Funnel 40/2, Inhalt - Fulbright-Kommission

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TITLE TOPIC
Dr. Heidi Wedel of the German Academic
Exchange Service
Volkmar Wenzel of the German Federal Foreign
Office
THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 40 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2004
Left: Panels during the morning session (from left
to right): Volkmar Wenzel, Head of Division,
Working Group for the Dialogue with the
Islamic World at the German Federal Foreign
Office, Ambassador Edward Djerejian, Richard
Schmierer, Dr. Rolf Hoffmann, and Dr. Ersin
Onulduran, Executive Director, Turkish
Fulbright Commission
Dr. Richard Schmierer
discussed his experiences in Germany. Dr.
Hoffmann asked him if he could imagine a
counterpart institution in Morocco focusing
on the Occident. Hibaoui thought that
financial difficulties would make that
unlikely in the near future.
Although a dialogue, and especially a
“trialogue,” entails a lot of talk, some excellent
recommendations did appear from the
exercise:
The American government needs to do
a better job presenting its policy in the Arab
World. It needs more Arabic speakers back
home, and it needs to engage in the debate
that is taking place in the Arab world about
U.S. policy in order to keep open dialogue
with the Arab world just as it did with
Europe after World War II.
The U.S. needs to keep opportunities
for all students from around the world to
study in the United States open. Stricter
visa regulations for foreign students are
Ambassador Edward Djerejian
understandable, but they should not keep
students from choosing the U.S. as a potential
host country in which to pursue their
study abroad programs.
Reform in democracy, human rights,
and education in the Arab world can only
come from within. Reformers can be supported
in their efforts and they ought to
be, through financial as well as other
resources such as the offering of education
exchanges. Those efforts should be coordinated
between the U.S. and Europe to be
more effective.
The media need to look at what and
how they report on the Arab world: not
only long documentaries about Islam or
life in particular cities in Muslim countries
are needed, but also quality non-stereotyped
reporting in regular newscasts that
people actually watch. Imagery is powerful
and often more so than the accompanying
texts. That needs to be considered when
broadcasting headline news from abroad.
The power of change that can be effected
by individuals through exchange programs
was made clear by the three exchange
students who spoke. Their lives were
changed through the process, and they
changed others’ lives: breaking down cultural
barriers one person at a time.