Intellectual learning:

So far, this class has taught me a number of things I had little to no knowledge about previously or expanded more on things I understood on a very surface level. 

One of the topics I learned more about was oppression. When we watched the video in class “Legos and the 4 I’s of oppression”, I learned that oppression was not just one single action of one group against another but was actually divided into more than just that with each different type of oppression having a different title and description. The 4 I’s oppression are ideological, internal, interpersonal and institutional. Ideological, interpersonal and institutional were all familiar to me when I learned about them because it is always visible to see such oppression and I always thought that oppression was something people did to other people. What stood out to me was internalized oppression. It was interesting to know that people might unconsciously start to believe the negative narratives society displays about them and people like them, rather than oppression being an external factor it becomes embedded in a person’s own self and they start applying it to their own self. This made me realize that I may have also formed certain beliefs about myself based on my gender, religion, social class or other things purely based on the oppression around me. This led me to reflect on what I think of myself and correct any misconceptions I may have about myself that were formed by incorrect societal oppressions or expectations. As we approach Soliya, I wonder if I will be exposed to different people with different identities and will be able to understand more about how they may feel oppressed. 

The second thing I was newly introduced to is the idea of hybridity. Hybridity is when two or more cultures mix together. This was interesting to me because I always thought about this as an idea of how one person may hold multiple different cultures and how they may intersect or be different from each other and where the differences may lie. What solidified this concept to me was the reading by Homi Bhabha. One thing I liked in the reading was “there is no such thing as cultural isolation.” This is very beautiful as it shows that although the integration of cultures may have happened by force through colonization, in today’s society it makes us all more intertwined, complex and integrated and the real beauty of life is being connected and finding belonging. In Soliya I may interact with people who are from different places but somehow hold similarities to me culturally which will be very interesting to see. 

Another thing I have learned so far is the different Creative Commons Licences for copyright. The homework on exploring CC licences and deciding which one I would prefer to use was beneficial in understanding the differences between them. I initially had no knowledge of different types of copyright licences, I just understood copyright as a general idea. What then added on to my understanding and really carved the different CC licences into my head was the class activity where the different types were displayed on the board with simple explanations and signs and we had to move to the CC license that was being explained. Expanding this to Soliya, I question if I will use this knowledge in any type of work I do during that experience. 

Finally, my favourite part of what I’ve learnt so far is the single story from the TED talk. It shows how people are much more than what they appear and it touches upon how easy it is to assume something about a person as a whole from a single story. I enjoy the video itself because it was humorous and the message was very powerful and resonated a lot with me. When we were given an assignment to talk about a movie that addresses this topic I immediately thought of the movie wonder which also explores the same message of a single story. I will definitely keep this in mind when I get to know and interact with new people in Soliya, to never make assumptions based on one element of their identity or one story that they tell. 

Self Awareness and identity

I have learned that who I am is not just a result of my own thoughts, beliefs and emotions and experiences but the world around me has influence. The way I see myself is influenced by the society, culture and expectations that have surrounded me based on my identities whether my nationality, gender, income, appearance, religion and other identities. All of those identities shape who I am but not just the way I perceive them on my own but how the world as a whole perceives them as well. It makes me question if I have any internalized oppression against myself formed by my surroundings without ever giving thought to whether I believe them to be true or just blindly accept them. After discussing identity in depth during class and really thinking about this I still question where I stand and how I truly resonate with my identities and how they affect and influence the way I act and think and feel. I now think it is very important to self reflect and truly be satisfied with the way I perceive myself and feel about all the different aspects of who I am. 

I expect my identity to influence my Soliya experience because my cultural background and personal experiences will affect the way I think about other people’s opinions and how I perceive different issues. I am excited to see how other people with different identities may see things different to me and whether that will affect my own opinions and offer new perspectives I hadn’t thought of before. 

Reflecting on interactions:

I have learned that interacting with people who are different from me requires me to first see them for who they really are, not just assume and create a story based on one element. It is easy to make assumptions based on where a person is from as well as based on their religion, gender, culture or background but It is important to look beyond that. I learned that it’s also important to be empathetic and be able to understand and empathize with others who might be going through difficult experiences. During Soliya, I hope I can navigate listening, learning and understanding different people. I hope this helps me be able to converse with others with a deeper level of connection and I hope to carry this with me in the world. This will help me become a better global citizen by listening and learning from others and using that to grow and interact with others and be compassionate. 

Difficult discussions in Soliya

I would expect for most people to have the same stance on this topic as I do. In the case that people do not have that same opinion I will be open to listening but I will try to guide the discussion towards exploring why we should all stand with Palestine. It is possible that people from different backgrounds might see this a certain way. For example, being Egyptian and Muslim makes me stand with Palestine and for others it may also be the same. Guiding the discussion I would like people to be persuaded of my point of view, however this will not be done in any aggressive, disrespectful or forceful way. I will ask questions and listen no matter a person’s standpoint. However, this discussion might be heated and so there might be support needed to mediate and calm the discussion down if it escalates.