Pre-Soliya Reflection: Learning About Myself and Others

1. What I’ve Learned So Far

In terms of the concepts discussed in this class, before starting it, I had no idea that they would be so important for our daily life. Of course, I have known for sure that stereotypes and discrimination exist, but I never realized that they are widespread to such an extent. However, as I have discovered during this course, they are rather common phenomena as people may make biased assumptions despite the fact that they consider themselves open-minded.

One of the videos that impressed me greatly is The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. With the help of this video, I understood what a strong tendency we have to make judgment regarding a whole culture relying on a small amount of information. Moreover, in my opinion, nowadays this tendency has become even stronger due to social media as people can see only one side of the story. Thus, now I think that information we consume affects our judgments about others.

Likewise, reading Binna Kandola’s Diffusing Bias taught me that bias is not always an intentional act. To put it differently, a person can sincerely consider himself to be unbiased while forming assumptions about others. From my personal perspective, I found this idea quite fascinating since I feel like most people would rather deny being biased for various reasons. However, I believe that identifying these biases is vital in case someone wants to deal with them.

In addition, The Problem of Othering by Powell and Menendian was another book that helped me get a better understanding of the issues under discussion. In general, the book talks about the tendency of societies to differentiate between ‘us’ and ‘them.’ Therefore, I began to notice how easily people categorized others according to their background, nationality, beliefs, etc. Also, the discussion of intersectionality by Kimberlé Crenshaw was helpful in understanding that people’s experiences are influenced by different aspects of their identity.

On the whole, all these sources made me understand that it is a lot more difficult to understand people than I had previously imagined. However, at the same time, I have a doubt about whether it is possible for us to totally eliminate our biases or we can merely become aware of them. It is for this reason that I am looking forward to Soliya.

2. What I’ve Learned About Myself

Furthermore, through this course, I have also learned to appreciate the impact of my background on my perspective of the world around me. For example, growing up in Egypt means that there are certain customs, values, and thoughts that I have been taking as the norm without realizing that something being normal to me does not make it so to someone coming from a different culture. In that regard, I believe that it is necessary to challenge some of my assumptions.

Moreover, I have become increasingly curious to know whether I can be truly called open-minded or not. While I want to think that I am an individual who respects other people’s opinions and perspectives, I realize that at times when somebody contradicts something that I hold dearly, I may become more interested in justifying my opinion rather than considering their point of view.

Looking ahead, I am interested in finding out how it feels being an Egyptian during the Soliya process. For instance, there is the possibility that some of the participants may have already formed certain stereotypes on Egyptians or the Middle Eastern region. Equally, there is the likelihood that I have formed certain perceptions about their countries without realizing it.

3. What I’ve Learned About Interacting With Others

Additionally, I have learned that while being respectful does not mean agreeing with others all the time, it requires willingness to listen and see their point of view. Prior to this, I believed that productive dialogue is based on reaching some mutual agreement or convincing a person to see things the way you see them. But now I realize that sometimes discussions can be very meaningful and helpful even if both parties leave the discussion with completely opposite views.

In addition, I have learned that listening is much harder than I thought. If someone explains me something that I do not agree with, I find myself thinking about how I would reply even before the person finishes talking. Therefore, I think that I need to become a better listener in general.

At Soliya, I will try to learn to ask questions in a non-judgmental way and voice my disagreements without being aggressive. In addition, I would like to discuss new issues for me and become accustomed to challenging perspectives. In my opinion, this will be a skill of a good global citizen who understands that there are many experiences in the world different from mine and can learn something new from people who are different from us.

4. What If Palestine or the War Involving Iran Comes Up?

As far as the problem of Palestine or war with Iran goes, I am sure these are the most sensitive topics of discussion for Soliya. Being a citizen of Egypt and the Middle East, I can say that these problems seem to me much more personal and close to me than to the citizens of other countries. These are not just political problems that are discussed in newspapers; for me these are the problems which affect people’s life.

For instance, if we were discussing Palestine, I would like the discussion to be based on history and experiences of the Palestinian people rather than on politics only. At the same time, it is clear that people from various countries may have absolutely different views of the issue due to the information they received through media. However, this should not be an obstacle to communication.

If I had the chance to guide the discussion, I would tell everyone to first listen to others before speaking their own minds. In addition, the discussion must revolve around the effect of the conflicts on people, rather than becoming a debate regarding whether one is right or wrong. I believe it is not the aim of Soliya for everyone to come to one agreement but rather to learn from others’ perspectives.

However, I do realize that the discussions may get uncomfortable, particularly if one says something hurtful to someone else, or simply dismissing someone else’s experience. That is why I think a facilitator will be useful in order to ensure that everyone gets their respect and voice heard. Besides, it will make things much easier if everyone has access to factual historical information.

Final Thoughts

In summary, taking this course has really forced me to reevaluate many things I believed before, particularly how I see other people and my own life experiences. However, the most important lesson is that comprehending another culture cannot be done by simply knowing information about it. Rather, one needs to be open to hearing others out, asking questions, and accepting the reality that other people might have experienced something different than what I experienced.

As such, I am excited to participate in Soliya because I feel that communicating with people from other cultures will allow me to put into practice what I have been learning in this class. While I do worry about discussing potentially sensitive issues, I also feel like these discussions could prove to be the most beneficial aspect of this experience. In conclusion, while I may not necessarily agree with everyone, I hope to understand people whose viewpoint is different than mine.