one of the 5 boroughs of New York. Each year, the Police Athletic League (PAL) would offer a contest for school kids in this urban environment and give out trophies. At the age of 8, I won a trophy for a poem and picture that I drew about “my neighborhood.” I remember receiving the trophy from some man that made my mother’s eyes bulge out of her head with shock and joy. He walked us to the subway and she was beaming! (As I grew older, I realized the significance of that man joining us for a stroll to the subway. That man was James Earl Jones, the actor who played Darth Vader in Star Wars!)

While on the internet tonight, I came across this beautiful video about a local school in Brooklyn – another of the 5 boroughs of New York. Nikita Hunter, a middle school teacher, participated in a Fulbright program to Japan and upon her return home, reflected on how she could share the culture most effectively with her young students. The video below shows her very creative and successful attempt at doing so.

Ms. Hunter’s approach reminds me of the teacher’s power to expand the imagination, creativity and interest in other cultures in our youth. It made me think how much more interesting the PAL contest that I participated in at the age of 8 would have been if I was asked to write a poem or draw a picture about my home AND another child’s home abroad – what culture would I selected? How would I have researched it at that age? What would my young mind have imagined another child’s home abroad to feel like?

Please enjoy “Japanese Me” as much as I did:

Tagged with: Brooklyn • Fulbright • James Earl Jones • Japan • Japanese Me • Nikita Hunter • Police Atheltic League • teaching culture throught art

May 07

Interview with Melibee Global’s Founder, Missy Gluckmann, featured on Wandering Educators

By Missy Gluckmann Uncategorized No Comments »

WanderingEducators.com - the photo is from a flight that I took from San Jose to Quepos (Costa Rica).

While I’m the one who is usually looking for people to interview for my blog, I was humbled to be asked to be interviewed by Dr. Jessie Voigts from Wandering Educators.

Wandering Educators is an international community of traveling educators. It serves as a resource for discovering extraordinary travel destinations, fascinating people, and global artists and photographers, among our many published articles. As the largest source of travel guide reviews on the internet, it is a place site you’ll want to bookmark! With more than 35 editors, they represent nations around the world and a plethora of intercultural and travel-related areas. Their audience is diverse – travelers who are K-12 teachers (US system), homeschoolers, students, higher education professors and administrators, as well as life long learners.

After being interviewed by Dr. Voigts and learning about her inspiring background, I asked her to write a guest post for Melibee Global in the near future. I look forward to sharing her piece with you in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, here is her interview about Melibee Global. Please let me know what you think!

And let me add how grateful I am to have been recognized by such a valuable resource in the field. It is certainly a very humbling experience.

May 03

Video Interview with Arnd Wächter, Director of “Crossing Borders” Film

By Missy Gluckmann International Education Tools, Multicultural Lives, Professional Development, Uncategorized 5 Comments »

Missy Gluckmann, Founder of Melibee Global with Arnd Wächter, Founder of Crossing Borders Education

I had the pleasure of crossing paths with Arnd Wächter while at a recent meeting at the Institute of International Education. You may recall that I had arranged for Arnd to screen his film, “Crossing Borders“, in early April at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU). While in the U.S., Arnd traveled to Washington DC for several meetings to discuss the film with organizations and schools.

His meeting at IIE, on his final day in the U.S., conveniently coincided with a training that I was attending. I managed to steal him for a few minutes to hear more about his vision for Crossing Borders. I was particularly inspired to do so after seeing the response of students at WCSU. Several students who attended the screening wrote “extra credit” papers for one of the Political Science classes. The professor of the course felt it was important to share them with me as the students commented very candidly on their own stereotypes of the Muslim world. One wrote about how ashamed he felt after seeing this film because he realized that he made assumptions about these people without any facts.

As you have read in my other postings, “Crossing Borders” is a must see film. To learn more about the film and Arnd Wächter, please enjoy this 10 minute interview (and many thanks to Digital Strategy Works for shooting and editing this interview on such short notice)

http://www.vimeo.com/11467995

Tagged with: 9/11 • Arnd Wachter • conflict resolution • cross-cultural education • crossing borders education • Crossing Borders Film • Digital Strategy Works • Egypt • IIE • Interview with Arnd Wächter • Missy Gluckmann • Morocco • Muslim world • Muslims • Muslims in the media • September 11th • stereotypes

Apr 29

Social Media and Study Abroad – Addiction?

By Missy Gluckmann Travel Tips, Uncategorized, faculty led study abroad 4 Comments »

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently cited a new study out of the University of Maryland that indicates that students who are denied social media describe their withdrawal symptoms in terminology similar to those of drug and alcohol addicts. According to the Chronicle article, the study from the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda, “24 Hours: Unplugged,” asked 200 students on the campus to give up all media for a full day and blog on private Web sites about their experience. Student reaction showed addiction like withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, misery, and being jittery, the authors wrote.

I got a taste of this when recently co-facilitating a pre-departure orientation for a summer program in Spain. The students regularly asked about whether or not to bring their lap tops and how to best manipulate their smart phones to work in Europe.

My gut reaction is to want to stand up and SCREAM at the top of my lungs: “Drop the technology! Step away from the keyboard! Dump your phone into the nearest lake (ok, not very green, I admit…but you get my point)!”

Since I could not reasonably do this and remain gainfully employed, I gently interjected, reminding the students that simply walking down the street in Madrid will be a whole new sensory experience - history, architecture, shops, smells of food, music, traffic, people, sights, etc. I wanted them to trust that they won’t be glaring down at the cell phone wanting to know who is texting about their annoying little brother, or worse yet, “four squaring you” to tell you that they checked in at the local Seven-Eleven to buy a sugar loaded Big Gulp.

Really, I promise, you will NOT miss it. I promise you will be so completely absorbed by your new surroundings that you won’t want to observe the musings of your peers on Facebook. The relationship statuses, random thoughts and “Mafia War”/”Farmville” statuses simply won’t matter.

But how do you get this across to an 18 year old who is socialized to feel withdrawal symptoms when they can’t text or Facebook for 24 hours?

Thankfully, an old soul in the pre-departure meeting makes the connection that plugging in your laptop and sucking up the electricity in your home stay may not be the most appropriate way to introduce yourself as an American college student. Or an American. Or a guest in someone’s home. Or a world citizen trying to respect energy resources.

Who says there isn’t hope for our youth?

This is quickly countered by a student who wants to download her photos daily for her art class. Dang it! It is a fair request, I suppose.

I feel the tug of war raging inside of me. To tech or not to tech? That is the question.

The irony is that I write this on my lap top, post it to my Melibee Global Facebook Fan page and then load it to my LinkedIn profile status update. I have also partnered with Digital Strategy Works (the shop that created my blog) and we are consulting together in all matters that relate to digital media and international education. Does this make me a hypocrite? Sigh.

Ah, technology. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…

Tagged with: computer addiction • Digital Strategy Works • Faceboo • faculty led study abroad • four square • linked in • pre-departure orientation • social media • texting

Apr 15

Prosecution Launches Appeal Against Amanda Knox

By Missy Gluckmann Amanda Knox/Meredith Kercher, Uncategorized 1 Comment »

Amanda Knox meets with Italian police outside of her housing, the day after the murder of Ms. Meredith Kercher

Several news agencies reported today that Italian prosecutors will be requesting a life sentence for Amanda Knox, the American study abroad student sentenced for the murder of Meredith Kercher, a study abroad student from England.

Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini submitted a 13-page file requesting the increase in Ms. Knox’s stay in prison. He was reported to have said, “In their post-verdict report the judges said this was a murder for purely casual reasons, and if that is the case then this is a crime that calls for the maximum penalty of life.”

This is not the first time that Mignini has requested a life sentence for Ms. Knox. The Italian court decided, at her original sentencing, to give Ms. Knox and Mr. Sollecito (her boyfriend at the time) a lower term – due to their young ages and lack of prior arrest.

Reports have also surfaced accusing the Italian forensic police department of bias toward Ms. Knox. This is based on a photograph (above) of Ms. Knox talking with investigators from the Italian forensic police department the day after the murder, while outside of the house where she and Ms. Kercher resided. This photograph was supposedly hung on their office wall, alongside renowned murderers, 3 months after she was arrested. Italian law, like US law, is supposed to assume that a person is innocent until proven guilty. It is also noted that the 2 men charged with the murder (Mr. Sollecito and Mr. Rudy Guede) did not have photographs on the “wall of fame”, implying bias against Ms. Knox.

My previous postings indicate that this is a very difficult and complex case with two very firm camps – The Knox camp, claiming her innocence and finding it impossible that she could be found guilty with no DNA or physical evidence appearing in the room where the murder took place, and the Kercher Camp, mourning the young victim, Meredith Kercher, whose throat was slashed while she was left to die.

Ms. Knox’s attorneys are preparing her appeal, expected to be filed soon.

Tagged with: Amanda Knox • Appeal • Guiliano Mignini • Italian Forensic Police • Meredith Kercher • Raffaele Sollecito • Rudy Guede

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