As’Salem Aleykum Everyone!

It has been a week since we returned from our adventures in Morocco and our general euphoria (not to mention tummy troubles!) are just beginning to subside. We had an amazing, amazing time and learned so much in the process. I have done a brief recap of our trip with each place in blue and bold (for your convenience) and included some links to on-line photo albums (for your enjoyment).

Andrew, Dave and I began our trip in Essaouira, a lovely and calm seaside town. It was the perfect introduction to Morocco. We stayed in a well cared for Riad next to the ocean and decorated in true Moroccan style. The home was owned and operated by a lively and irreverent Zimbabwean woman named Sue, along with a team of hardworking local ladies. We had breakfast on the terrace, lunch at the sea port, and dinner at great traditional Moroccan restaurants. We went to the beach where the boys searched for a soccer game, but found fighting camels instead. I chose to forgo the soccer/camel search and instead used the afternoon to relax in the warmth of the African sun. Our 3 days there were well spent and full of funny moments and powerful encounters. We didn’t really want to leave, but new that bigger things (and Sarah!) were waiting for us…

After 3 hours in a rather warm bus, we made it to Marrakech, where we would meet a luggage-less Sarah and a world of newness. We were lucky enough to stay right outside of the Medina (the old city) and in the lap of luxury at Le Meridien. It was a lovely hotel and a real oasis from the bustling and at point aggressive life in the city. Marrakech was wild. We arrived on a Saturday and went straight to Djemma el Fna, the epicenter of life in Marrakech, the largest square in North Africa, and a feast for the eyes and, in some people’s opinions, the stomach. There were thousands of people, scooters, and stalls. Hundreds of entertainers from snack charmers to dancers to jugglers – a circus without the big top! It was all a bit overwhelming, especially for Sarah and I as we had to protect our bodies and our booties from unwanted advances. The next day was much more calm and enjoyable as the madness of the market was much tamer and thus manageable. We walked through the souks (markets) and saw a beautiful Koranic school, the Marrakech museum, gardens, natural healers, the King’s old latrines and the Royal Palace. It was all so new and very beautiful (minus the latrines, that was a bunch of crap. no pun intended). To celebrate our being alive and surving the city of secrets, we decided to go Le Comptoir for dinner. It was a beautiful restaurant in the Nouvelle Ville promising an exciting meal that began with belly dancing and ended with very full bellies.

On day three in Marrakech, we began our trek to the desert by meeting our guide Essalah and piling our bags and ourselves into his white unmarked 4×4. We hit the road and learned within minutes that driving in Morocco was exhilarating (aka scary as hell). Lucky for us, Essalah had a laminated prayer for safety hanging from the rear view mirror…and quick reactions! We got out of Marrakech and were struck by the landscape, elevation, and constant changes around us. In the 4 days our little 4×4 would get us over the middle and high atlas mountains, through Dade’s gorge and Todra gorge, to Ait Bennhaddou, the Valley of the Rose, Erg Chebbi (the desert) and finally up to Fez. We trekked through an Oasis, rode camels through the desert, explored tiny villages, and off roaded to almond trees, olive groves, and fields of wheat and wild poppies. We smoked Hooka. Went swimming. Stayed in a hotel without electricity. Looked at the stars. Watched the sun rise. Slept in a Nomad village. Got caught in a sand storm. Learned. So much. Laughed. And laughed some more. We were lucky to have done the trek, as it allowed us to really see the country and get from Marrakech to Fez experiencing everything in between.

Fez was our favorite place – everything from our Riad, Dar Dmana, to the ancient city itself was out of this world. Afternoon tea, five course meals, the friendliest staff, city guides, and cooking classes made our experience within the Riad indulgent, relaxing and worry-free. The medina in Fez is literally ancient and one can get easily lost with the narrow streets, 1,000 dead-ends, and winding roads. If Marrakech is the city of secrets, then Fez is the city of surprises. Around every corner and behind every door you have the chance to say “Wow” — or as our guide Hassam said “BIG WOW!.” A huge garden, a beautiful mosaic, an exotic tannery, an enticing spice market, or a stunning mosque seemed to be around every corner. We spent our days in the many markets, exploring new street food stalls, making friends, and learning as much as we could. We took a cooking class, which involved killing our own chicken. It was an intense experience on all levels, but one that gave us a new appreciation for our food (and an even deeper disdain for many of the practices that make up American farming). The cooking class also allowed us to spend the afternoon with some of the most lovely women we had ever met working hard to make Moroccan salads of peppers and eggplants and tomatoes; a chicken, olive and lemon tagine; and a fruit salad like none we had ever tasted. We loved Fez. We laughed and walked incessantly while we there, only stopping for the occasional ice cream cone or orange Fanta.

The people were so friendly and welcoming. Over the course of the two weeks, we learned about everything from food to family life, from women’s social roles to Islam because of the openness and intelligence of those around us. Our discussions about religion, in particular, were incredibly powerful and left us all more hopeful for the world and its future.

All in all, the country is beautiful. It is also in a really fascinating transition, fighting to hold on to its traditions, while opening itself rapidly to the outside world and the west because of its desire for tourism. The King is well-liked and invested in his country. He’s young and is approaching his rule with business savvy (he went to Harvard) and contemporary realism – creating tourism goals, visiting everywhere, overturning laws that were oppressive toward women.

I hope you enjoy the photos. If you have any questions, send them my way…

Ali’s Morocco Pictures — Picasa Album #1

Ali’s Morocco Pictures — Picasa Album #2

Love,
Ali

Thank you to everyone who came to last night’s Year End Party at Cafe Royale! Nearly 70 people turned out to celebrate anther successful school year of World Savvy programming. Guests enjoyed appetizers and beverages while socializing with other World Savvy supporters. After an hour or so, Dana Curran, World Savvy’s Executive Director, gave a short recap of World Savvy’s work and and accomplishments from the past year. This year, we worked with over 6,000 youth and 450 teachers to integrate world issues into everyday learning. We’ve also successfully launched the Global Affairs Monitor, a monthly current events service for teachers, students and the curious global citizen.
Next up was myself, to award Certificates of Appreciation to a number of outstanding volunteers who, over the past year, contributed time and energy above and beyond our expectations. We are very grateful for the support and insights volunteers contribute to our work! Lastly Kelly Korenak, Program Associate for the Global Educators Program, presented Certificates of Completion to the 10 amazing Savvy Scholar Fellows she’s been working with throughout the year.

If you weren’t able to come to the party, we hope we’ll see you another time soon. Upcoming is an Open House at World Savvy’s office on Wednesday, June 25. If you are interested in coming, please RSVP to Sarah Haldan at sarah@worldsavvy.org or 415-292-7421.

World Savvy’s Executive Director, Dana Curran, just returned from presenting at a conference entitled, “Building Bridges to Understanding: the Rise of Global Citizenship Education Initiatives in the U.S. and U.K.” Education for Global Citizenship, a student organization at the Harvard Graduate School of Education hosted this two-day event.

This unique conference addressed questions such as “How is global citizenship defined?” “Why is it relevant to educational curriculum today?” and “How can educators interested in promoting global citizenship education affect policy?” World Savvy was invited to present at this conference because of our unique and innovative approach to integrating global issues curriculum into the classroom, arts education and elsewhere.

To learn more, please click here:
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=hgse_globaled

For World Savvy Readers –

In a week Linda and I will be in Istanbul. The attraction to travel to Istanbul evolves from a conviction that the world’s most revealing and mysterious places are those which have experienced the great transitions that are history. Turkey, and Istanbul in particular, have that appeal.

Like an American high school student who doesn’t quite fit into one or another social group. Turkey, is and has been a country bridging continents and cultures. The celebrated contemporary Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk, captures the transition from Istanbul/Constantinople as the seat of the all-powerful Ottoman Empire, to a centuries old decline leading to WW I as producing huzun – the Turkish work for melancholy. He traces this in his review of literary portrayals of Istanbul, entitled simply, Istanbul.

Travel to places where the long reach of “rise and fall” have become a part of the fabric of daily life is, in my opinion, the place to address questions about change. There are many markers of the resulting national ambivalence that follow from dramatic changes in national fortune. Turkey is 98% Muslim and 100% secular as a state. While housing Kurds, Christians, Jews, Greeks, Anatolians, Armenians and others from the Balkans to the Black Sea and beyond, ‘Turkishness’ is valued in official state language. Outsiders know not to be critical of the historical actions of the Turkish government. Pamuk’s celebrated encounter with censure by the government is recent witness to this overblown state sensitivity.

Governments like to “manage” their image in the world. Turkey is no exception as it creeps along with its pending application to join the EEC. Just as an American high school student who is labeled a Goth might be uncomfortable with the placement, Turkey is eager to maintain its self-image as the world’s leading Islamic democracy. The encounter with a free-press in Pamuk action and the very recent election of a President who is a tradition-leaning Muslim all become pieces that bend and re-shape that image willy-nilly. Yet, that President, Abdullah Gul, looks as western in dress and appearance as anyone you might meet on the streets of any Western oriented city.

Turkey is positioned to emerge as a pivotal nation in the world of global politics, trade and shifting allegiances. With a history rich in alliances, victories extending into the heart of Vienna and defeat contracting the nation into the cocoon of WW I Armistice status, Turkey is a richly layered series of lessons learned. As someone I’ve read suggested, a baklava of experiences!

Is it useful for those of us who share the interests of World Savvy and its member community to discuss what nations which have been at the very top as well as the bottom of “success” politically might tell us about the lessons of history? The lessons appear to be many. Some are literary, others social and many are related to the complex realities of globalization today. Each and every one of these lessons has to do with the day-to-day lives of individuals.

Over the next two weeks, I will offer some observations of life in Turkey with the hope of starting the dialogue. As school begins in the U.S., I hope students will join in sharing their observations about how nations which have had vastly changing fortunes reveal the pressure points of history. Or, to put the question in a simpler way, what makes nations tick?

That’s all for now,

Joe Curran

Board of Directors

Here are some questions I’ve thought about as I plan my visit to Turkey:

Ø Do nations find it difficult to match their behavior on the world stage to what they actually do?

Ø If so, why?

Ø If not, what nation/country is an example of the consistency of behavior between expressed and achieved self-image?

Ø Is the national idea of power/self-importance/self-image on the world stage something that we see in people that we know? How is this comparison between people and nations applicable and how is it not? Why does it happen in the case of nations? Do you see examples of this today with any nation(s)?

Ø For a moment, let’s ask after a very specific question: Is the Turkish role in WW I justified? Which nation(s) benefited, which lost? In particular, was Turkey’s role the result of declining fortunes or hegemony (look that word up, please)? Is it possible that even those leading Turkey into conflict did not know the answer to this question?

Ø Do we know, in fact, if there is a form of national desperation — like what we see in people we might know — that brings a nation to make wrong-headed decisions? (Again, like people we know?)

I am unaware of the answers to these questions. Of course, that is why they are questions! I would like to explore these questions with students studying world and international affairs during the Fall term ’07. I think your focus on any country or countries would be a good way to explore these questions or others that may occur to you!

By Tiffany Collins

In 1976, I was born without a name. I continued to be nameless for two weeks because my parents could not agree on one. At the time they may not have understood the source of their problems, but today, I know with certainty that it was due to their cultural differences. They finally agreed on the name Tiffany, which they chose in reference to a friend’s daughter. I’ve never really felt like a Tiffany. As the child of an Ashkenazi (of Eastern European origin) Israeli Jew and Iranian non-practicing Shi’a Muslim, I never quite felt my name reflected my spirit.

Prior to my birth, my parents decided that I would be raised Jewish. I often consider myself lucky that my mother is Jewish and my father Muslim. This combination automatically gave me the choice of being either of these religions: in Orthodox and Conservative circles of Judaism the religion is inherited through the mother, and in Islam, through the father. Nevertheless, I was thankful my parents chose my religion for me. I was Jewish. It kept things clear. Continue….

World Savvy’s Media and Arts Program is moving to NY!

In September 2007, Senior Program Associate, Victoria Restler will open World Savvy’s first NY outpost at 540 Madison Avenue. With half of World Savvy’s staff and two board members hailing from New York, an East Coast move was almost inescapable.

Touching ground in September, Victoria will build partnerships throughout the fall and prepare for the 2008 Media and Arts Program focused on Immigration and Identity. In January, World Savvy will launch the first New York Media and Arts Program, partnering with arts and media educators and youth in all of NY’s diverse boroughs. Throughout the Spring, youth will create new works of art based on the global theme and showcase their final projects in the culminating Festival in June 2008.

If you know any great contacts for World Savvy in New York, please send them to victoria@worldsavvy.org. Please check in here for ongoing updates on World Savvy’s New York Media and Arts Program.

I recently returned from a month long trip to India and Bangladesh. I originally conceived of the trip as a way to reconnect with Madiha, the co founder of World Savvy who returned to live and work in Dhaka last May. Later, my motivation expanded to include a long overdue exploration of a continent known to me only from books, articles and, well, Madiha. Instead of a list of must-see sites, I had one broad, simple goal as I set out on the journey: experience as many new and different perspectives from my own as possible. In this highly abbreviated log of my travel experience, I wanted to describe one of the fresh perspectives I experienced on this trip.
Read the rest of this entry »

October - Save the Date!: 5th Annual Fall Fundraiser and Silent Auction

On Thursday, October 18, 2007 World Savvy will host its 5th Annual Fall Fundraiser and Silent Auction at Gallery 16. The night will include hors d’oeuvres by Ann Walker Catering, beer and wine, and silent auction. Last year’s event raised $20,000 for global education for middle and high schoolers in Northern California. Thanks to you, these young people are better prepared for their futures in our ever-shrinking, interconnected world.

Hopefully you enjoyed the silent auction last year and won something. We try to find the most fun, unique and exciting items, but we could use a little help.

If you have something to contribute or know of someone who might, please contact Sarah Haldan at sarah@worldsavvy.org or at 415-292-7421.

If you can’t make it to the event, you can still contribute to its success. Make a donation at anytime and designate your gift “Global Ed.”

Thanks for your ongoing support!