The Exchanges: The Voices

Why did they go?

Altered perceptions

Personal benefits

The exchanges in context

Why did they go?

Students have participated in the delegations for a variety of reasons over the years. These range from the desire to explore a shared religious heritage, to pursuing a historical and political interest, to building friendships. All shared the motivation to learn about another culture and to experience it in person beyond media representations…

I had a longstanding interest in the Middle East and wanted to get beyond the rhetoric and second-hand accounts to experience for myself the situation there. (Ella Saltmarshe, UK delegation to Lebanon 2000, now a public affairs consultant)

I always wanted to have a closer look at British society, which I have read a lot about. (Roweida Salim Saleh, Lebanese delegation to the UK 1999, now a teacher)

The exchange presented the opportunity to get to grips with an Islamic-Christian mixed culture. (Robert Stanier, UK delegation to Lebanon 1997, now preparing to enter the church)

I was keen to respond to the invitation to contribute to building greater trust between the UK and Lebanon . The importance of this initiative had become clear in the two months prior to the visit when, as an English teacher in Beirut , I had encountered views held by Palestinians and Lebanese on the effects of our colonial legacy in the Middle East . I felt they deserved careful attention and a constructive response. (Ronnie Graham, UK delegation to Lebanon 1997, now legal secretary to the British Advocate General at the European Court of Justice)

Altered Perceptions

The exchanges have often changed preconceptions about the host country. Many of the British participants overcame impressions of war-torn Middle Eastern countries, developing a greater understanding of Islam and discovering many areas of common ground with those of their generation in the Arab world…

I learnt that in spite of my own seemingly ‘unprejudiced’ nature, I have harboured a quiet reserve towards Islam. Meeting with the Mufti of the Bekaa, and through friendships with many sincere Muslims, I was alerted to, and apologised for this prejudice. I joined the Middle East Society at University, apparently the first Hindu to do so. (Kumar Raval, UK delegation to Lebanon 1995, now Chief Executive of the ‘Learn to Lead’ programme for young people)

Before I went to Jordan I had some quite wrong ideas about the country and its people. I thought it was not really technologically developed, that there was immense poverty and that the cities would be filthy. I even felt superior, imagining that the Jordanians would not be able to get anywhere without Western help. The visit made it clear how wrong and dangerous it is to base your ideas on nothing but prejudices,without knowing anything about the reality. I learned that Jordan is a fast-growing country with lots of potential, far less poverty than I imagined, rather clean cities, and good universities. I learned to respect the Jordanians, their way of living, their religion. (Jeroen Gunning, UK delegation to Jordan 1987, now university lecturer in International Politics)

I think I can understand how frustrating and annoying it must be for those in the Middle East to see their countries misrepresented, in the knowledge that there is nothing that they can do. (Malcolm Paine, UK delegation to Jordan 1992, now a medical doctor)

Islam was not as it is portrayed in the press - a fundamentalist and confrontational religion.We were impressed by its practicality and strength. (Peter Jones,UK delegation to Jordan 1996,now a graphic designer)

The students I met showed me that we all have the same hopes, dreams and fears. (Kamran Naqui, UK delegation to Jordan 1996, now working in Human Resources management)

It is understandable that the exchange visits have influenced the thinking and life choices of some of the participants. But as a host, I experienced the same. I was busily involved in bringing up three children and working part time in medicine,with no background knowledge of Islamic and Arab affairs.A week's visit from one of the delegates from Egypt began to change all that. I saw someone arrive, burdened by personal conflicts, and leave reconciled and at peace. I began to learn about the meaning of Islam. Another delegation came at the beginning of Ramadan and showed me the very real cost of the discipline of fasting - particularly tough during the long summer days in Scotland ! These have been unforgettable experiences and I have been privileged to have had some of the exchange students to stay in our home. (Dr Monica Spooner, Edinburgh)

Many Arab participants moved beyond the images of Britain as a colonising nation and developed a deeper understanding of the country…

I always knew that there is no one perfect society, but it was hard to cite examples when people upheld some kind of belief that Western Society is free of poverty and suffering. The trip helped me learn about some people’s misfortunes, made me value what I have and accept who I am and where I come from. It also helped me to realise that no matter how varied our backgrounds are, our humanity is essentially the same wherever we may go. (Margo Sabella, Bethlehem delegation to the UK 1997, recently completed postgraduate Media studies)

This visit opened my eyes and mind towards how Western people think. In our life, good and evil always exist and fight inside ourselves and between people too. We must unite against evil. Meetings and discussions in such visits help us to do this. I believe that we can help our new generation learn and live the good way, even in an evil world. Our Prophet Muhammad said 'Whoever sees an evil, he must change it by his hand; if he cannot, then by his word; if he cannot, then at least in his heart'. (Dr Nasir Idkaidek, Jordanian delegation to the UK 1986, now Associate Professor of Pharmacy)

I always thought of Britain as a country that colonised my country, Sudan , for more than 60 years. After my visit I realised that people in both countries could make that history a solid base for stronger relations in the future. (Dr Mahdi M Kheir Hamad Buttran, Sudanese delegation to the UK 1981, now a medical doctor in the UK)

The visit has helped me a lot in understanding Western culture, especially that of the UK . Before that opportunity, I can’t deny that I had some misconceptions about the people, their traditions and the way they look at the Muslim and Arab World. But later and through our various visits and meetings with ordinary people as well as officials, the picture got clearer, and a big part of the confusion was clarified. (Eman Ahmed Akour, Jordanian delegation to the UK 1986, now Head of the English department of Jordanian Television)

We learnt that the British have social and political problems, and are not just busy in our problems. (Basheer Khasawneh, Jordanian delegation to the UK 1990, now Assistant Professor of Medicine)

For some, the time away shed a new light on life at home. Many found the experience enabled them to view their own country from a different perspective…

You know your history and you love your country.We do not know our recent history. I want to encourage my people to love their country. This is the first time for me to get to know a Druze. (Elvir Abou Saleh, Lebanese delegation to the UK 1999, now a teacher)

I came back with more love and sense of belonging to my country, and I started feeling that it was my duty to share in improving it. (Hoda Nagib Amin, Egyptian delegation to the UK 1973, now a businesswoman)

On return I noticed how safe England is and how far from the Middle East we are. We can read about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the media, but it is still another world that we live in where, by closing the newspaper or turning off the television,we are transported back to safety. (Hugh Townsend, UK delegation to Lebanon 2000, now working in Health Policy)

Personal Benefits

Many of the participants felt they benefited personally from the programme…

I became more courageous and less shy. I learnt some techniques about applying my beliefs in daily life. (Hoda Nagib Amin, Egyptian delegation to the UK 1973)

Two weeks in Jordan have given me a far greater understanding and appreciation of Islam. As a health-care worker in an area with a largely Muslim population, this is invaluable. (Anne Harding, UK delegation to Jordan 1987, now a nurse)

For some participants the visits contributed to their personal philosophies, provoking questions about their own faith…

Personal stories of perseverance, faith and love in the face of adversity, which I heard during the visit, have become beacons for me. I met people whose lives were inspired by their faith, and who for me are proof that faith, through its believers, enriches the society in which they live. (Ronnie Graham, UK delegation to Lebanon 1997)

It was a good time for me to try and come to terms with my own beliefs . I met many people with a deep faith, both Muslims and Christians, and saw the purpose in their lives. (Malcolm Paine, UK delegation to Jordan 1992)

After the visit I felt that I could be a more valuable person. I came back more open-minded, understanding and just. Sharing with others - British and Lebanese - gave me the chance to see beyond my own society. (Roweida Salim Saleh, Lebanese delegation to the UK 1999)

Of course I have benefited a lot from the program. It was my first time away from home alone. It was the first direct challenge that I had to face. It was my first responsibility as a Jordanian citizen and woman, to shoulder and express outside of my country. It was the cornerstone for many of my later perspectives and ways of understanding others. (Eman Ahmed Akour, Jordanian delegation to the UK, 1986)

Participation in the delegations has affected the futures of many participants. For some the influence of their time away has directly affected their career choices…

After the visit I started seeing my teaching job in a vocational school as a chance to encourage changes - even slight ones - in younger generations: to make them see the importance of human bonds with people from different backgrounds and societies. (Roweida Salim Saleh, Lebanese delegation to the UK 1999)

The exchanges in context

Many participants feel strongly about the value of the exchanges in building bridges between different groups within and between nations. They emphasise the need for mutual understanding between the Arab world and the West as of utmost importance in the coming years…

I think that we benefited from meeting and learning from different people. It was also good for us Palestinians to get to know each other, as some were from different backgrounds and experiences.We had the opportunity to share some aspects of our lives with people who genuinely seemed to want to listen. (Margo Sabella, Bethlehem delegation to the UK 1997)

Now more than ever, the benefit of the exchange visits is needed.We are in need of more bonding, clearer perceptions, less prejudice, less self-indulgence - and if there is something which can achieve this on a one-to-one basis, it is these exchange visits. (Roweida Salim Saleh, Lebanese delegation to the UK, 1999)

The importance of mutual respect of faiths, which the exchanges emphasise, could offer a way of navigating through the current pervading negative ideologies. They offer the chance to understand another person's belief from his or her own perspective. (Ronnie Graham, UK delegation to Lebanon 1997)

The exchanges are needed more than ever as the realisation dawns of the true implications of what alienation and segregation could do to the world. (Dr Mahdi Hamad Buttran, Sudanese delegation to the UK 1981)

These exchanges reflect the need to establish direct links between the generations of today for the sake of tomorrow. (Mary Hatton, UK delegation to Lebanon 1997)