"Presence" in the Global Classroom

I had the opportunity to be part of launching the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Global Classroom this evening. It was utterly amazing and the picture to the right only gives you a faint impression of the real "presence" you feel when sitting in this classroom. As you can see, classmates are pictured life-size in screens directly in front and curving around you. Thus, you get the feeling that you're simply sitting across a conference table from people who in today's case were 8,000 miles away - in Washington, D.C.

The interaction was so real that it was hard to believe that the other people on the screen were not actually with us. Today's interaction was just a demonstration but classes are already underway between Qatar and D.C. with students in discussion groups and project teams literally around the world. The thing that is so helpful is that communications research indicates that about 2/3 of our communication is what we "read" in non-verbals. Thus, when we're communicating by phone or in small images, we're missing a significant portion of the communication. Having life-size, high definition images adds significantly to the reality, the presence, and the effectiveness of our communication.

What's next - digital images that can walk around the room interacting with one another? Maybe...

Upgrading Authoritarianism

I've been thinking a lot lately about how to move from the dependency and passivity that monarchy fosters versus a world in which citizens take greater responsibility for themselves and for the quality of the communities where they live. It's interesting because living in the Arabian Gulf brings this question into sharper focus - an area where colonial rule or monarchy have been the way of life for many years. However, any citizen of the U.S.A. has to recognize that there is a considerable dependence on authoritarianism of a different type - the authoritarianism of dogmatic rule by politicians who presume to know what's good for "the people" when, in reality, much of their energy is focused on privileging the constituents who pay for their campaigns or who have the resources to engage in paid lobbying efforts. So, the question of authoritarianism isn't exclusive to monarchies.

Having attended the recent Brookings Institute meeting in Doha and having met a lot of very interesting people, I have pondered how to move from the passive, dependent state to a more robust and vital way of living. Whether we call that democracy or some other form of governance, I don't know. (Unfortunately, democracy has a pretty bad name these days as a result of the many blatant examples of undemocratic transformation we've witnessed.) That's why the Brookings Institute paper, Upgrading Authoritarianism, intrigues me.

I continue to work on what defines shared and mutually beneficial governance for a long time. I worked with the Kettering Foundation on "deliberative democracy." I've worked on empowerment strategies through inclusive leadership development. I've looked at community as the cohesive core of what draws people together in support of each other. I've toyed with rituals and traditions that shape connections in community. All of these have related purposes - forging shared responsibility for our destiny in communities. What are your thoughts? Do any of these help or is there something else that will help us become the kind of communities that draw the best from us all?

U.S.-Islamic World Forum

I had the extraordinary opportunity to attend the opening session of the Brookings Institute U.S.-Islamic World Forum tonight in Doha. I continue to be astounding by being here and how so many fortuitous things happen to place me in the path of interesting people who are doing such incredible things around the world. I was contacted by a Georgetown University (D.C.) professor and former U.S.A. Ambassador to the Netherlands, to talk about how the Brookings Institute might partner with Qatar Foundation to support one of the "U.S.-Islamic World Forum" programs - the Arts and Culture Leaders initiative. I offered to meet Cynthia before the conference began and this unfolded into an evening at the conference, including the opportunity to hear His Excellency Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State of the U.S.A., and others discuss "The Opportunities and Challenges Ahead in the U.S.-Muslim World Relationship."

The atmosphere of the opening session was upbeat but it very clearly and honestly explored the incredibly bad position the U.S.A. is in with its Arab relationships. All the speakers noted that 9-11-01 and politicians and media portrayal since that time has driven a deep wedge between the relationships the U.S.A. previously had. Albright's analysis of what it will take to rebuild included five key points that she proposed as top priorities for the new President of the U.S.A.:
1. Figuring out how to deal with terrorists without creating more in the process.
2. Curbing the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Gulf and elsewhere.
3. Restoring the good name of democracy after a period when it has been so abused and maligned.
4. Learning to deal with both the up and downsides of globalization.
5. Finding ways to effectively address environmental degradation.

She went on to say that it is a mistake to divide the Arab world into simplistic, either/or dichotomies and that it is crucial that Americans cease to see Islam as the enemy. In order to do this, America needs to listen more and lecture less, something on which we've been very short over the last several years. Her final comment was reciting three core messages of faith:
1. Blessed are the peacemakers (from the New Testament of the Bible)
2. Swords shall be beaten into plowshares (from the Old Testament of the Bible/Torah)
3. Enter in peace, one and all (Quran)
These are simple and direct statement that identify the essential core of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Passionate moderates who believe these principles will be those who will save our globe from slipping further into a camp mentality that undermines our ability to learn from each other.

The U.S.A. has some formidable challenges ahead but new leadership is on the horizon. Choosing wisely for both domestic and foreign affairs reasons will make all the difference to what kind of world our youth and children will inherit. Note to self - what am I doing to listen more deeply and to help my fellow U.S.A. citizens understand that U.S.-Islamic affairs are not as hopeless as one might think?

Fostering entrepreneurship and social change

One of the keys to greater prosperity around the world is fostering entrepreneurship that also brings about positive social change. A recent article in the NY Times provided a couple of examples about how this is happening. One example is a woman in Jordan who has made teaching about entrepreneurship her priority. The Injaz organization she created in 1999 now touches 100,000 students a year and helps them learn how to set up their own businesses.

This kind of initiative proves that making money can have a conscience and can create benefits beyond just the person who creates the business. Indeed, these organizations can create prosperity and can become so compelling to their creators that boundaries and conflicts might just possibly melt away as old conflicts cease to be relevant in the face of improved life conditions for all.

Spiritual vitality

I've been thinking of a post on spiritual journey for a couple of weeks now but I didn't know how to approach it. This being the day of worship in Islamic countries, those of us of other faiths worship on Friday as well. My ritual is becoming that Thursday nights I go for a long walk and listen to Dr. Craig Barnes' sermons from Shadyside Presbyterian Church on my ipod while I'm walking, then on Friday morning I get up, have breakfast at my place with Darbi, and then off to the Grace Fellowship. By Friday noon, we've observed Sabbath and are off to the rest of the weekend activities - this is a routine that I'm still working to embrace since the pattern is so different than the pattern of the rest of my life.

The question of pattern in this is key. I regret to say that during the last two years I was in the U.S.A., Diane and I did not attend church. When I was in Luxembourg in the fall of 2005, I became increasingly disenfranchised from the routine of worship in Oxford. While there are many good people who I'm sure find spiritual fulfillment in ways that became mundane for me, I just couldn't deal with it anymore and we simply didn't know where to turn for a more vital and engaged spiritual community. Then, the surprise of my life - I moved to Qatar.

Soon after arriving, Darbi and I joined together to attend the Grace Fellowship, a meeting that is not called church because the idea of Christian "church" is not accepted here yet. The group meets in a modest ville on the outskirts of Doha. At first the spiritual community felt strange - a bit evangelical and more contemporary than the worship of Shadyside, which I love. However, over the weeks, and with the coming of a 4-month visiting pastor, the service has become vital and important in my life. Part of it is the fact that we're worshiping in a place that at least to this point has not grown to accept multiple spiritual perspectives; this causes us to have an almost 1st-century feel of being Christians in a hostile place (although, truly, there is no threat here!). Another part is that the visiting minister is really very gifted in providing thought-provoking messages. Another is the contemporary music, which most attendees know well and sing with great conviction. Lastly, this worship works because it is genuine and it embraces so many people - like the church that Christ said we should be.

Every Friday, visitors are asked to introduce themselves. They are always from all over the world so that has become a familiar part of getting acquainted. This morning's visitors were from the U.S.A., Canada, South Africa, Germany, and Kenya (there will likely more but this is all I caught). The Kenyan visitor was the father of a new-born who, when unrest broke out in Nairobi, fled the country with his wife to Doha so that she could have the baby in a more secure setting. Umh... sound familiar? How ironic! The fact is the members and visitors come from everywhere around the globe and they worship in deep and sincere ways that have brought my faith journey back to a place that is extremely fulfilling.

Who would have thought - that I'd come 8,000 miles to find a faith community that believes deeply in the message of Christianity. Some are probably very evangelical and single-minded. Others are probably like me - embracing Christianity but believing that a merciful and loving God has to embrace the paths of Muslims, Hindus, Jews, and many others. Even though my own faith is firm and getting stronger, I know that I have no right to judge the adequacy of others' faith. As Craig Barnes' November 25, 2007, sermon (available at Shadyside) proposed, our responsibility is to work on our own faith and the rest of humanity will take care of themselves.

I've heard people say before that they felt the spirit of faith more strongly away from North America. I never really bought that - until now. Oh, that the routine of "church" in the comfortable spaces of America could become vital and growing communities where people take their faith, and the call to respond to the message of genuine love of others, seriously again.

Engaging with the community

Last night I had the opportunity for my first "gala" event in Qatar. It was a fund-raising banquet to raise money for young people with disabilities of various sorts. The organization putting on the dinner was RasGas, one of the several major multi-national organizations that process and/or ship natual gas. There were about 300 people at the dinner and they raised over 300,000 QR to support programs for these kids.

The atmosphere was decidely western, although Americans were not the dominant group. There were more Brits, Scotts, and Aussies than anything else. Most of the evening was centered on the golf tournament that will be staged over the weekend and the biggest "ticket" item was auctioning various golf teams who would play with one another in the coming days. The entire concept was foreign to me, but enjoyable nevertheless.

The thing that stood out as a departure from stereotype is that children with disabilities were the focus. Middle Eastern countries are typically seen as not paying the same attention to disabilities as western countries. However, this example demonstrated the same openness and the desire to help that we might expect. It was a great evening and fun for me to see - I only wish I had my favorite date (Diane) with me because she would have blown away all the others in the room. I did try to dress up as best I could (picture to side). This picture is in my ville staircase with my new piano in the background. I've begun to play again, although my schedule has kept me so busy that I've not played as much as I would like. It's great to be able to build a lifestyle that includes social and artistic opportunities again. What's interesting is that, when you work abroad, you have to rebuild all these dimensions into your life - social, recreational, artistic, spiritual, sports, and the list goes on.

Colleagues

One of the great joys of my new work setting is getting acquainted with colleagues and establishing new relationships. I had heard a great deal about my supervisor, Dr. Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, before I arrived. I had heard much about his role in getting Education City started. I had also heard much about his sensibility in working with students and colleagues. I've had many opportunities to have these perspectives confirmed but one was at the Photo-Shoot that I referenced in my lasts post. This picture shows Dr. Abdulla on the stage in front of young people from 5 to 25, interacting comfortably and helping them pass the time it took to prepare for the picture.

I was amazed by Dr. Abdulla's comfort with all these students. It was like all were friends and acquaintances - a true gathering of colleagues. This has continued to be a theme in the interactions I've had with others - the importance of relationships. And, it's one of the things that westerners have trouble understanding most. My western colleagues will frequently use persuasive or political power strategies, sometimes winning their point. However, particularly in this cultural setting, the political strategies do not win points in long-term relationships. I'm not sure the degree to which this is different in Arab culture versus the U.S.A. but I believe it at least has some additional weight. In the U.S.A., those who choose coercive and manipulative strategies have consequences - usually fear, intimidation, and distance. In the Gulf, these may also result but I wonder if those who choose these strategies retain their credibility and positions in the same that westerners do. I actually don't know and that will be part of my ongoing learning here.

I've struggled with power issues throughout my career because generally I feel that power and politics breaks down the authenticity of relationships. I think it does but I also know that politics is a natural part of organizations in which we work. It's unavoidable and accepting it for what it is and dealing with it is critical. I don't have to engage in the politics but it's at least important to recognize the dynamic and adjust my strategy accordingly.