Israel/Palestine Trip Reflections: Cohort 18 Study Abroad
By: Lindsey White

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@ksuconflict
Israel/Palestine Trip Reflections: Cohort 18 Study Abroad
By: Lindsey White
Israel/Palestine Trip Reflections: Cohort 18 Study Abroad
By: Vanessa G. Selewski
Tel Aviv: Cohort 18 Study Abroad to Israel/Palestine
By: Mary Zahar
Jerusalem: Cohort 18 Study Abroad to Israel/Palestine
By: Mary Zaher
Akko: Cohort 18 Study Abroad to Israel/Palestine
By: Rebekah Meahl
Hebron, Part II: Cohort 18 Study Abroad to Israel/Palestine
By: Rebkah Meahl
Hebron, Part I: Cohort 18 Study Abroad to Israel/Palestine
By: Aaron Clarke
Wahat al-Salam Neve Shalom: Cohort 18 Study Abroad to Israel/Palestine
By: Nancy Ross
Bethlehem, Part II: Cohort 18 Study Abroad to Israel/Palestine
By: Lindsey White
Bethlehem, Part I: Cohort 18 Study Abroad to Israel/Palestine
By: Lyndsey Little
Ramallah: Cohort 18 Study Abroad to Israel/Palestine
by: Lyndsey Little
City of Jerusalem: Cohort 18 Study Abroad
by Aaron Clarke
pictured above. West Jerusalem and Old City & East Jerusalem
Teaching English and Global Perspectives and Researching Sustainable Education in an Indian context (part 3)
By: Rebekah Meahl, Cohort 18 Master of Science in Conflict Management
I only have two weeks left in India! Time sure does fly. Since my last update, here’s what’s been happening in Bangalore!
Things are very fluid and always changing, and my flexibility has been tested as plans can change daily or even hourly! :-) One afternoon we received a notice at school that the following day (a Thursday) would be a holiday from school. When I inquired about it, I was given a vague answer from another teacher that it was an important person’s birthday. I find cultural variations from my American norm utterly fascinating!! Holidays and school breaks aren’t always put on a calendar in advance, and things change at a moment’s notice!
After exam week (mentioned in the last update) ended for the students, there was a 4 day weekend holiday. The first week and a half of October was spent in my 5th, 6th, and 7th grade classrooms teaching the rainbow song (as seen on my Instagram) to focus on some more English vocabulary, such as colors (purple was a new concept for some students), and also meanings/symbols of rainbows that transcend culture, such as promises, peace, and beauty. (Some of my friends from the western world have asked, but homosexuality is illegal in India and also a taboo subject in the public realm, so this was not an appropriate topic to discuss in school with children.) We also began an important lesson on global perspectives with a chart I created (also see a photo on Instagram) that compares 9 nations and some fun aspects for middle schoolers, such as food, sports, languages, and descriptive words of the people in each place! It has been challenging to design lessons in super-simplified English, as the English language capabilities is varied in each class. This particular global perspectives lesson has proven to be a most helpful and eye-opening lesson! When having students guess which countries we would learn about, I gave them hints based on region, etc. When I gave the hint that one of the countries was in the Middle East, a student replied “oh, we don’t know anything about the Middle East!” So I said “Well, today we’ll learn something new!” They were also very fascinated by the fact that of the 9 countries listed, I had personally visited 8 of them. (Kenya is the only place on the list I haven’t been.) The concept of globalized travel and interacting with others from around the world is literally a foreign concept to these students (no pun intended), which makes me so thankful that I can be part of adding some global knowledge to these students’ minds! The idea that people are different, cultures may have differences, but that we’re all human and should respect each other is something many of these children have never heard!! (Social identity theory, anyone?!?!) During my last week of upcoming teaching, we will review and wrap up our global perspectives lesson and chart, and review everything we’ve learned together over my two month internship.
Currently, it is the Diwali (pronounced “Divalee”) festival across India. This is a national holiday that encompasses several days of celebrations (mostly for Hindus), but widespread school closures and shop closures extend for more than a week! ACTS main offices in Bangalore remained open for meetings and planning, so I am saying in the city and working from the main office until October 25. I have been helping the staff organize some upcoming projects and conferences they’re doing, and I’ve been able to lead several conflict management workshops for ACTS employees to add to their “toolboxes” of skills. On October 25, I’ll be headed back to my rural school to teach for one last week before spending my last day back in the city to say goodbye to many of my ACTS friends and coworkers. I leave India on November 3 to head to Israel/Palestine for another MSCM study abroad class.
The two photos attached are the chart/outline of our global perspectives lesson and a selfie of me with a bull. While there are many Muslims and Christians in India, Hinduism is a prevalent religion, and cows/bulls are sacred to Hindus. They are allowed to roam free, including through the streets in the city. This particular bull was lying on a pile of trash in the road near a popular shopping district I visited with friends for lunch last week. (Littering/trash dumping is a huge issue in India.) Most of these animals are completely used to people and traffic, and this guy was no different, lounging in the road and completely unbothered by us. Such an interesting cultural thing to experience here! Also, it’s still warm and humid here. South India/Bangalore is closer to the equator than Florida, and this Florida girl has been chuckling at all the autumn/pumpkin posts from back in the US. None of that here!!
Thanks for following along on this Indian adventure as I complete my MSCM fieldwork! I have learned so much about education/sustainable education in India and I can hardly believe this experience is almost over. My Instagram posts are also shared on Twitter and Facebook, and I’m sure I’ll continue posting things there through the rest of my two study abroad experiences before I return to the States in mid-November.
-Rebekah
Teaching English and Global Perspectives and Researching Sustainable Education in an Indian context (part 2)
By: Rebekah Meahl, Cohort 18 Master of Science in Conflict Management
I hope this finds everyone well! Happy autumn! :-) I’m not experiencing a change in the weather here in Bangalore, other than when it dips into the 70s, many of my new friends complain that it’s “cold” and they wear hoodies! Of course, I think it feels lovely!
Since my last update, I have moved to a guest room at one of ACTS’ campuses that is only a 20 minute school bus ride from the school I teach at! The campus and the school are both in the rural outskirts of Bangalore, and the rain that comes several times a week often washes away part of the dirt and gravel roads we drive on, making our bus rides very bumpy! Also, although the locals call it a “rural” area (and it doesn’t feel like the city), there are high-rise apartment and condominiums being built all over the area so many of my photos from school have the new apartment building next door (and its crane) in the shot!
ACTS staff have now decided that I will stay at the same school for the entirety of October! I am excited about this, as I can continue to teach the same students and hopefully go further into my cultural and global perspectives lessons that are upcoming. This week (Thursday to Thursday) is exam week with half days of school, so I have been using my time (not teaching while the kids are testing) to talk more to teachers and staff about Indian education, its sustainability, and other issues. I’m learning so much! I have also observed other classes during class periods when I don’t teach, and that has been an eye-opening experience, as well!
I've spent the past two weeks teaching some (English) vocabulary words and definitions. I will use these words in the next few weeks to reinforce them as I teach about other places all over the world, their cultures, values, perspectives, and other fun things that the middle schoolers will find interesting like food and sports in each location! We will also work on creating tables to compare things (like cultural differences/similarities and food).
Time is flying and I can hardly believe we’re in the last week of September! When October ends and I prepare to leave India, I’m sure it’ll seem as if I just arrived.
I am including three photos - two are an attempt at a selfie with one of the 5th grade classes. There are approximately 40 students in this class, and we couldn’t get everyone in one photo. You’ll notice that some things transcend culture- and one of those things is the goofiness and silliness of 5th graders! haha! The other is a panoramic photo taken during the daily morning assembly in the school yard. The entire school stands at attention for 20-30 minutes to sing the state anthem, Indian national anthem, say a pledge about India, hear a word of encouragement from a teacher or staff member, and other announcements. You’ll notice the new apartments and the crane on the left! ;-)
As usual, feel free to pass this on to others that I know and are interested! Have a fantastic week! I’ll send another update in a few weeks!
-Rebekah
Teaching English and Global Perspectives and Researching Sustainable Education in an Indian context
By: Rebekah Meahl, Cohort 18 Master of Science in Conflict Management
I’m not sure how regularly I’ll send these, but I figured after one week, an update was due! I think I’m finally just about over jet lag, and being 9.5 hours ahead of EST is my new normal.
I don’t always have wifi where I’m staying, and I definitely don’t have wifi at the school where I’m currently teaching - it is on the outskirts of Bangalore, and the locals all call it "very rural" (even though there are high-rise apartment buildings nearby and within view of the school). I’m actually supposed to be moving from the current guest apartment I've been at this week to a different guest accommodation that is much closer to my school. They say the wifi there is better. ;-) Part of the reason I’m moving is to get me closer to the outskirt schools because of the long commute. The traffic in Bangalore is *incredible* (super congested roadways due to the IT boom in the past five years and SO MUCH HONKING. I’ve been to 24 other countries and have never heard this much honking. "Cultural honking,” as I’m now calling it, is AMAZING) and I spend 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon on two different school buses to get to my school. Supposedly my new “home” will only have a 15 minute drive to school! Hooray!
It has been a great first week, and I have been treated like an honored guest! Many of my colleagues at the ACTS Group of Institutions/CIFAL Bangalore main office and at the school I’m teaching for September have all been fascinated by my paper/project to go along with my internship (in part on sustainable education in India) and they have all been more than happy to give me their own rundowns on all of the positive and negative things about Indian education! I’ll be teaching English/global perspectives to 5th, 6th, and 7th graders at this school for September, and will move to another school in October. On school holidays (due to national holidays and/or religious festivals of which there will be a few during my two months here), the ACTS main office staff have “claimed” me and they want to pick my brain on dispute resolution trainings they can provide for employees, as well as other basic skills I have, like intercultural communication, the basics of grant writing, etc. I’m so glad to help make a difference and pass on knowledge while I’m here!
I am including three photos. One photo is my view out of the school bus windshield each day, for some perspective. Another one is of me and some of my new colleagues who teach at my school. They are all dressed up for the annual Indian “Teacher’s Day” Celebration (which I spoke about in my Instagram post). These ladies have been wonderful in taking me under their wings and showing me the ropes of their school. Another photo is of one of the cultural performances at the Teacher’s Day Celebration. The students perform as a way of celebrating the teachers who pour so much into their lives. The students included me in their thank you speeches, even though I've only been at their school for a few days, and will only spend a month there before moving to another school. They said "Rebekah ma'am is our fountain of knowledge". They gifted me a juice glass.
Thoughts included in my Insta post: I am humbled. I am in India for two months to teach English/global perspectives and research sustainable education in an Indian context and write a paper and help train some teachers in dispute resolution skills. I don't feel like a fountain of knowledge. I feel like an over-educated American who is just flitting in and out for a while. Yet I have been treated like an honored guest and I am determined to make a difference in the short time I am here because I have a skill set that I can use, and I can share my knowledge.
-Rebekah
Conflict Management Student Blazes a Trail Through Ireland
In November, Christina Campbell and her wheelchair blazed a trail through Ireland and N. Ireland as part of the week-long study abroad course with the Master of Science in Conflict Management (MSCM) program. To get there, she had to overcome some unexpected hurdles.
In the past, studying abroad often seemed like an impossible dream for students who use wheelchairs. Remember, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not apply abroad---where cobble stone streets, three-story walk ups and steps onto busses are the norm. The MSCM faculty and staff worked to assure the hotels and sites would be as accessible as possible. Fellow students agreed to help push or carry Christina’s chair up any steps that could not be avoided—everyone pitched in. The highest hurdle was financial. There was no funding mechanism to pay for the airfare and travel costs for Christina’s healthcare helper. This was about $2500. This cost is not covered by financial aid or campus funds and the deadline to meet these financial requirements were looming. Luckily, her classmates and professors in the Conflict Management program used a GoFundMe site and raised the money in about 48 hours! Teamwork in action.
Along with her classmates and professors, Christina visited Dublin, Belfast, and Derry/Londonderry where she learned about the region’s troubled history and contemporary efforts to create a sustainable peace. Due to the timing of the trip, Christina and her cohort experienced the US Presidential election while in N. Ireland, allowing them to better understand European perspectives on American politics.
Christina and her classmates embodied collaboration in this effort from start to finish. By working together, they made this a memorable and meaningful experience they won’t soon forget.
European Union Reflection By: Robin Spivey, Cohort XVI Master of Science in Conflict Management Our travels from Germany to France and Luxembourg underscored our learning about the physical, relational, and institutional interconnectedness of the European Union. On Friday, November 13th, we stood atop a rocky promontory overlooking Luxembourg City. From this vantage point, we could see ancient fortifications, pastoral countryside, historic and modern architecture intermingled, the Alzette River, and…a purple mermaid?! In the year 963, authorities in Trier (currently in Germany) deeded this area to Count Siegfried. According to the October 14, 2015 edition of the Luxemburger Wort, Serge Ecker’s purple mermaid, Mélusina, won the art competition celebrating Luxembourg’s 1,050th anniversary. Legend has the Count proposing marriage to a beautiful woman he met along the river bank. She accepted, conditioned upon him leaving her alone every Saturday. All went well, until he heard strange noises coming from her boudoir one Saturday evening. He spied through the keyhole and shrieked when he saw her nude in a tub, but with the lower body of a fish. This revelation ruptured the earth and sucked her into the darkness.
The European Union grew out of Europe’s Post World War II desire to form a cooperative union which strengthened each state individually and presented a unified front to the rest of the world. The Schengen (passport free) zone, the EU Solidarity Fund which shares the expense of natural disasters, the commitment to renewable energy, the expansion of mediation to cross-border disputes like child-custody and environmental policy, and its expansive human rights protections are indices that the relationship is strong. But, stress can strain even the strongest relationships… like when waves of migrants hit your shores and you cannot accommodate their humanitarian needs, much less register them under the Dublin Rule. Or when your German neighbor invites guests over and you really do not want then parking in front of your house. Or when folks in the community start demanding that your generosity reach a certain number. You may begin wondering if the costs of the relationship outweigh the benefits.
Yet, uniting against a common enemy may overshadow this tension. Clearly, what happens in a neighborhood in Belgium affects France and what French Intelligence learns affects Germany and so on. French President Hollande is asking for the country’s State of Emergency to be extended to three months. He has invoked Article 42.7 of the Treaty of the European Union which calls for mutual assistance from other states if one is the victim of armed aggression. He wants military support from Russia, the United States, and perhaps NATO under Article 5. Once the red, white, and blue lights are replaced by life’s daily color, Europeans will have the opportunity to review the values which unite them as they help migrants settle into their communities. Although there is anger, hatred, and extremism aplenty just now, there are also messengers of love like the fathers who gently explain to their young children why mum will never come home again or how flowers can be more powerful than guns, or those who use their bodies to mitigate a bomb blast. Perhaps they will prevent us all from being sucked into the darkness. Quick… how many lawyers does it take to provide an alternative to the legal system? Quite a few, apparently, at the Office of the European Ombudsman in Strasbourg, France. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht granted certain rights to European citizens, non-governmental organizations, states, corporations, and third country nations. Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly, a journalist from Ireland, helps secure these rights by investigating non-political, written complaints about EU administration and agencies. Her office even accepts complaints via Twitter! Although the European Ombudsman may cooperate with national counterparts, she does not have supervisory power over them. Her office utilizes “soft” remedies to address problems by proposing solutions, sending special reports to the EU Parliament, contacting the media, and leading public consultations. The most aggrieved countries are Spain, Germany, and Holland. Complainants most frequently target The European Commission and the Personnel Office with the primary grievances being lack of transparency and conflict of interest. The legal staff interacts with complainants, investigates allegations, and channels complaints toward the proper entity, which may be outside their office.
Also in Strasbourg is the European Court of Human Rights, the oldest and largest human rights protection system. Created after World War II by the European Convention on Human Rights, the Court balances the individual rights of 820 million people against state power. There, lawyers analyze applications from forty-seven countries and select an adjudicatory avenue ranging from dismissal (for cases outside its jurisdiction) to a hearing before a three-judge, seven-judge, or seventeen-judge panel. Cases decided by seven or more judges are generally “precedential” (they do not use this term the way we do) in that these decisions reconcile differences created by the lower panels. Also, national courts tend to follow these decisions and some states, like the U.K., enact legislation requiring it. The Community of Ministers from the countries represented at Court may enforce the Court’s judgments through supervision, suggesting reforms, applying political pressure, or collecting compensation.
Back at the European Academy Otzenhausen, Mr. Tilmann Lahann, a business lawyer and Red Cross volunteer, educated us on Migration Policy. For me, his session echoed the value the European Union places on human life, rights, law, and order that we had heard in Strasbourg. Through an interactive session, we explored Germany’s proactive approach to assimilating migrants into its society, the difficulty in adapting policies created for another era amid political and social tensions, and some innovative ideas such as “hot spots” which will serve as a rapid response platform for European agencies to provide an integrated response to member states that experience a migratory surge. Although the operational pressures are severe, I was impressed by Germany’s initial response to the migrant surge and its commitment to providing long-term help. There will be roles for both legal and non-legal conflict managers at every stage in this ongoing process. Personally, this trip affirmed my decision to increase my problem-solving capacity by adding conflict management to my public policy and legal skill-set. I feel aligned with my legal brethren worldwide in ways that I have never before felt. And like them, I will protect values, grapple with complex issues, and use legal and non-legal tools to address disputes.