Nabila Ramadan

Pre Soliya Reflection 

1.Throughout this semester, I’ve learned a lot of things through all the different games, videos and reading. One of the games that really stood out to me was the privilege walk game. Seeing everyone’s character and how the little things affected their movements in life was kind of eye-opening and truly made me think about all the privileges I have in my life and be even more grateful for them. Another activity that comes to mind is always sucrose. We played it at the beginning of the semester, but I always remember it clearly. It really made me step out of my comfort zone and talk about myself which is something I’m not comfortable with. My group was really supportive and good listeners, which made it easier for me to express myself and also improve my social/communicative skills in a way, since I am someone who would rather keep to themselves more, than bother others with my problems or just how I perceive myself. Also another important topic we discussed was the equity versus equality topic, which was also kind of eye opening because as much as everyone thinks that equality is always fair, the truth is that it could be extremely unjust and to reach what others really think is equality, we have to be more equitable (equity), since equity is all about giving people the same chances and opportunities, regardless of anything. Finally, the video that stood out to me a lot was the four I’s of oppression one. I kind of always had an idea about them, but I never really understood how different they are from one another yet also similar, which made me think more about the kind of oppressions that all different groups have to deal with, and it also made me question my own behavior and if I’m doing any of these.

2. So far, I’ve learned lots of things about mental health and my own identity. How my roots can shape how I act around others without realizing, and that I can sometimes be biased even if it’s just thoughts within myself that are unintentional. I also learned some important things about AI. How AI can be useful in many ways, yet still biased and it shouldn’t always be relied on if not used correctly. A question I’m still wondering about myself is how I will be engaging with others through this experience, and if my roots and the way I’m used to living and interacting with certain people will show when interacting with others from different backgrounds. I’m really excited to see how this experience will enrich my knowledge about myself and others around me. I’m hoping to be able to come across as someone who wants to listen and understand others with an open mind. I think this experience will help me better understand myself and how my actions and behavior might affect those around me.

3. In terms of interactions, I learned that it is important to not be judgmental and listen to those around me with an open mind whether I agree with what they’re saying or not, and in order to be a better global citizen, I asked myself the following: “ How can I learn from others with different backgrounds and cultures?” “ Do my actions truly affect those around me and if so, how?”. Soliyais meant to be an experience that will help open my eyes to different cultures and how to be more communicative and empathetic while trying to understand some perspectives that might not be in favor to what I personally believe in, yet I think that this type of exercise will truly have a great impact on me and everyone else.

4. If the issue of Palestine comes up, I expect to see lots of different opinions since we will be interacting with lots of people from around the world, meaning that there’ll be lots of different perspectives on the issue. I expect it to be a sensitive subject and I feel like it might cause a little bit of a tension if the opinions are truly so far apart than the ones we as Egyptians / Arabs share with each other. If I was able to direct the discussion or it was directed to me, I would like to approach this matter calmly and respectfully while also expressing my view without any true judgment. I want to listen to others with respect, even if I found that our perspectives on the topic could be a little off, because I want everyone to be able to talk and express themselves without any true judgment and ensuring that they’re being understood. I hope the discussion about the topic moves smoothly since a lot of these different opinions might cause some discomfort if handled with disrespect.