Mark Makongoro, Grade 12
UWCEA (Arusha)
Going to UWC, I thought I knew a decent amount of global culture; well, I thought wrong. It was as if I was thrown into the real world. To be honest, nothing would have prepared me for that- all I could think about was that ‘The UWC movement makes education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace a sustainable future’.
Growing up, I’ve heard many stereotypes here and there- some innocent ones, some not very; you know, the usual like ‘The USA is the land of cheeseburgers, diabetes and racism’ the standard American image portrayed on TV. Well, I knew that this wasn’t true, but to hear from an American about what makes their country lit (as they say) was fascinating. First, I learned that America makes up 23.6% of the global economy. It has many fascinating and interesting people. It is the land of Broadway and Hollywood (need I say more).
My biggest culture shock is that Iran is clouded with mystery and intrigue, resulting in a whole host of misconceptions and false stereotypes about Iran and Iranians. Here is a breakdown of some stereotypes all Iranians hate (as I’ve been told). Be careful – Iran is dangerous and is full of terrorists! Many countries advised against travel to Iran until very recently, but this was largely for lack of diplomatic relations rather than genuine safety concerns. In fact, not only are violent crimes against foreigners extremely rare, but the internal political situation is very much stable too (it isn’t the country of wars), making it an all-round safe destination for tourists. Not all Iranian are terrorist; this misconception Is particularly popular in churches across Tanzania- we are taught from a youth age that Iranians are Al-Qaeda, but in reality ‘It’s clear that Al Qaeda and Iran have long standing the iss long-standing United States, but despite the wild allegations, these two parties remain far apart based on religious differences and differing geopolitical aims’’. Another common misconception about Iran is that Iranians are Arab - Contrary to what many believe, the people of the Middle East do not all share the same ethnicity. Iran has an incredibly diverse ethnic makeup of people within its borders, with Persians’ largest ethnic group. Nearly a dozen other ethnic minorities — including Azeris, Kurds, Arabs, Balochis, and Lors — make up over a third of the total population(things I didn’t even know)- I learned this in school!
UWC has taught me a lot about other people’s culture and about myself, about the ignorant bubble I’ve been in most of my life, about the lies and indoctrination in this community. So to answer the question ‘What lessons have you learned from your UWC community and how has it allowed you to grow as an individual?’ I think the answer to this question for me personally is that Ignorance is not strength. Whenever I’m out and hear some racist or stereotypical comments about a country or a people, I try to educate them about it’s wrong - granted, they never listen but is always nice to know as a UWC student and individual, I tried.’ Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.’- George Bernard Shaw.
Growing up, I’ve heard many stereotypes here and there- some innocent ones, some not very; you know, the usual like ‘The USA is the land of cheeseburgers, diabetes and racism’ the standard American image portrayed on TV. Well, I knew that this wasn’t true, but to hear from an American about what makes their country lit (as they say) was fascinating. First, I learned that America makes up 23.6% of the global economy. It has many fascinating and interesting people. It is the land of Broadway and Hollywood (need I say more).
My biggest culture shock is that Iran is clouded with mystery and intrigue, resulting in a whole host of misconceptions and false stereotypes about Iran and Iranians. Here is a breakdown of some stereotypes all Iranians hate (as I’ve been told). Be careful – Iran is dangerous and is full of terrorists! Many countries advised against travel to Iran until very recently, but this was largely for lack of diplomatic relations rather than genuine safety concerns. In fact, not only are violent crimes against foreigners extremely rare, but the internal political situation is very much stable too (it isn’t the country of wars), making it an all-round safe destination for tourists. Not all Iranian are terrorist; this misconception Is particularly popular in churches across Tanzania- we are taught from a youth age that Iranians are Al-Qaeda, but in reality ‘It’s clear that Al Qaeda and Iran have long standing the iss long-standing United States, but despite the wild allegations, these two parties remain far apart based on religious differences and differing geopolitical aims’’. Another common misconception about Iran is that Iranians are Arab - Contrary to what many believe, the people of the Middle East do not all share the same ethnicity. Iran has an incredibly diverse ethnic makeup of people within its borders, with Persians’ largest ethnic group. Nearly a dozen other ethnic minorities — including Azeris, Kurds, Arabs, Balochis, and Lors — make up over a third of the total population(things I didn’t even know)- I learned this in school!
UWC has taught me a lot about other people’s culture and about myself, about the ignorant bubble I’ve been in most of my life, about the lies and indoctrination in this community. So to answer the question ‘What lessons have you learned from your UWC community and how has it allowed you to grow as an individual?’ I think the answer to this question for me personally is that Ignorance is not strength. Whenever I’m out and hear some racist or stereotypical comments about a country or a people, I try to educate them about it’s wrong - granted, they never listen but is always nice to know as a UWC student and individual, I tried.’ Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.’- George Bernard Shaw.
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