questions and thoughts to take with me
I want to thank everyone who has so generously contributed to my trip. It feels really wonderful that this kind of work is important to so many people and that I will be representing all of you in Iran Everyone going on the trip will be meeting in NYC on May 7 to go through an orientation before flying out Monday morning. We will fly to Tehran via Paris.
In the last month I have spoken with a number of Iranian Americans to get any advice they might have. I've heard a few things over and over again: Iranians love Americans but they don't love our government (an important distinction we aren't as good with). Iranians are generally well read and culturally literate. Many of them know Western authors and thinkers quite well: philosophers, novelists, economists, etc.
People have also offered me questions to take on the trip: What are the similarities between the two cultures? We often focus on only the differences. What issues are important to them vs. what we in the West assume are important (headscarves, religious fundamentalism, nuclear weapons)? How to Iranians perceive the U.S., the culture we export? What does peace mean?
In the last month I have spoken with a number of Iranian Americans to get any advice they might have. I've heard a few things over and over again: Iranians love Americans but they don't love our government (an important distinction we aren't as good with). Iranians are generally well read and culturally literate. Many of them know Western authors and thinkers quite well: philosophers, novelists, economists, etc.
People have also offered me questions to take on the trip: What are the similarities between the two cultures? We often focus on only the differences. What issues are important to them vs. what we in the West assume are important (headscarves, religious fundamentalism, nuclear weapons)? How to Iranians perceive the U.S., the culture we export? What does peace mean?
posted by Melissa at 11:04 AM
1 Comments:
Sounds wonderful, Melissa! I would like to pass along your blog address to the students that I speak with at the several NY high schools we have scheduled (NY Veterans Speak Out). They are,as you will find out, fascinated by 1st hand stories that contradict popular notion. Say hi to Richard for me...
n Peace, Jim Murphy VFP/VVAW
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