Memorable Monday

You are a human being. You have rights inherent in that reality.

You have dignity and worth that exists prior to law.

-Lyn Beth Neylon

Suffrage for Saudi Women?

There is much still to be seen in regards to Saudi Arabian women exercising their promised right to vote, which the King has announced will go into effect after municipal polls on Thursday, but such an announcement is, nonetheless, exciting. The ability to vote and stand for election will not be practiced until the next election cycle in four years, for municipal polls, which are the only polls available to the public. Time will tell how such a right will bode in the more outwardly conservative Saudi Arabia, and what effect newfound suffrage will have for the contestation of guardianship laws and driving restrictions for women. We've blogged before on such issues, but this latest article from the BBC may be the most exciting yet.

Caitlin and I have been in dialogue with each other on how we approach human rights universally, particularly when it comes to recognizing cultural values and religious beliefs. Is there such a concept as universal human rights? What are the core values behind it that can be held up in every society? Post your thoughts in the comments sections!

Memorable Monday

People who look through keyholes are apt to get the idea

that most things are keyhole shaped.

~Author Unknown

Memorable Monday

I like to help women help themselves, as that is, in my opinion, the best way to settle the woman question. Whatever we can do and do well we have a right to, and I don't think any one will deny us.

~ Louisa May Alcott

Would you take revenge?

This poem by Taha Muhammad Ali presents an interesting view on revenge...which revenge would you take?

Memorable Monday

Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.
~ African proverb

17

We all know that age plays a big part in one's perspective. As we grow older and experience more of life, we gain more knowledge and wisdom, and our views of the world can take a 180. Sometimes we even become more cynical. But I think in our rush to dismiss the naive views of younger people, we miss out (and forget) some of the wisdom that comes from seeing the world so simply. I read this advice from a 17 year old recently that reminded me of some simple principles in life that tend to get lost in the rush of daily life:

"There are a few things I've come to realize this year. One - don't hold on to things too tight. Hold on tight enough and long enough to enjoy them, but know that you'll eventually have to let go. Don't hold too tight, because change has to happen. And change is okay - even good. Without change we would never grow, never get to become the people we want to be. 

Two - enjoy the little things. 'Make the good stuff count for more than the bad stuff.' Remember the little things that make you happy, like reading a book in the afternoon while eating chocolate and wearing fuzzy slippers. They make life more fun.

Don't brood over past mistakes and live in guilt - learn from them. If you learn from them, you're less likely to have to go through a situation twice. 

Take time to daydream. It's just a whole lot of fun. 

Work hard at everything you do. Whether it's at school, in sports, on the job, in ministry, do it to the best of your ability. You feel so much better knowing you worked your hardest to accomplish something, and it gives you something to be proud of. 

Find your comfort zone, then go out of it. Stretch yourself. You usually find something new you like to do or are good at. And it's fun to scream and holler and make a fool of yourself at a soccer game. 

Remember those who have helped you get to where you are. Thank them and love on them. Appreciate your friends, because you never know when they might be gone. And love your family. (Yes, even when they are monstrously irritating.) They love you no matter what, and they're the only one you've got." 

One City, Two Stories

How is it that two people living in the same city at the same time could have two completely different perspectives?

As humans, it is so easy for us to fall into the (very bad) habit of categorizing people and their perspectives. It's common to hear "Europeans think this" or "the West/the East thinks that" and so on and so forth, and unfortunately, we tend to leave it at that. We typically forget to consider the role that personal experiences play in shaping one's attitudes and beliefs, and we simply lump them in with the group and the perspectives we feel fit them best.

There was an article published by the BBC this week that explores the memories of two people living in Baghdad during the US invasion of Iraq. Despite the fact that both of the Iraqis interviewed have lived in the city the entire time, they have entirely different perspectives of the war, US troops, and Americans in general. Reading their stories in their own words serves as a clear reminder that each individual, regardless of any similarities we may share, has their own unique story and perspective.

One Day

Recently, I was listening to the radio and came across a song called "One Day" by Matisyahu. As a student in a Peace and Conflict Resolution program, this song really struck me and has been an inspiration to me in the past few weeks. 


I'll let the song do the rest of the talking. Enjoy! 

Sometimes I lay under the moon
And I thank God I'm breathin'
Then I pray don't take me soon
'Cause I am here for a reason

Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know someday it'll all turn around because

All my life I been waitin' for
I been prayin' for, for the people to say
That we don't want to fight no more
They'll be no more wars
And our children will play, one day

It's not about win or lose 'cause we all lose
When they feed on the souls of the innocent blood
Drenched pavement keep on movin'
Though the waters stay ragin'

And in this life you may lose your way
It might drive you crazy
But don't let it phase you, no way

Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know someday it'll all turn around because

All my life I been waitin' for
I been prayin' for, for the people to say
That we don't want to fight no more
They'll be no more wars
And our children will play, one day

One day this all will change
Treat people the same
Stop with the violence down with the hate
One day we'll all be free and proud
To be under the same sun
Singing songs of freedom like


From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/m/matisyahu-lyrics/one-day-lyrics.html 

Memorable Monday

Nobody can be exactly like me. Even I have trouble doing it. 

~ Talllulah Bankhead

Where have we been?

So I know it looks like we've fallen off the face of the planet. But we haven't...I promised! Truth is, both of us have been in a month of transition, and life has been crazy! (Not to mention the lack of internet access at any given time.) Therefore, a little update for you all:  :)

Courtney is getting ready to head to the Middle East with Young Adults in Global Mission for a year-long service trip. Needless to say, there's a lot of preparation she's been doing. We're certainly going to miss her here in the states, but thanks to the wonderful world of technology, she won't be absent from our blog! :) You can also read more about her trip on her travel blog.

As for me, I've recently moved to the Philly area to start a graduate program in International Peace and Conflict Resolution. New journeys for everyone, haha! In other exciting news, I also just started an internship at Women's Campaign International. This non-profit organization works with women in developing countries to give them the skills and tools they need to become more involved in market and political processes in their home countries. It looks to be a promising, positive, and life-changing experience.

So there you have it...lots of change lately, but all good things! We're so excited for the next year and al; the new perspectives we'll encounter!

Memorable Monday

Each moment is a place you've never been.
~ Mark Strand

Memorable Monday

Be not content with stories of those who went before you. Go forth and create your own story. ~ Rumi

Through New Eyes

Last week I had the joy of a visit from a very dear college friend. I also had the pleasure of meeting her friend, who was visiting the States for the first time from Austria. In an attempt to show her as much of the northeast as possible, we trekked into Boston to do a little exploring. We had a great afternoon just spending time together in the city, but it proved to be so much more than that for me. It turned out to be an excellent lesson in perspective. ;)

One site we visited in the city was the Holocaust Memorial near Fanueil Hall. It's always been a favorite of mine in Boston, and I didn't think much of it as we approached. However, as I was walking through the memorial, I started to see it in new eyes: if I were from Austria, how would I see this memorial? Would anything strike a chord in me as I read the names of places that were so much closer to my home? I began to wonder how my new friend had learned about the Holocaust and what she thought of the memorial.

After we finished at the memorial, my friend asked her how she had learned about the Holocaust in Austria. I was fascinated when she told us that they didn't focus on it more than another topic in history...growing up outside of Boston, we rarely made it past the Revolutionary War in any of my history classes. :) I guess I had just assumed that they would have studied it more in depth due to their geographical proximity to where it had taken place. After a brief but interesting conversation, my friend asked us to clarify how long World War II lasted - which as a former history major, I figured it was a seemingly basic question. Without thinking, I said 4 years, and at the same time, our friend from Austria said 6 years. We looked at each other a bit puzzled for a moment, then realized our "error." We were both correct, but she was speaking from a European point of view, and I was speaking from an American point of view. It really made me pause and think critically about how I perceive things, and how very American my perspective is about world events.

It's the little moments like these that speak volumes to me about perspective...how important it is for us to have these small conversations with others that have far-reaching effects on our perspective.

Memorable Monday

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”

– Robert Louis Stevenson

Famine in Somalia

Here in the southern coast of Virginia, I've been a little more than discouraged at the ridiculously hot and humid weather. Being from the New England area, this kind of heat is completely foreign and further stereotypes the southern United States in my mind. Of course, something that is gradually gaining airtime on the news is the recently declared famine status of Somalia. This means that over 30% of children are suffering from acute malnutrition and at least 2 people a day are dying on average from starvation, malnutrition, and inadequate water supply. In some areas, four children under age 5 die every day. Every day.

Part of the goal of Perspectives is to not just encourage one another to see life from a different vantage point, but to experience and really feel a shared humanity with people who live in different parts of the world, participate in different cultures, speak a different language, practice another religion. The Somalis are us. A different tribe, but all the same beings.

Read more about the U.N. declaring famine in Somalia and find out what you may be able to do to help.

Memorable Monday

Peace is not an absence of war; it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.
~ Baruch Spinoza

Top Posts of the Week (Jul 10- Jul 16 )

Here are this week's top three most viewed posts at Perspectives:

1. "Test Drive" a Religion?

2. Arab Spring Births New Country

3. Saudi Arabian woman's battle for marriage


Keep an eye out for our weekly Memorable Monday quotes, and more posts as we seek to bring you new perspectives and broaden your own.

Tid Bits

In case you missed them, here are some interesting happenings from around the world this past week:

Comic-book author creates Arab role models to encourage children who may otherwise be persuaded by extremist views.

McDonald's really does try to adapt to it's surroundings. McFalafel? I'd rather buy it from a vendor, too.

Courtney's never one to miss out on some Jane Austen news. But, for the record, she was never able to get to the Austen manuscripts the Bodleian already had, even thought she was studying Austen at the time. (She's not bitter or anything, no, never!)

Tweeting and Flickring cartography

One of the pictures from the article shows San Francisco,
with a discernable Golden Gate Bridge. The maps, which
depict Twitter and Flickr usage, use blue dots to represent
Twitter, orange for Flickr, and white for both. Check out the
link embedded in the post to check out the original article
and more of these amazing pictures!

The way we communicate and, indeed, the way we learn about other people, cultures, and religions, has been completely changed with the mass usage of social media. With both Caitlin and I being Twitter users (our main blog page has real time tweets), this world map of Twitter and Flickr users draws some interesting conclusions on where people have embraced such technology en mass.

Do you use Twitter or Flickr? Why or why not? Leave us your comments!

Memorable Monday

What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
~ John Lubbock

Arab Spring Births a New Country

Maybe some of you have heard, or perhaps this is breaking news for you, but we've just welcomed another country into this world. South Sudan raised it's flag at a ceremony yesterday, amongst cheering crowds and the playing of their new national anthem. While the road ahead for the Southern Sudanese people is still uncertain, there is much hope stirring in the public opinion.

It will be particularly interesting to see how those who will now be classified as a unified Southern Sudanese people integrate. As you can see on the map to the right, South Sudan does not contain one dominant culture, but rather a mixture of both homogeneous and heterogenous cultures. This may distinguish the future of the new country from Sudan, which is predominantly Arab Muslim. We'll be keeping our eyes on this fledgling of a country, particularly on the new border lands (the map gives away a little on how some of the Arab majority areas have been legally separated from from Sudan, and one can safely assume that the separation of lands, families, tribes, and cultural groups are not as neatly set apart as may be implied by such a nicely color-coded map).

The United States was one of the first handful of countries to recognize South Sudan, with President Obama speaking words of encouragement to the new nation. (On a completely unrelated note, one could take his speech and replace "South Sudan" with "Palestine"; we can only hope that such encouragement of autonomy can be universally given by the United States, but that is yet to be seen)

Have you heard about the birth of South Sudan, or have other government protests of this Arab Spring captured more of your attention? Post comments and thoughts below, we'd love to hear from you!

Top Posts of the Week (Jul 3- Jul 9)

Here are this week's top three most viewed posts at Perspectives:

1. "Test Drive" a Religion?

2. Saudi Arabian woman's battle for marriage

3. Memorable Monday #2


Keep an eye out for our weekly Memorable Monday quotes, and more posts as we seek to bring you new perspectives and broaden your own.

"Test Drive" a Religion?

I recently came across an article on the BBC website about a program called "Muslim for a Month." Through this program, individuals can travel to Turkey and "test drive" Islam for a month. To read the full article click here. (A few days late, I know...like the last blog post stated, I'm on the road = limited internet...very sad. But this was too good not to share!)


While there is certainly some controversy with he idea, it is possible to find some value in it as well. In an age of increased globalization, it is more important than ever to have an understanding of people who are different from ourselves. An experience like this may not only deepen one's understanding of people and cultures but can also lead to a deeper self-awareness of what one believes. 


This article really hit home for me, partly because it has so much to do with what our blog is about. As one respondent in the article mentioned, she felt she had a misunderstanding about an entire culture and religion. Personally, I would love to try a program like this and think it would be unbelievably enriching, though I know there are probably some family and friends who would disagree. 


It's almost time for me to hit the road again, but I'd love to hear from you...would you try this program? Do you think it's blasphemy of sorts to "test drive" religions? Share your thoughts below...we'd love to hear from you! 

Happy 4th!

For whatever the Fourth of July may signify for you (you mean there can be more than one perspective on what many call "Independence Day" here in the US?!), we hope that today was filled with joy and relaxation. Here at Perspectives we've been enjoying food, family, friends, and fireworks (although the latter has been rained out for Courtney, and Caitlin is enjoying the holiday on the road). For those of you who have the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution memorized, we hope you enjoy the following clip; to those of you who are a little fuzzy when reciting the first paragraph of the document (join the club), we hope you find this encouraging...

[Thanks to John Fea for blogging on this earlier today. The Way of Improvement Leads Home: Don Knotts Recites the Preamble to the U.S. Consti...: "HT: James Rice"]

Memorable Monday

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living."

~ Miriam Beard

Saudi Arabian woman's battle for marriage

Dave Lee has written a touching piece for the BBC World Service detailing one woman's struggle for autonomy. While media attention has focused a lot on the plight of some Saudi women to gain driving licenses, this article brought to my attention a different struggle that is no less entwined in one's personal identity. 

Read more here about one Saudi woman's desire to marry the man of her choice, and the familial, and now legal, struggle that is very much shaping the rest of her life: Saudi Arabian woman challenges male guardianship laws

Positive News for IMF

With all the bad press the International Monetary Fund has been getting lately, this seems to be a break in the clouds. She'll have a tough road ahead of her, but we're excited that Christine Lagarde has been named the first woman to lead the IMF.

Read more here...

For those unfamiliar with the IMF, it is self described from their website as "an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world." Considering the variety of countries and cultures she'll be working with, it will be interesting to see Lagarde's reception and what she will be able to accomplish.

Memorable Monday

"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage, to know who we are and where we come from."
~ Alex Haley

Welcome!

Welcome to Perspectives!

We are so excited you’ve joined us on our journey toward widening our perspectives. Through personal reflections, news articles, memorable quotes, and weekly questions, we hope to engage with you in dialogue about culture, peace and conflict resolution, travel, and history.

The title “Perspectives” comes from our deep belief that opening ourselves to the unique experience of every individual is key towards reconciliation. By understanding and embracing our differences, we can create a space for constructive dialogue and realize our similarities and common humanity.

As with any project, this is sure to evolve…and we are so excited to see where it takes us!