by :: Cate
A wall
Last week the world celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. Except me. Or so I thought.
The fall of the Berlin wall holds special meaning for me because it marks a significant change in my life. Right around November 9, 1989 is when I submitted my application to be an exchange student in Germany. I so clearly remember watching the live coverage of East Germans streaming into West Berlin, all the while thinking I can’t believe I might get to live there. I did, and in fact spent the next several years living in, studying, and teaching about Germany.
Anyway. Soon after the excitement of the crumbling of the physical wall died down, people started talking about – and still talk about - die Mauer im Kopf, the wall in the mind. Mental walls can be difficult to tear down.
So, last Monday, there I was missing all of the anniversary coverage on the radio and TV because I was working out of town. At first, I was really bummed.
But then it hit me. I was in a room full of teachers who are breaking down or even preventing metal walls of ignorance, stereotypes, and disinterest in the world by intentionally teaching students about the world and other perspectives.
Suddenly, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall.
A commercial
I recently saw a Mercy Corps commercial that I just love. This past week I’ve been thinking about the Mauer im Kopf I carry around in my mind. This commercial touches on that idea by challenging the way we see people around the world. Here it is:
A week
It’s International Education Week (IEW)! A joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Education, IEW is an opportunity to celebrate international education and exchange. Schools, universities, and other organizations plan events all week – click here to see what’s happening where you live.
What are you planning to do for IEW?
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Cate, thank you so much for the Mercy Corps commercial. I believe, if we want to grow it’s so important to become aware of our personal “Mauer im Kopf”. I recently listened to a speech of the Nigerian author Chimamada Adichie with the title “The danger of a single story” which is along the same line and I now ask myself, where do I hold a single story that prevents me from seeing the complete story of a person or a place or as you said “Wo ist meine Mauer im Kopf”. This is the link to “The danger of a single story” in case you want to listen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg
Vielen Dank, Lisa
Hi Lisa, thanks for your comment and I’m glad you enjoyed the Mercy Corps commerical. Thanks for letting us know about “The danger of a single story” – I’m going to check it out!
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