Sarah MacDonald
Oman Time
MUSCAT: Sixteen young Arab and European women returned to Muscat for a reception at the British Embassy yesterday after completing a desert adventure that helped them bridge cultural divides.
The women, who were from as far away as Morocco and Poland, were in Oman for Outward Bound’s ‘Connecting Cultures’ programme. They spent five days learning about each other’s countries and beliefs while riding camels and hiking through the Sharqiya Sands. “From the first second everything was really good. All in all, it was amazing. I learned to break my own stereotypes about cultures and countries,” said Rabea Leisse, an 18-year-old German high school student who was thrilled to have participated. The women had workshops in which they discussed various questions about cultural misunderstandings and values. They got to break down misconceptions they had of each other and learned to avoid stereotypes. “I’ve learnt to think more critically about things. When I hear something in the media in Germany, or read something in the newspapers, I’ll think about it more critically and reflect on what I’ve learnt here,” said Leisse. Kulthoum Al Khmaiyasi, the only Omani to complete the trek, said she hoped the European participants would leave Oman with a better understanding of Islam. In one of the sessions the women discussed stereotypes, and found that there were many. “We found that even with these stereotypes, we have shared values. If we all have these shared values, why would all these cultural misunderstandings and differences appear in the first place?” Al Khmaiyasi said. Al Khmaiyasi said each of the other women taught her something new. Although she is well-traveled and has participated in other exchange programmes, meeting the different women opened her eyes to the world even more. “It made me have a wider view on how I see things. I think the experience was fabulous and if they made it longer I wouldn’t mind,” said Al Khmaiyasi. Helen Gates, deputy head of mission at the British Embassy, hosted the reception for the women where they were presented with certificates. “We are pleased to celebrate these intrepid women who spent six days in the desert traveling by camel and on foot. They spent a lot of time talking to each other. Through those conversations they learned about each others’ cultures,” said Gates. She added that it’s important to listen to what young people have to say because they are more open-minded, tolerant and willing to embrace new things. The Connecting Cultures program, recognised by Unesco, aims to support former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s ‘Alliance of Civilizations’ vision, which was meant to unite people from different backgrounds. This was the seventh Connecting Cultures adventure to be held in Oman, and Mark Evens, founder of the programme, said each one gets better and better. “The young people, complete strangers on day one, become close friends through the experience, and many of our alumni, enthused by their experiences in Oman, have gone on to do some extraordinary things in their own communities,” said Evans. Oman has the only Outward Bounds school in the Middle East, and since it was started in 2009, over 1,300 people have participated in its programmes
.
