History of the World

I recently finished what seemed to be a never-ending, but only 1,188 page, book. I've not read anything of this length (other than text books) since I read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand in the 1970s (that's another story - why I read it and how it influenced me). The book, History of the World (J.M. Roberts, 2007), is a massive collection of 4,000+ years of history across geographic borders, cultures and civilizations.

The thing I enjoyed most was that History of the World included a great deal on the Middle East, Asia, and Africa before turning to Europe and North America. My recall of the history classes I've taken is that not much beyond Europe and North America was covered in any depth. Maybe it was simply my ethnocentric and selective perceptions. History of the World gave me a sense of the flow of civilizations over history, how each influenced others, and the issues with which they struggled.

It's impossible to capture the essence of a book that is 1,188 pages in length so I'll not even try. Suffice it to say that the book is very authoritative and provides amazing detail about the contexts of history. When I realized that I was observing the march of humanity with its triumphs and struggles, I grew in my pride of what humans have been able to do with the resources and circumstances that we've been given. I also realized that humanity has faced many, many seemingly insurmountable threats over the millennia, including a number of times where it appeared that we were on the brink of destruction. The gift of humanity and God is that somehow the resources, the adaptability, and the creativity in our souls allowed us to survive. I believe this as much in contemporary times as it has been demonstrated throughout human history.

My critique of Roberts' work includes two broad issues. First, there is surprisingly little about the visual and creative arts and how they reflected or stimulated changes in our world. Second, the closing chapter claims that Europe and its influence on the world has had the most profound impact on human history and striving. Europe's Enlightenment, Reformation, Colonialism, and other periods have had broad and deep impact on the globe. However, it seems unnecessary to claim these human accomplishments as superior to the many others that have occurred across time and in so many different geographic pockets. In contrast to accepting Europe's domination of history, Roberts' history actually returns to one place more than any other across all time - the Fertile Crescent where Iraq and Iran now lie. Whether it was the first civilizations (Babylonia and ancient Persia), the first time that a seat of government portrayed peaceful allies (Persepolis), the by-land or by-sea crossroads of trade (the Silk Road), the first multi-cultural community governed by mutual agreement (Medina), or the spread of Arab-world architecture and culture throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe, I have trouble understanding why Roberts chose to say that Europe influenced the course of humanity more than any other. Especially as we look at much of the contemporary world's news, Iraq and Iran are most assuredly back in the news.

All in all, Roberts' history was extremely helpful and I now find myself contextualizing things I observe or hear in much deeper ways than ever before. It is well worth reading if you have several months to dedicate to it.

The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity...

Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, quote William Butler Yeats' "The Second Coming" in Chapter 20 (p. 276), "Tea with the Taliban," in Three Cups of Tea:
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

As I came near the end of Three Cups of Tea I was troubled by this dismal quote and how there are many today who believe that this is the state of our world. Nevertheless, Mortenson's story of building schools to educate girls in the rugged mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan where the Taliban are entrenched challenges any pessimist who might try to deny that one individual, working respectfully with and through others, can make a difference.

I found much to ponder as I read Three Cups of Tea and it renewed me as I returned to the work at Qatar Foundation. The work in Qatar isn't nearly so difficult as Mortenson's yet there are critical lessons to be taken from Mortenson's work. The first lesson (p. 150) that I found most helpful is in the title itself - a lesson about culture (accepting tea as a gesture of hospitality) and the importance of being patient and building relationships when we try to bring about change. The second lesson (pp. 299-300) is in the proof of Mortenson's work - exemplified when late in the book, the first of the girls to graduate from the mountain schools comes into a circle of men in a conservative Islamic village to ask for support in pursuing further education. This young woman, Jahan, demonstrated the power of education and its transforming impact when she saw more possibilities for herself and her village by continuing her education. This particular example was observed by a journalist who was so overwhelmed that he helped to place the story in the April 6, 2003, Parade magazine, which itself transformed Mortenson's fledgling enterprise into a major force for peace-making in this troubled area about which we all have concerns.

Patience, relationships, perseverance, and faith - lessons to sustain hope and to counter a pessimist's view that "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate (and sometimes destructive - added comment) intensity."

Islam - political or spiritual perspective

As alarm about the Iranian election and the outrage around the world about what is presumed to be election fraud continues, I struggle to understand how Islam can be used to justify persecution, silencing, and violence. Iran is an Islamic country as are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and others. Because they are Islamic, the familiar Western idea of separation of Church and State is not only unheeded, it cannot be understood by those who believe that one's spiritual life has to be acknowledged and expressed in family, relationships, work, and community.

The problem in Iran is that Islam has been high-jacked for political gain. Those who voice different perspectives are vilified as anti-Muslim rather than simply people with another voice. Ali Allawi's "Islamic Civilization in Peril" gets to some of the points that are most worth consideration. Most importantly, Allawi's commentary addresses the struggle between modernization and remaining true to the core beliefs of Islam - justice, moderation, respectful accommodation, and the rejection of oppression.

It is critical that Westerners understand what is at the center of Islam and that a dialogue that informs, rather than divides, underscores the public discourse.

President Obama's Paradox Tour

President Obama's trip to the Middle East and Europe is making a difference. The speech to the Muslim world, although tempered with commentators' reservations regarding aspirations that will eventually have to be matched with actions, has been for the most part well received. If nothing else, President Obama has been acclaimed for truthfully expressing why things are so difficult in the Middle East and reaching out to change patterns that have been established over decades and centuries of conflict.

The overall diplomatic venture is a study in paradox. Beginning in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, a faith that embraces other faiths and advocates peace, yet has spawned some sects of Islam that are more hostile to Western ideas than any other. Speaking from Egypt, a country in the Arab/Islamic world but not one whose leadership characterizes the type of democratic leadership that the West might advocate. Commenting about Isreal's violation of agreements on territorial boundaries and unwillingness to acknowledge the legitimacy of Palestine yet going to Buchenwald with the Chancellor of Germany and one of the most notable of all holocaust survivors (Eli Weisel) to visit the death camp that most represents the abuse and denigration of Jews. Going to Normandy to commemorate the landing of Allied forces that, while sacrificing so many American lives, marked the turning point of WWII. A series of dramatic and stunning contrasts.

Some may see in this trip the unfolding of contradictions that could not possibly contribute to coherent foreign policy. Yet for a "Third Culture Kid" whose life has been spent in different nations, cultures, and socioeconomic pockets, this trip reflects the reality of a world that is divided and broken but that has to let go of the suffering and pain if it is to move ahead into a new age.

It will be interesting to see what ultimately comes of the June 2009 Paradox Tour of President Obama. If nothing else, it will have to be remembered as one that faced multiple conflicting realities that must somehow come to peace with each other - the definition of paradox.

Bism Illah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim

President of the U.S.A. Barrack Hussein Obama, is making final preparations for his much-anticipated statement to the Muslim world. The controversy is already swirling about whether or not Egypt is a fitting choice for this potentially momentous occasion. There will no doubt be many who will line up on opposing sides but, for me, the point is that it is happening at all.

While the political or cultural choice for the Muslim World speech and its contents are being debated, a colleague shared a powerful statement about something else that is underway - ecumenical dialogue among Christians, Jews, and Muslims. This dialogue is captured in the Muscat Manifesto by David Ford. Delivered at the Grand Mosque of Oman on 20 April, 2009, it is a statement about the work underway among religious leaders of the three Abrahamic faiths. The Common Word initiative is bringing religious leaders together to discuss the common wisdom of the Bible, Qur'an, and Torah, especially as it relates to the challenges of our times.

While President Obama prepares and as others prepare to assess his intent and impact, if only we could watch first for the wisdom of his reaching out to the Muslim world and hope that this wisdom will stimulate others to join the conversation. Bism Illah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim, "In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful."

Pursuing the noble identity

Jose Antonio Abreu reveals in this TEDTalks release why music is so critical to our global community. Abreu has found a way to unleash children in the pursuit of their noble identity, moving from the feeling of being no one to having an artistic voice that others will want to hear. Another demonstration of the power of music that can transform lives and governments...

Effective teaching to counter misinformation

We are beginning the planning to host a joint study tour of University of Maryland masters and doctoral students and University of San Diego masters students in January 2010. We've created a new model of mutual learning where the visiting tours will engage with us before, during, and after the visit to understand Arab/Islamic world dynamics, learn about Education City, and engage with us in addressing issues that are important to our future success. I like to contrast this to the "edu-tourism" that so frequently occurs when groups visit Europe, Asia, or the Middle East. North Americans want to visit these places but we haven't had models to really engage in mutual learning so that those touring and those at the site benefit.

As part of our planning, we've begun to exchange publications and ideas about how to make the most of our experience. Susan Komives shared an article by Jack Meacham, "Effective Teaching to Counter Misinformation and Negative Stereotypes: The Example of Islam," (AAC&U Peer Review, Spring 2009, pp. 13-16) which I found particularly helpful. The basic premise of the article was that faculty may be reluctant to include potentially controversial content in their courses because these topics may stimulate negative reactions among students that will be disruptive in class and/or that faculty do not know how to handle. Jack also said that many times faculty invite experts to discuss controversial topics but that singling out the topic and having an expert detracts from the responsibility that all faculty and students should take in relation to difficult and contenscious topics.

A couple of the lessons that Jack Meacham concluded from his efforts to include Islam and Islamic history in his course were: start small and without the assumption of great expertise or profound impact (learn as you go along); treat Islam in the same way as other topics rather than singling it out as a special and more difficult case; use original sources (i.e. the Qur'an) to expose students to foundational rather than derived or interpretted views; start with "cool" topics and grow toward those that are more controversial; and finally, don't attempt to tell students what they should think, but let them come to their own conclusions. These may seem commonplace but they are very important when approaching a topic, like the Arab/Islamic world, that has been portrayed so negatively by Western government officials and news coverage. And, Jack found that his strategy worked because students' views changed significantly, and were less negative and stereotypic, by the end of the term.

The approach here seems to be one of normalizing the portrayal of something that is quite unfamiliar to students. The core of the Arab/Islamic world is much more like Western values than it is different, although a significant amount of the focus is typically on what's different. I'm not minimizing the differences because there are many and they are important. What I am saying is that the Arab/Islamic world as I've experienced it values education, family, balance, prosperity, and justice just as much as the West. The West and Arab/Islamic worlds approach these topics and others in different ways but, in order to grow in our understanding and appreciation of each other, we need to find ways of discerning the commonality rather than accentuating the difference. It appears that Jack Meacham's "countering misinformation" pedagogy has promise even in courses where first-hand experience is not possible. Imagine what can happen when the 2010 study tour actually visits with us and learns through direct exposure.

Indelible mark

The May 29, 2009, Chronicle of Higher Education has a special insert, Senior Convocation '09, that continues to tell the story of what's happening through Qatar Foundation at Education City. While the summaries in the supplement are all interesting, one particularly reflects what we seek to accomplish in students' lives. Dana Hadan, recent CMU-Q graduate, reflects on her experience in "A Final Destination? No, 'Life-Long Learning'" by talking about the critical importance of pursuing a breadth of learning opportunities in and out of the classroom. In addition to the article about Dana in the Chronicle, there is an ongoing blog where she responds to questions raised by NYTimes readers about her experience.

The type of education offered at Education City doesn't fit or isn't even possible for all Gulf countries and it's important to understand why. The difference is essentially a matter of depth of engagement. Engagement is a broad term that reflects everything from the pedagogy used in the classroom (critical reflection, discussion, experimentation, team work, and other participative methods) to where learning opportunities are available (classroom, residence hall, student organizations, sports, service, travel abroad). While educators in the U.S.A. take these pedagogical and experiential opportunities for granted, it becomes very obvious when you're in a setting where this type of learning is so new for students and so different from the form of learning environment offered elsewhere.

The indelible mark being made in the lives of Education City graduates and on the country and region are significant. This is not comfortable or easy work and those who are dedicated to it know how important it is to strike a balance that makes the indelible impact acceptable at each step along the way.

Conviction and action

I've had several e-mail exchanges with a former student over the last couple of weeks. He was a student I had in a first-year leadership seminar and saw only occasionally over the rest of his time at Miami. He completed law school and inquired if he could list me as a reference to pass the bar. Our e-mail exchanges caused me to ask at the end of one why he had come back to correspond with me after several years of no interaction. His explanation was what I've found repeated throughout the deeper relationships I've had with students - he described the "seed planting" that so often occurs which then germinates and takes root at a later time. The process goes something like this 1) solid foundation from prior family and educational experience, 2) leads to comfort and curiosity about others' experience, 3) resulting in discernment of core convictions, and 4) eventually leads to a willingness to act with courage.

This progression isn't earth-shattering but it does reflect the steps that we see in many young adult development theories and the progression is especially reflective of the stages of the "presence" model upon which Deeper Learning in Leadership is based. The progression also mirrors James Fowler's stages of spiritual formation where spiritual understanding begins with a solid base, strong enough to allow for questioning. Then the questioning and exploration of others' views allows for a deepening of one's own beliefs or convictions. Once the deepening occurs, it then becomes possible to act with greater courage because conviction has taken root inside of us, rather than imposed from the outside on us.

The challenge is that this progression comes in one's own time and it is influenced heavily by the cultural context. I've always understood that we experience the stages at the times when our heads and hearts were ready but I didn't realize how powerful the cultural context could be until I began to understand the Gulf, Asia, and other collectivist societies. In more collectivist cultures, the importance of family, kinship, and tribe are very powerful. In many ways the power of collectivism may look somewhat like the pattern of young women in North America coming to their understanding of values and core purposes through relational rather than differentiating (as is more characteristic of men) processes. Arab, Asian, and other groups have far greater reverance for their elders and deference for authority which may result in different dynamics during the curiosity and discernment stages.

My reencounter with a former student stimulated me to think of conviction in action and how it is in many ways the same across time and culture, but also how it might be different as well...

Qatar Foundation - status report

The Qatar Foundation Annual Report for the previous year was just posted. I have to admit that I rushed to the index to see where evidence of the work of team members with whom I work was to be found in its pages. There's lots of evidence and it brings great satisfaction to know that we are making significant progress.

For those interested in knowing more about the breadth of the QF initiatives, the annual report isn't as boring as one might typically find. This really is interesting reading.

When some international media are questioning what's happening with higher education in the Arabian Gulf, the Qf report is clear evidence that the answer is, "A lot...!" The kind of growth that is underway is mind-boggling to say the least and it's incredibly exciting to be part of making even a small contribution to what's happening.

Working in the 21st century

I had a simple, yet profound, meeting today that involved two faculty from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (one a female from Tunisia and one an African American male), an Indian national ex-patriot male, a Qatari male, and me. Each of us had our own accents, language and experiences but we were drawn together by the shared task of improving Qatar Foundation's acquisition process by engaging professors and students in project teams focused on various steps forward in the improvement process.

Seldom have I seen a group so open to each other and willing to engage in the give and take required to tap each others' insights and skills. It was the dual commitment to process improvement with the recognition of the need to learn and to foster learning for students that made it work. There wasn't one moment of hesitation throughout the 45 minute and I left feeling that this is the best of what higher education has to offer in the 21st century - diverse voices and intellects tackling tough problems together.

Simple pleasures of global leadership work...

Soulful to soul-full

Diane has been in Qatar for the last week for her spring break. We had a wonderful time seeing all the new things that are now available since she was here last July. We saw our first camel race (what a hoot), visited the Pearl (residential development for 50K people in the Gulf), went to the new Museum of Islamic Art, shopped and ate in the new sections of Souq Waqif, had dinner at the new "W" hotel (very chik/sheikh), had friends over, spent time with Darbi, and more. We had so much fun that this morning's return flight at 9 a.m. came as a bit of a shock. Diane and I were both caught off guard by how soon the time had passed and we had a great deal of difficulty parting. I left the terminal to drive home and could hardly stand the feeling of loneliness without Diane. This was truly a soulful morning with which I could only attempt to cope by keeping busy. I cleaned house, did laundry, exercised, went for massage, and ended the evening at a Qatar Philharmonic concert.

I was tired and really not in the mood for celebration at the beginning of the QPO concert. However, the visiting conductor, James Gaffigan, was fun to watch from the very beginning. The concert started with the Beethoven Overture to "Egmont," Op. 84, a piece that typically has a lot of energy so I wasn't terribly surprised that it was an instantaneous attention getter. At the conclusion of this first piece, I turned to the guy beside me and said, "I've never seen the Egmont performed with such drive." The rest of the performance was a gradual crescendo to the final movement of the Brahm's Symphony #2 and an encore of Brahm's Hungarian Rhapsody. I literally sat in my seat during the encore laughing as the boundless energy and excitement of Gaffigan enraptured the QPO players. The audience erupted in applause the instant the last note sounded and Gaffigan was called back for three curtain calls.

Soulful to soul-full may seem a bit strange as a title for this post. I had a very soulful day when Diane departed and the reality of our life on two continents returned to my consciousness. It is not easy living so far apart, although many in this area of the world do this on a regular basis. People make huge sacrifices to pursue a life that they see as providing greater opportunity than elsewhere. But, it isn't easy for anyone. As the day went on, I didn't recover but I did resign myself to Diane and me being together soon (late June) and eventually together on a permanent basis. In the meantime, I was nurtured today by the numerous guards and service people with whom I've become acquainted. Darbi came over and took care of me for a while this afternoon. And, my heart was restored by listening to great music that can never be underestimated for its power. Soulful to soul-full was the journey of today. I miss Diane and the familiarity of the U.S.A. but I still cherish the experience that I'm having here in Qatar.

Offer what you have...

I just returned from a quick trip to the U.S.A. for the annual convention of the American College Personnel Association. I also stopped by Oxford to visit with family which offered great renewal in preparation for my return to Qatar. The ACPA convention was both taxing and rejuvenating because I had to tell the story so many times about how I came to Qatar, what I do, and how this is such an unusual, challenging, and fulfilling place. I was exhausted by telling the story but I was rejuvenated when I reminded myself of the purpose of this work by tell others about it.

The only problem with this scheme is that returning to the work is a bit of a rude awakening. For an entire week I only talked about how great the work is and seldom did I allow myself to focus on the challenges we face. There is no judgment in this comment - just description. The fact is, for cultural, organizational, and many other reasons, this work is tough. I had two meetings today where colleagues were on the verge of saying that they couldn't continue to push. I empathized but recognized a struggle in working abroad in higher education that most other people don't face - the struggle is in the very natural resistance to change and to doing things through different cultural means. The only way I can figure to get out of this is to offer what you have, hope that it makes a contribution, and then let the chips fall as they may.

What I mean here is that it is very important to me that I give my all to my work but there are limits to my ability to bring about change. Others around me have to welcome it and see the opportunity in what I propose. There may be a variety of reasons why ideas I hold dear may not be timely, will never work, or need to be packaged in another way. I can also do everything to my best and things will still not turn out. The natural tendency for agenda-driven Westerners is to internalize the blame and get down about things not moving ahead. What I'm beginning to learn, and I believe is essential to expatriate success abroad, is recognizing that it is my/our responsibility to offer what we have but to let it go. To not let go would mean to harbor thoughts, questions, and to hold on to a type of grieving for what we hoped would unfold. My view is that this kind of internal struggle only festers and makes things worse and that seeing my responsibility as offering my best and then letting it go is the only way to maintain one's sanity.

Expatriate work is fascinating and so powerful but it is not easy. After all the questions I answered at ACPA, I returned with a proposal for my youngest daughter who lives in Qatar - to write a book introducing the dynamics of working as an ex-patriot in higher education. I drafted a book outline on the plane and hope that Darbi and I will be able to dig into this in the coming months. Much of our content will come from our respective blogs. So, if you have been reading our stuff, let us know of those things that have been most provocative. We'll be sure to include those as we forge ahead.

Modern day heroes

I've had numerous encounters with people who I've grown to care deeply for since I've been in Qatar. Some have been very unlikely acquaintances that are brief but repeated and they are always across different cultures. Two Philippino guys are at the top of my list. One is Ryan who cuts my hair and the other is Marcos at the Intercontinental hotel where I treat myself to massage each week. The last time I went for massage, I found that Marcos was gone - an emergency leave. When I found this out, I asked Ryan what he thought might have happened to Marcos. Unfortunately, Ryan told me that "emergency leave" can sometimes mean that the person will never be back. I was very concerned about it and asked Ryan if there was anything that I could do. He said, "no," this isn't something over which any of us has much influence. At that point, he said, "You know, they call us the 'Modern Day Heroes.'" "What do you mean?" I asked. "We're the ones that leave our families and loved ones, crossing language and cultural barriers, to be able to earn a decent living and send it back home to our government and families. We're the ones who are saving our families and the Philippines from economic collapse," he said.

People like Ryan and Marcos are genuine, striving, and committed people who are truly "Modern Day Heroes." They serve as grocery store clerks, security guards, grounds workers, and many other roles. They are from throughout the world and they make an incredible difference because of their kindness and willingness to encounter each other. I'm renewed by them all...

Changing Qatar

The picture above shows the progression of Doha's West Bay skyline as it has developed in just the last ten years. This is only part of what's happening in Qatar as other developments including "The Pearl," a series of residential/commercial islands for 50,000 people, the cultural center including a variety of galleries and performance spaces, and the Education City complex emerge from the sand. These are all amazing physical changes that shock me every time I drive somewhere in Doha but it's the accompanying changes in the people and culture that, while less visible, are the most stunning.

The moment I begin to feel that there is both movement forward and balance that protects the local culture, I read or experience something that startles me. The recent Saban Center for Middle East Policy report, "A New Millennium of Knowledge? The Arab Human Development Report on Building a Knowledge Society, Five Years On" celebrated a number of advances in the Arab world but bemoaned that there was still much more to do. Education City is mentioned prominently in this report as an example of improving the availability and quality of education but the report noted that there are so many other young people who need this type of education.

There is some evidence that we are becoming global citizens who see connections across continents and recognize the interdependence of our welfare. Figuring out how to embrace the community beyond ourselves and our own self-interest is the next hurdle that must be encountered. I'm struggling to sort out how to articulate this journey today. Maybe it's enough just to rest assured that a lot is happening - both visibly and invisibly.

Reflections on South Korea

After getting back from South Korea, I continued to think of the people I encountered there, the issues they face, and the similarities and differences between South Korea, Qatar and elsewhere. I can't say that four days allowed me enough exposure to have any conclusive insights but at least I have some preliminary thoughts...

The energy among the faculty, staff, and students of Sookmyung Women's University was truly exceptional. I was so pleased that the various speakers for the conference complemented each other so well and that the ideas in Deeper Learning in Leadership made sense as a way of thinking about the future of their leadership programs.

The incredible hospitality that I experienced and the introduction to Korean culture I was given revealed some fascinating similarities between South Korea and Qatar. First, both countries are very old and very new; they have histories that go back centuries but they have been reborn in the last half of the 20th century. As both countries were reborn, they sought to modernize in order to take their places among other prominent nations, but the progressivism of both countries is coupled with a desire to preserve their unique cultures, uncompromised by modernization. Finally, both of these countries depend on diplomacy for their survival; South Korea is sandwiched between China, North Korea, and Japan and Qatar is sandwiched between Saudi Arabia, Iran, and any number of other countries that could be named around the Arabian Peninsula.

I couldn't help but wonder what Korea and Qatar could learn from each other. Korea started its climb to modernization in 1948 when it was freed from Japanese occupation and Qatar started in 1972 when it was relieved of British protectorate status. My impression of South Korea is that there are still vestiges of ancient Korean culture but not much. Qatar has protected more of its culture thus far but there are daily struggles to determine what should remain and how to do it in the face of massive change. My deep hope is that both countries can maintain the core of who they are far into the future and that they will be able to discern those things that are truly important to creating societies that are prosperous, progressive, and able to connect across generations and time.

My return trip from Seoul provided additional cause for reflection. During exchange of pleasantries with the Iranian guy sitting next to me on the return flight from Seoul, I expressed how much I wanted to tour Iran, especially the historic site of Persepolis. After a moment's hesitation that I could only interpret as surprise, we got into a great conversation. He worked for an engineering company in Iran and had chosen to continue to live there, even though he has been very dissatisfied with political conditions that have so deeply impacted his life and others. I shared that I've not been pleased with the U.S.A.'s administration either. There's much more detail about the conversation and what I learned from him about Iran but the bottom line was essentially the one I've come to in almost all of my encounters of travel - the people of the world are so much alike in their aspirations and in their desire for a better life.

We sometimes get caught up in our own fears, or in the case of Iranian and U.S.A. matters, we get caught up in the affairs of state. Korea and Qatar are on journeys to modernize and bring the best qualities of life to their people while protecting their cultural heritage. Two guys on a plane from Iran and the U.S.A. hope that our countries can figure out ways to put away the political wrangling in order to serve their citizens. We are more alike than we are different - no doubt.

Deeper Leadership at Sookmyung Women's University

A fluke old friendship gave me the opportunity to discover Korea and a wonderful women's university. Sookmyung Women's University invited me to participate in the 2nd Global Leadership Conference on the recommendation of Adam Goodman, a leadership colleague and friend for over 20 years. Adam saw me last fall and said he gave my name to Sookmyung's director of their leadership program. I never expected to hear from them but, sure enough, they got in touch and I've spent the last three days in Korea.

Sookmyung is a select university with a specific focus on developing the leadership potential in their students. The motto for the university is developing soft power for a changing world. All students are touched in one way or another by the curricular and cocurricular programs. There were three panels of presenters - political, business, and educational leadership. I was on the educational leadership panel and, by stroke of fortune, was the last speaker. I joked as I came on that their had been so much wisdom shared that I didn't know if there was anything else to say. However, I went on with a presentation on deeper leadership based on Deeper Learning in Leadership.

I didn't know for sure if I would be able to connect with students due to a bit of language barrier and the cultural differences among students in Korea. I was delighted to find that they connected very well. In fact, the reaction is probably one of the best reactions I've ever had among a primarily student audience. The thing that was different culturally was that students in Korea have not been used to thinking of cocurricular involvement as part of their education and they have also not had the opportunity to participate in many student organizations and events. What was wonderful was that all the presenters, political, business, and education alike, advocated for deeper involvement and for testing the leadership theories they read in use in student activities. I was the last speaker and it was a pleasure to tie it together with ideas from DLL.

In addition to participating in the conference, I had my first chance to tour in Asia. It was very fun to see Seoul, a hustling, bustling, center of activity between China and Japan. One of the speakers commented that the only reason Korea has survived over the years is that it is constantly engaged in diplomatic exchange. It's interesting what geography will do to create character in a nation and its people.

The picture to the left is of the old Emperor's Palace - approximately 600 years old. It was the center of commerce and government during the period of Korean history when it was ruled by a monarch. The lifestyle was quite austere in comparison to the palaces I've seen throughout Europe. This is largely the result of the influence of Confucianism in Korea, China, and elsewhere in east Asia. However, there was a fascinating similarity between the Emperor's Palace and the Sultan's palace in Istanbul, and other palaces as well. Seoul's and Istanbul's palaces have several courtyards of increasing importance that lead up to the main palace and both have areas for the wives, children, and extended family of the monarchs. The palaces of Europe are most often multi-floor with towering ceilings while the Emperor's Palace of Seoul was one-floor, simple, and not characterized by the trappings of wealth. I found one of the most beautiful aspects of this culture to be the roof-lines of buildings, captured in the picture below that shows the layered roofs of the Palace as it extends in the distance.

Discovering Asia through Seoul, South Korea, was a wonderful way to begin to explore this area of the world. I'm likely to be back.

Bridge between the East and West

The Al Arabia interview of President Obama is rocking my world, and hopefully the Arab and Muslim worlds as well. That President Obama would reach out in this way within a week of his inauguration is a very strong signal. In the words of Resa Aslan who was included among those reacting to the interview, I'm "giddy" with excitement over the possibilities.

The complexity and balance of President Obama's remarks were such a dramatic and positive change. When Obama defined his role as helping the West understand the East and vice versa, it was clear that a new and mutual era is dawning. To be sure, Obama noted that building the bridge will take time but he also offered comments reflecting the mantra that dominated his campaign for the Presidency - "yes, we can."

It will be extremely interesting to watch for the reaction through the Arab and Muslim worlds today and in the days to come. One of the most interesting reactions to watch will be that of Osama Bin Laden and his followers. As so many of those whose writings I've noted in previous blog posts have said, the days of the "war on terrorism" only gave more power to Bin Laden by firing up those who were empowered by divisive rhetoric. The rhetoric from the West now has balance and that will necessitate a response - now to wait for what it will be.

Obama's advocacy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and assignment of George Mitchell as the broker is another very positive move. I've previously held the perspective that the best thing for the U.S.A. to do is to stay out of the Israeli-Palestine issues. However, if balance in acknowledging the struggles of both Israel and Palestine is the starting place and if Mitchell's patience in diplomacy is as effective here as it was in Ireland, then there truly is hope.

Covering the news

One of the things of which I've become acutely aware since moving to Qatar is that the news has more bias than I ever imagined. The difference in journalistic angle was most noticeable to me when I returned from spending time with family over the holidays. When I left the U.S.A. on January 3, 2009, the news of Israel's bombings in Gaza was being mentioned as a brief item in the national news - nothing in the local or regional news. By the time I got back to Qatar on the evening of January 4, 2009, the news was 75% about Gaza and it has remained that way. The news I watch in Qatar is CNN but it's not the same as the programming carried throughout the U.S.A. CNN in the Middle East carries some about the U.S.A., quite a bit on Europe, and a lot on the Middle East and Asia.

I've struggled to inform myself of the difference in angles between the West and Middle East during the last year and now more intensely during the recent Gaza crisis. I never questioned the U.S.A.'s constant support for Israel over the last sixty years. Now that what I hear from colleagues and in news media here is very different, I've been through a long and deep reorientation in my views. While previous posts reflect some of the changing orientation, the bottom line that I've concluded is that far too many lives have been destroyed and the death toll (documented by humanitarian agencies as exceeding 1,200 children, women, and innocent citizens) has been far too great in the immediate Gaza crisis. Battles have raged far too long as a result of the partitioning that took place in 1948 at the hands of Western countries that presumed to draw lines across lands that did not belong to them. The lines didn't make sense to many who lived in this region of the world then and resolution of the conflicts over the borders is unlikely until the West ceases to intervene to serve its own purposes.

At the same time that I've been watching the news, I've been reading about the news. Anderson Cooper, CNN anchor, wrote (2006) a book entitled Dispatches form the edge in which he recounts a number of the stories he has covered in his career. He wove among these stories of tragedy his own story of family and crisis. The major crisis, and the realizations of himself as he covered it, was Hurricane Katrina. A turning point in the book (p. 187) was when he described an encounter with a man in a bar who expressed surprise when he met Anderson and blurted out "When people say your name, they shake." When Anderson denied it, the man replied again, "No really, you have the power of a thousand bulldozers."

Anderson went on to describe his reaction to the encounter:
I've never paid much attention to the business of news - who is watching, how big the audience is, what time slot I am in. That information always seems to take away from the work. Katrina, however, is different. So may times in Africa I wanted people to know the suffering of others, but I long ago gave up believing that it would really change anything. Now people are watching and I feel that maybe I can be of some help. I see it in people's eyes; they talk to me on the street: "Hey, Anderson, somebody's got to do something about what's happening over in St. Bernard," they'll say. Or: "you gotta do something about the bodies. Why aren't they being picked up?" I don't want to let these people down, this city, down.

Why is covering the news so important? Because there are just some stories that are so important that we have to get it right. Anderson felt the weight of Katrina on his shoulders and he wanted people to know how badly handled the emergency response had been and how much it cost in devastation. It is our responsibility as global citizens to try to get the story right. Sometimes the media will help us and sometimes it will not. To sit in the comfort of homes soaking up what we presume to be true may result in incomprehensible wrong. Hey, man, you have the power of a thousand bulldozers...

Qatar Philharmonic at Kennedy Center

The new Qatar Philharmonic will perform at the Washington, D.C., Kennedy Center on February 24, 2009. They will perform in Arabesque, a 3-week series involving ensembles and performers from 22 Arab nations. The Qatar Philharmonic will perform Marcel Khalife's "Arabian Concerto" and Beethoven's 5th Symphony; the juxtaposition of these two pieces may be a subtle, or not so-subtle, statement of the importance of Arab world music and Khalife's prominence as a contemporary Arab musician.

The Qatar Foundation and Education City community are planning a send-off concert in conjunction with the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, a conference held in Doha just before the departure of the Philharmonic for its U.S. debut. The performance will be a statement of the importance of cultural diplomacy, an idea advocated by former Ambassador and current faculty member at Georgetown University, Dr. Cynthia Schneider.

The importance of Arabesque and the Qatar Philharmonic's role in fostering western and Arab world cultural interaction should not be underestimated. Both are akin to the 2008 North Korean tour of the New York Philharmonic where the boundaries and bonds of political isolation were bridged through sharing music of western and eastern culture. Who knows where the Qatar Philharmonic will go... Buy your tickets and make your plans.

Contemporary and Islamic art

When I was in the Swedish Architecture Museum, I browsed a book, I.M. Pei, his complete works. I've been aware of I.M. Pei for many years, including the first time I was aware of his style when the Center for Atmospheric Research was built in Boulder, Colorado, when I was a child. Later I was captivated by the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art when it opened while Diane and I lived in Maryland. To my great delight, the "complete works" includes Pei's latest and last contribution to the world of architecture, the Islamic Art Museum in Doha.

The description of the Islamic Art Museum is wonderful, including Pei's statement that the Islamic Art Museum is his most ambitious and complete work. Pei's selection as the architect resulted after a failed competition that did not yield a design satisfactory to Qatari visionaries. They went after Pei who demanded that the museum be built away from the Corniche on an island of its own so that other buildings on the Coniche would never be able to obscure its beauty. Pei painstakingly studied many Arab world and Islamic buildings for his inspiration. He also studied the intricate designs prevalent in textile, rugs, and tiles (one displayed in the new museum is to the left). The result of Pei's careful study and genius is a building where literally every centimeter is a reflection of the art and culture that defines the Persian, Arab, and Islamic cultures. And, in the most amazing artistic colision, Pei's life-long commitment to sharp, clean, expressive contemporary lines meshes with Islamic art in electrifying ways.

One of the most spell-binding colisions is in the center of the Museum where, when you look up, you see ascending and closing octagons (to right) with natural light at the top. In this picture, you also see the underneath of the huge arcing chandelier, covered with a beautiful surface of Arabic geometric patterns. The chandelier then becomes the connector between the height and floor of the Museum when you look down from one of the hanging staircases; there you see the amazing combination of geometric forms in the floor, punctuated by the sweep of the chandelier. In the picture below, you see the chandelier as it was intended to reflect the lamps that so often light the interiors of Mosques throughout the world of Islam.

Cultural encounters in Sweden

One of the great bargains of Stockholm is the Stockholm card, a purchase that allows free or reduced-cost access to all museums. I got one and then set out to make sure I got my money's worth for three days - and I did. One of the museums I visited was the Swedish National Museum, a collection of art and furnishings representative of Sweden's history. As I was browsing through the 17th-18th century gallery, I noticed several fabrics and carpets to the side of the room. I went over to look at them and immediately recognized them as Persian in origin. To my delight, the text by the samples noted that these fabrics began to pour into Europe as easier travel and active trade routes developed. It also noted that the intricate geometric and floral designs became so widely incorporated into elegant fabrics throughout Europe that they became uniquely reflective of European high culture, although they were actually inspired by the Persian world. A little bit of Arab pride swelled up inside me.

The last museum of my Stockholm visit was the Medelhausmuseet, a collection of artifacts from the ancient Mediterranean world. The exhibit was closed for renovation but I picked up a magazine by the same name from the gift shop. I assumed that the magazine would describe the museum although it actually described the European Union's focus on the Mediterranean and near Middle Eastern world. The 1995 Barcelona Declaration established a path to build understanding among the citizens of the EU and the broader Mediterranean as well as protect the treasured artifacts that have been discovered in (and many times taken from) the Arab world. One of the projects sponsored by the Barcelona Declaration is the creation of a virtual museum that will bring together the resources about the Mediterranean to display them with recognition of their context, "thus maximizing mutual enrichment between the place of origin and the place of exhibition of the artifacts." (Medelhausmuseet, 3.2005, p. 26) Besides the opportunity to see objects that are now spread throughout the world, the virtual collection is intended to reflect the different understandings and interpretations in the Muslim versus non-Muslim world of the same historical events and "enriching the visitors' experience and encouraging them to visit the countries where the objects came from."

It's so very odd that for decades westerners have traveled to Europe as a statement of cultural awareness and privilege. The "Grand Tour" was a sort of "coming of age" experience for the children of the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Mellons, Fricks and other wealthy Americans of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Only now have I begun to realize how much the Mediterranean and Middle East were exploited when their historical objects were taken to fill the galleries and museums of Europe. Some of the "acquisitions" of Europe were the spoils of war (i.e. Napolean). Regardless of how the objects got there, what would the Louvre, Pergamon, and even Topkapi museums be like without the many objects that were taken from the Mediterranean and Middle East? And just incidentally, the economic impact of museum collections isn't small; the Mediterranean region is the largest tourist draw in the world, a force for economic vitality taken away from those who were the descendants of the history we see in the galleries of Europe.

I was delighted to see the EU's initiative to help right the wrongs of artistic theft and incorporation. I was even more delighted to see reference to the fact that much of tourism "focuses on monumental forms of heritage, which more often than not commemorate war, conflict, conquest, and colonization - and say little about the people and how they got on with their day-to-day lives." Medelhausmuseet (3.2005, p. 32) refers to this as the valorization of war and conquest. No wonder that the people of the Mediterranean and Middle East are seen as always in conflict if that's all we see in our museums. The Mediterranean Voices initiative, a complement to the virtual museum, will bring to life the oral histories and natural cultural practices throughout this region, balancing the history of war and conflict with the nobility of everyday life.

The Medelhausmuseet is an important initiative, although a small voice in the broader museum industry. In addition, there are serious initiatives to bring the history of the Middle East, Arab, and Islamic world back to its origins. The new Museum of Islamic Art in Doha is one of the most serious examples. I returned to Doha ready to dig into understanding the art and artifacts that we now have at our doorstep.

Home of the Nobel Prizes and more

Because the academic semester concluded last week, allowing many of my colleagues to leave Qatar over the weekend, I was facing a pretty lonely time in Qatar during the Eid Al Adha break. I decided to use up some frequent flier miles to go someplace that might feel like the holidays. I landed on Stockholm, Sweden, as my destination - a great decision for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the beautiful Christmas Market to the right in Gamla Stan (the old city area of Stockholm).

Stockholm is an old city, serving throughout its history as the capital of Sweden and claiming rights as the unofficial capital of Scandinavia. Sweden became very prosperous during Europe's days of domination in shipping. It was one of the countries that prospered most; as a result, Sweden built many imposing buildings throughout the 16th and up and through the 19th century. The entire city of Stockholm is plotted on islands among waterways and canals. Like other cities of Europe where access by water was very important to their development (i.e. Amsterdam and Dresden), it claims to be the Venice of the north. I don't know which city has the most justified claim but water certainly plays prominently in Stockholm's history.

One of the most fascinating reminders of Sweden's history as a maritime power is a ship that sank on its maiden voyage from Stockholm in 1628. Because the ship sank twenty minutes after setting sail, and sunk in waters that protected it over the centuries, archaeologist were able to raise and restore it at the Vasa Museum. The ship that you see here is 95% complete with the original wood that shipbuilders used to construct it. The ornamentation is incredible, an assertion of the wealth and power of Sweden as it engaged in the "30 years war" that gripped Europe in the 17th century. I thought that the ships in "Pirates of the Caribbean" were impressive but they are dwarfed by the size of the Vasa. Standing by the side of this vast ship, I could just imagine what it must have been like to have the ship sail by, overwhelming everything in its path. The sinking of Vasa was the result of over-building with two decks of heavy canon and towering sails that capsized it when a strong wind tipped the ship, the balast rolled, and water gushed in through the canon portals. One can only imagine...

More impressive than the beautiful buildings and the amazing reconstruction of Vasa, the Nobel Prize overwhelms this city. I just happened to be here during preparations for December 10, which is the day on which the prizes are always awarded. It was awe-inspiring to say the least to see the Nobel winner museum and observe the preparation for the Nobel banquet at City Hall.

It's ironic that a city that built its wealth from domination by sea is the home to the recognition and celebration of people who have contributed most to the advancement of science, economics, and peace. The buzz of the city is palpable and a joy to observe. I have one more day left before I return to Qatar. My feet/legs are so tired I can hardly walk but I'll dive into several more museums tomorrow.

Making educational progress

In case it is not obvious, this blog frequently serves as a place where I note publications or reports that I've found of interest (and don't want to forget) as well as where I attempt to integrate different ideas across fields, culture, and time. Because the work at Qatar Foundation is essentially about educational progress in Qatar and the Arabian Gulf and because the educational models we are using are from the U.S.A. and Europe, it's important to watch for the links between the educational work in the Gulf and the western world. Two reports, one from the Arabian Gulf and compiled by the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute, Aligning Post-Secondary Education Choices to Societal Needs, and one from the U.S.A., Measuring Up 2008, have been the focus of my attention over the last couple of weeks.

The RAND-Qatar Policy Institute report advocates that Qatar's scholarship programs focus on five goals: 1) meet workforce needs; 2) develop language, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills; 3) prepare future leaders; 4) build cultural awareness of and ties to other countries; and 5) meet civic and cultural needs. Further, authors of the report studied a number of scholarship programs throughout the world and concluded that five principles should guide the operation of Qatar's scholarship programs; 1) quality, 2) accountability, 3) efficiency, 4) flexibility, and 5) support. Prior to establishing the vision for, and directing the resources to establish, the new approach to K-12 and higher education in Qatar, a select number of young people attended universities in the UK and U.S.A. The majority of Qataris, especially women, did not have the opportunity to continue their educations. Now through enhanced opportunities provided through Qatar University, CNA-Q, and Education City, an increasing number of male and female students have a breadth of higher education opportunity that can be tailored to each of their backgrounds/preparation, their interests, and the needs of the country. Educational opportunity can now be found in Qatar or through select programs abroad.

Measuring Up 2008 critiques educational progress in the U.S.A., noting that the U.S.A. was successful in the past but is now slipping in comparison to a number of other countries around the world. The parallel elements between Measuring Up 2008 and the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute report are the importance of; 1) improving K-12 preparation so that students can attend university, 2) providing affordable access to higher education regardless of family socio-economic status, and 3) focusing on increasing and assessing the quality of learning so that young people are prepared for work that will serve their private interests and the public good.

While Qatar does not have the history and the numbers of students that the U.S.A. has had, it is very ambitious in its contemporary vision. A laser-like focus that incorporates the recommendations of the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute report is likely to achieve in a very short time a level of education that will be rivaled by few, if any, other nations. The key issue for Qatar is stimulating the imagination of its people to see the incredible potential ahead and to see that the hard work required to get there is justified. By contrast, the key issue that I'm growing to realize as important for the U.S.A. is that it must not abandon the commitments it made in the burgeoning days of higher education in the mid-20th century. Measuring Up 2008 documents that, unless the U.S.A. returns to the focus on education that it previously had, the baby-boomers will be the last generation to benefit from higher education in such significant ways - the future promise of the U.S.A. may suffer as a result.

Qatar and the U.S.A. - interesting partners in education and both able to learn from each others' experiences of yesterday and today... The U.S.A. has been in an enviable position because it committed so much to higher education after the depression of the 1930s and WWII. Things are tough again in 2008/09. Qatar is investing its resources in education. Where will the U.S.A. invest its resources?

Educating, engaging, and empowering our citizens at home and abroad...

A new Brookings Institution report, Voices of America: U.S. Public Diplomacy for the 21st Century, proposes a variety of initiatives that will help to reestablish the U.S.A. as a positive force in the world. Coupled with the appointment of Barack Obama's new National Security Team, a new day is dawning. On the National Security Team, the headline in the LA Times says it all, "Obama stresses diplomacy with new national security team." Portraying the team as a renewal of diplomacy is reinforced by the fact that two of the seven new Security Team members have a relationship to the Brookings Institution; Rice (new Ambassador to the U.N) is a former Brookings Institution affiliate and Jones (new National Security Advisor) served on the Advisory Board noted in the "Voices of America" report.

President Bush's admission that the thing he wasn't prepared for was going to war sheds more direct light on the problem that the U.S.A. now faces. In the interview with Charlie Gibson, Bush declined to express regret for the faulty intelligence information that led to the war in Iraq but expressed satisfaction in his, "Recognizing we're in a war against ideological thugs and keeping America safe." Constructing the world as a battle against the "axes of evil" and a "war against ideological thugs" will be difficult to undo. However, The Brookings Institution report and Obama's appointment of a diplomacy-oriented security team is the beginning of the long road back to the principles that world-citizens admire about the U.S.A. A period of deep listening is ahead and my hope is that this results in realigning the U.S.A. with the needs of the world. The admonition that the U.S.A. must move forward by "educating, engaging, and empowering our citizens at home and abroad..." tapped one of the most important resources the U.S.A. has. Those of us abroad can listen carefully and we can demonstrate the eagerness of the U.S.A. to be a force for peace and prosperity in the world.

Mumbai terrorism, Obama and Arab youth, and Thanksgiving

My journey in Qatar continues to include increasing depth of understanding about the political, religious, and other strife that seems to abound in the Middle East. The terrorism in Mumbai and the take-over of airports in Thailand represent the dynamics most often associated with the Middle East, only pushing them further into Asia. Why do these incidents continue to occur and what's the way out?

I'm not a political scientist nor an expert in Middle Eastern and/or Asian affairs. However, a letter that I received from a colleague reflected the hope that many young people around the world have as a result of the election of Barack Obama. The Center for Human Emergence Middle East issued An Open Letter on the Middle East to President-Elect Obama. Based on the enthusiasm of Arab youth, the letter proposes that one of the keys to possibility and peace is for the U.S.A. to take a more balanced role in relation to Israel and Palestine. In particular, the letter urges that the U.S.A. join with other countries (including Israel) to build the capacity of Palestine so that it can return to a position as a progessive, economically viable, and independent country. I encounter the angst over Palestine all the time in my casual interactions. Whether it's the black and white version of gotrah worn as a scarf by young Arabs or the music of activist artists, the message is unmistakable - stop privileging only one side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and recognize that there has been plenty of wrong-headedness and wrong-doing among all parties.

On Thanksgiving afternoon, the U.S.A. colleagues with whom I work decided to provide a Thanksgiving dinner for our Arab work colleagues, most of whom did not know much about the purpose and nature of Thanksgiving. I was asked to provide a little background while we feasted on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, candied yams, and pumpkin pie. I focused on the thanks given by religious refugees at the first Thanksgiving of 1621, refugees who had survived in the new world at least partially because native Americans had helped them. Then I offered thanks to our Arab colleagues that as a citizen of the U.S.A. I could worship as I wished in Qatar. In addition to this freedom, I and others have to be thankful for the Arab and other colleagues who have helped us survive a place that at times seemed exotic and strange. It's certainly not as hostile as the new world of 17th century times but I/we still need support.

Strife that surrounds us in a shrinking world... Obama and Arab youth... Thanksgiving for a year in Qatar... It's hard to say if there's a relationship. The core concept that ties them together for me is the importance of working to create peace and prosperity through reaching out to share ourselves and our bounty, even when it may seem that peace is only a distant hope.

Museum of Islamic Art - now open

After a long period of preparation, the new Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, is now open! The New York Times covered it and this is only the beginning. I plan to make this a regular destination on weekends when I have time.

The Museum of Islamic Art is complemented by the unfolding completion of Souk Waqif, the old market area of Doha, which is just a short walk from the Museum. By having both in sight of each other on the Doha Corniche, visitors can see ancient art and artifacts of the Islamic world and walk across the street to browse the alleyways and walking mall of the Souk. The only thing different about Souk Waqif compared with other souks throughout the Arabian Penninsula is that Doha's is cleaner, more artistic, has a variety of great restaurants, and you don't have to fight off the merchants who in many souks lurk around every corner attempting to drag you into their shops.

The Museum and Souk Waqif may seem trivial or commercial. They aren't - they are part of Qatar's statement of pride in its Arab origins and national heritage. A little country sticking out like a thumb off Saudi Arabia, originally inhabited primarily by Bedouin tribes... A progressive Islamic country trying to bring learning and prosperity to its people... A complex interplay of monarchy and empowerment of citizens to fuel the growing cultural, educational, business, and tourism initiatives that will assure Qatar's place as a future world player... In many ways, Qatar defies description because of its complexity and the rapidity of change that all who live here experience. One thing is sure. Even though Qatar may defy easy description, it is a place to watch.

Qatar's National Vision for 2030

The incredible energy and ambition of this little country, Qatar, continues to unfold in amazing ways. Last week the Qatar National Vision for 2030 emerged as a way to put the issues of development on the table and to call all Qatari and ex-patriot citizens in Qatar to the work of building a future. The Vision is well worth reading. I think you will see that it conveys a vision that many developing countries pronounce and that Qatar is deeply committed to achieving.

Joseph Needham -"The man departs - there remains his shadow"

This simple quote is inscribed in Chinese calligraphy to the side of the fireplace mantel of K-1 Caius College, Cambridge University – testament to the lifelong residence of Joseph Needham, brilliant British scientist turned Sinologist. A friend’s father lent me The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester (HarperCollins, 2008) for some unexplainable reason. I dove into it and found a love story coupled with deep and curious intellectual inquiry and political intrigue – all explaining the incredible array of scientific and technological contributions China has made throughout its history.

Joseph Needham started a brilliant academic career in the early 20^th century, contributing primarily through scientific discovery and publication of his findings which resulted in his invitation to join the Caius faculty as a young intellectual. He was eccentric to say the least and was supported by his wife, Dorothy, for over 70 years until her death, although he traveled extensively, had another lifetime lover, and many other encounters along the way. His love of Lu Gwei-djen (begun in 1937 and resulting in their eventual marriage in 1989) caused him to abandon the direct study of science to begin a journey of understanding how China had contributed so much across the ages. His series of books, Science and Civilization in China, are considered the essential documented record of Chinese innovation. In addition to documenting this history, Needham helped to preserve Chinese universities during the spread of Japanese dominance in the 1930s, he helped found UNESCO, and he created several Chinese-Western intellectual and friendship exchanges and partnerships.

Needham’s story is beautifully written and so enjoyable that it’s hard to put down. Aside from the biographical detail that drew me in, I was fascinated to have a first introduction to China, its past glories, and its growing role in our contemporary world. The “Needham question” that lingers throughout the book is how, after so many centuries of sustained contributions to scientific creativity, could China have fallen asleep in the 16^th century when the Western world began to rise? Ultimately, there is no answer to the question other than one speculated to simply be that China “stopped trying” (p. 260). Maybe it was the lack of a mercantile class, perhaps political and bureaucratic systems that thwarted individual effort, or the sheer size of the country and its people. Regardless, Needham lived to see the beginnings of what we now know will be one of the greatest economic and political forces of the 21^st century. Testament to China’s aspiration is a billboard posted on the outskirts of Jiuquan, the new city exploding at the border of the Gobi Desert and home to China’s space program. The billboard reads in both Chinese and English – Without Haste. Without Fear. We Conquer the World.

Chilling? Maybe… More than anything, Needham's testament and scholarship is a call for Westerners to understand and embrace the role that China is beginning to play in the 21st century. Needham’s story, and his lifelong mission of understanding China, provides a model seldom matched in academe but hopefully increasingly found in everyday life as we seek to understand the global community we are becoming.

Debut of the Qatar Philharmonic

Qatar has a symphonic orchestra - and a very, very good one. This weekend marked the beginning of a new artistic era for Qatar and the Arabian Gulf as a result of two concerts by the newly formed Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. The two concerts had the same program but different conductors. The first and official debut concert was conducted by Lorin Maazel, a conductor of monumental stature and current Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. The second concert was under the direction of Andreas Weiser, who assists Maazel in his duties with the New York Philharmonic and is the Managing Director of the Qatar Philharmonic.

The program included Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Ravel's Bolero, and the world premiere of Marcel Khalife's Arabian Concerto. The final piece was the shorter Salute also by Khalife. The musicians are young, energetic, and obviously prepared and committed to the vision of building a world-class orchestra. Lorin Maazel showed obvious enthusiasm and deep pleasure in bringing this new artistic powerhouse into being. Although the first couple of Beethoven movement were a bit restrained (which caused me to wonder for a moment), by the time the final movements were on their roll toward ecstasy, I could hardly contain myself.

It really is hard to describe how technically accurate this group of young musicians was. The ensemble playing was perfection with no instruments inappropriately sticking out. The pitch was impeccable. The solo performances were extraordinary; there was not one error among the many solo wind and brass solos in the Bolero. As an audience, we could see Maazel growing in his flair as he began to swing, dance, and thrust his baton into the air during the new and exciting sounds of the Khalife pieces. The Khalife Arabian Concerto and Salute are sure to make an international stir as pieces that can bring the exotic sounds of the Arab world to people around the globe. Whether the new Qatar Philharmonic takes these sounds to the world in tours or if other orchestras attempt to play them on their own, the message is coming... The Arab world has a new artistic voice and it is one that will delight and hopefully connect us in significant ways. I can't help but imagine what it would be like if President Obama were to choose to produce an inaugural concert of world music that might include this amazing new Qatar Philharmonic playing Khalife's Arabian Concert. Wouldn't it be fun!

For those who know of my love of the music, my artistic soul is being fed again. One of the things I regretted most when I left Ohio was interrupting our commitment to the annual Cincinnati Symphony season. With any luck, there will be a Qatar Philharmonic season that will soon be coming our way.

The next step in Qatar's rising prominence as the Arabian Gulf's artistic center will the the opening of the Islamic Art Museum in Doha in December. More to come...

Global perspectives creating a smaller world

Yesterday (Sunday, October 26, 2008) was a fascinating day of stumbling into global perspectives that continue to shrink my world. I got into the office and did my routine start-up of checking and responding to e-mail and then noticed an interesting meeting on my schedule - "Chinese Embassy Delegation re: exchanges." I ran off to the meeting wondering who would be there and what would unfold in the conversation. To my great surprise, I walked into the conference room only to find one of my Qatari colleagues finishing a presentation on Qatar Foundation and waiting to turn the meeting over to me. I've become increasingly comfortable in not knowing what to expect from moment to moment in my work but this one really threw me.

The Chinese delegation was guided by an under-secretary of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China and included four representatives from higher education and business in China. The programs represented were; Beijing International Studies University, Shanghai International Studies University, Northwest University for Nationalities, and the founder and president of "First Real-Name Blog Portal for Chinese Intellectuals." I asked if English would be acceptable for our meeting and was told, "yes." It didn't take but a minute for one of the Chinese participants to turn to my Qatari colleague to ask a question of him in perfect Arabic. Suddenly the communication shifted and I realized that the common language of the room was Arabic, not English or Chinese. Wow! Who would have thought... a meeting with Chinese intellectuals, conducted in Arabic, and translated by a Qatari for the English speaker who knew neither Chinese or Arabic (me). All in all, the meeting was a success and ended with an agreement that I would attempt to broker a meeting with my superiors so that the People's Republic Ambassador could begin to introduce the possibility of student and faculty exchanges between Education City and the institutions represented by our visitors.

Later in the evening I attended the Rand-Qatar Policy Institute celebration of five years in Doha and 60 years of the Rand Institute. Rand is a research and think-tank organization that has provided considerable assistance to Qatar in researching and proposing models for improvement of education, public policy, and capacity building. There were two panels of their researchers and other guests who explored questions about the status of the Gulf and the impact that the upcoming election in the U.S.A. will have on the area. The panels were interesting, although I was surprised at the off-handed references that reflected their ignorance or disdain for the Middle East - simple things like "I don't know what people over here think, but..." or inaccurate language such as using Arab, Persian, Muslim, Islamic, jihad, and other terms as simply colorful synonyms to depict the people "over here." Frankly, it was sad because these people are supposedly well informed about the Middle East but the imprecise and careless language was very telling.

The show-stopper for the Rand-Qatar Policy Institute celebration was when a Qatari in the audience asked the question of the panel, "What's holding us back from fulfilling the promise of our intellectual heritage? Why is the Arab world always subject to the advice and direction of the West?" I turned to a colleague beside me after the question was asked - "Breathtaking," I commented. This is a room with 90% Westerners and a precious few Qatari or other Arab people and this man was turning the microscope on himself. But, was he really? The panel offered platitudes like political will, visionary leadership, development that helps people understand the systems, and education. After considerable intellectual fumbling, the convener of the panel returned to the man who asked the question, "What do you think? What's the greatest impediment you see?" The room fell silent because we all knew that what this gentleman would say would eclipse the others' comments. "Empathy." A stunningly simple one word answer to what's holding the Arab world back. He developed the idea a bit but not so much to keep the word from hanging in my mind for the rest of the evening - empathy. But whose empathy for whom and what's not being understood?

I don't know for sure but the empathy that I see as holding us back is more about Westerners' lack of understanding than anything else. Lack of understanding for what it's been like to be at the epicenter of the world for centuries, first as a critical trade route and then as the custodian for the world's cheapest and most readily usable fuel source, and having others attempt to control you by political, military, or economic means. The best thing the panel convener said all night was that perhaps Barack Obama (yes, and the panel pretty well concluded that it's a done deal) should begin his Presidency with a "Listening Tour" that would travel across the globe to ask others what they think of the U.S.A. and the role it should play in the modern day. Yes, empathy may be what's holding us back more than anything and the question will be, how do we all foster the empathy for each other that will begin to take us to a new level? - global perspectives creating a smaller world.

If you want to understand Islam...

If you want to escape the pervasive ignorance about Islam in the western world, No god but God by Reza Aslan is a must!

Aslan's credentials set him apart as an authoritative source on Islam and other religions. His knowledge is complemented by a writing style that is more characteristic of a novel than a historic analysis of theologies. This is a story of real people in history who struggled with a pagan and idolatrous world that worshiped many gods. No god but God traces the evolution of Islam from its origins as one of the major monotheistic religions of the world (a monotheistic perspective that shares many stories, prophets, and martyrs with Judaism and Christianity) to the splintered perspectives that are the source of so much conflict in the contemporary world.

Aslan helps us see that Muslims are very diverse in their perspectives and that most are moderate, committed, and seek the same things that Jews, Christians, and other religious groups seek. Islam's prophet, Muhammad, created a tolerant and peaceful existence for these three groups in Medina and he would never have tolerated the schisms that now exist.

One of the primary reasons that Islam struggles with splinter groups is that no successor was named when Muhammad died in the middle of the 7th century. This resulted in almost immediate competition for the leadership of Islam, a contest that spawned Shi'ah, Sunni, Sufi, Kharijite, Wahhabi, and other sects of Islam. They all trace their beliefs to Muhammad but the beliefs about what one should do as a Muslim vary considerably. Aslan's final thesis is that how these groups work out their differing views is essentially the same process that occurred during the Crusades and later in the Protestant Reformation. While there are Muslims who would take offense at this proposal, how likely would it have been for Crusaders or Reformation figures to have seen their wars and struggles as evolution toward a differentiated but shared faith?

The differences that exacerbate Islam's emergence include 1) colonial occupations throughout the regions where Islam is now a force, 2) modern competition for oil/gas and other resources in these lands, and 3) media that have created a transparent and real time world. These dynamics have denied Islam the opportunity to work out its theology and practice without the intervention of nations with vested interests. And, because there is so much ignorance about the various forms of Islam, the U.S.A. and other nations have all too often supported sects of Islam about which they had very little, if any, accurate knowledge. The strangest of the western allies was the Taliban who were recruited and armed by the CIA in the insurrection against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

Islam struggles today but this struggle is internal rather than external. Islam is not waging a war on democracy and the more the west behaves as if it is, the more power extremist Islam has in its competition with moderate Islam. Anti-Muslim sentiment and slogans only galvanize those who use this opposition to recruit more Muslims to fundamentalism.

If you're interested in watching a couple of videos that reflect Aslan's views, you could try the recent CNN interview related to Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia University or view his analysis of the "cosmic conflict" that he believes undermines the efforts to establish dialogue between the west and the emerging Muslim world of 1.5 billion people. His point is that the rhetoric of the "war on terror" has only enhanced the position of Islamic extremists as it has given them material with which to weave the tapestry of grievance of anti-imperialism. What the western world does not understand is that the seeds of Al Qaeda were planted during British colonial rule and have been fueled by the economic imperialism of the U.S.A. as it has drawn oil and gas from the Middle East. Unfortunately, ignorance and intolerance has given Al Qaeda a ready agenda to use in recruiting its followers.

Alive or living?

Eid break provided a phenomenal opportunity for Darbi and me to join a tour of the Moroccan Atlas mountains provided by the Intrepid organization. The tour was in the special "Intrepid Active" category which stimulated more than a little anxiety in me as I prepared for the trip. When our tour guide, Moha, informed me that I was the oldest participant in the active tours to date, I was more than a little relieved that I had completed the week of biking, hiking, and climbing without incident. Thus, the title of my post, "Alive or living?" I came to the realization that my work and personal life are more about living than I've ever had the chance to pursue. I'm not just alive. I am living a very active experience of exploring new cultures, new history, and new ways of being in the world - pretty amazing for this time in my life!

The Atlas mountains were a complete surprise. Having grown up in Colorado, I couldn't imagine mountains of any substance in Morocco. What I found was amazingly beautiful mountains and lush "oasis" valleys that are supporting a friendly and simple cultural group called Berberes. The Berbere people were originally distributed throughout North Africa prior to the colonial occupation by both Arab and French people at different times in history. The Berberes have been pushed more into the mountainous territories of Morocco, Algiers, Libya, and all the way over to Egypt. Moha was very clear that he was Berbere first, African second, and not at all Arab. There are many in Morocco who are actually of mixed cultural heritage but Moha was very proud of being Berbere and having grown up in a mountain village much like the scene to the left. Our exploration of the high Atlas included a 40 kilometer mountain biking excursion, a 16 kilometer hike/climb, and some of the most spectacular scenery I've seen for a while.

In addition to visiting the high Atlas, we visited the "little Sahara" which is a plateau valley between the high and "ante Atlas" range. This is where we found desert landscapes at the foot of the snow-capped Atlas range in the background. One particular village, Ait Binhaddou (pictured to lower right), was 700 years old and has been used as the backdrop movie set for many films including "Gladiator" and "Jesus of Nazareth."

It's hard to fully explain the insights I gained from this adventure to Morocco. I discovered, as is usual these days, that I'm missing much of the world's history and understanding of heritage and culture. Most of all, before trips like this, I've been afraid of other places that are strange, different, or have been in the news as politically troubled. Morocco has had its incidents but the people are very engaging and welcoming. I now understand that another culture, the Berberes, have a wonderful history that they seek to preserve and share with others. The Berberes are industrious, smart, and eager for the world to know of their contributions over centuries of productivity. And, they are attempting through tourism and new political activism to draw attention to their rights as people who inhabited this region of the world for thousands of years.

It appears in my posts that I've become a bit excessive in my travels - and, I probably have. But it is so fun and adds so much to my "living" to know about the world beyond the narrow North American perspective that I've had for so long.