My favorite photos thus far...

You can scroll over the photos with the mouse and they'll get bigger. ;-)

Some thoughts

It's one week until the Presidential Election. That means that the number of queries (British speak for questions- see, I'm learning!) I've gotten from people about the election has dramatically increased. And I'm loving it. A civil society- the basis of a functioning society- thrives on such debate.

One of the projects I'm working on right now is research for an essay on peace education. In this essay, I'm to develop a peace education program/curricula for use in a school or community based setting, explaining what values, knowledge, and skills I'd be promoting. I was just reading an article for another class- entitled Is Gandhi Still Relevant, and I think I found a perfect starting point for the essay research. Gandhi was one who believed that humans are interdependent upon each other- people become "rational, reflective and moral human being[s] only within a rich civilisation created by scores of sages, saints, savants and scientists." Moreso, Gandhi believed we are 'born debtors' and the debts we are born with are too vast to repay. The author of the article I just read, Bhikhu Parekh, summarized Gandhi's belief nicely- essentially, people should "find profound joy in contributing to the maintenence and enrichment of both the human world and the cosmos." We can't just sit around and expect others to do all the work that must be done. The idea that we should find joy in enriching our own world is something amazingly profound, and yet incredibly simple. Something I wholeheartedly believe in. That's why I'm studying peace. That's why I want to find myself a career in which I can work with likeminded people who are changing the world every day.

I know I've mentioned this in the past, but I'll try to put a new spin on it. The study of peace is really study of the world. It's economics, it's history. It's development, and sociology. Psychology, and mathematics. It's everything. It's simple, it's complex. And Gandhi's belief that human beings are interconnected is central to the study. Any decision that one person, one group, one country makes affects another person, another group, another country. Do we all acknowledge this interconnectedness in today's society? How do we deal with it?

That's what I'm spending the day thinking about. I'm the luckiest person in the world.

Rotary District 1060 Conference Report!

I spent the last three days in Llandudno, Wales, attending the 2008 Rotary District 1060 Conference. Myself and the four other Ambassadorial Scholars in the district were invited to speak at the conference. We drove from Coventry, and it took about three hours through the beautiful English (and Welsh!) countryside. Llandudno is a resort seaside town, with amazing architecture, and amazing scenery. I walked on the beach (hooray for being around the beach again!), walked through the main street of downtown, and took a tram ride up the longest cable-hauled tramway in the UK, to the 697 foot summit of Great Orme. The wind tried hard to blow me off the summit and into the sea, but I fought back, stumbling my way through the wind and into the safety of a nearby building. There's some great photos of me with my hair standing straight up, and me trying to simply stay vertical... I'll post those as soon as I can get them. You'll enjoy it. The photo on the left is from the top, looking out to the sea. It was rainy and pretty hazy- but spectacular nonetheless. The photo below is on the trip back down, looking at the city.












As beautiful as the scenery and town were, the highlight of the trip was the content of the conference. We heard amazing speakers, learned about some great projects that Rotary clubs in the district are doing, and met many new friends. And, most importantly, we achieved our goal: getting more speaking engagements arranged! With five ambassadorial scholars, each needing to give at least 10 speeches, that's a lot to book!

I hope you enjoy the photos I've posted. I'll get more posted soon.

Back to studying. :-)

A Taste of British Politics

Yesterday evening I attended a political debate on campus as part of our "One World Week" (a celebration of diversity). The panel included a Labour counsellor, a student moderator, and a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament, Lembit Opik. The audience asked the questions, which ranged from nuclear deterrent/trident to prison reform, to engaging youth in politics and civil society, and their opinions on the US election- which evolved into a discussion of whether or not England should have a written constitution similar to that of the United States (in structure, not necessarily content). I've gotten used to my "token American" role here, and it was fascinating to hear the discussion (not really a debate, there weren't many disagreements!). Mr. Opik talked about how Americans can (and frequently do) cite their rights as enumerated in the constitution. As he said that, I smiled and in my head started reciting the bill of rights. He was right! We do have that document in the back of our minds. I spent the evening thinking about what it would be like to live in a country with no written constitution. As a Politics/Government major in college, I saw how the 'founding documents' are what we as a people rely upon to understand our country- how we came to exist, what our 'founding fathers' were fighting to create. Any study of US government will include a survey of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence... the Federalist Papers... It's the cornerstone of our country. I think may of us find the root of our pride and patriotism growing from these documents, or at least in the sentiments that they illuminate. I'm proud of them. And, while I respect the arguments that I heard last night- some in favor of, and some against the formation of a written constitution, I can't help but think that the process of creating a written constitution would be quite empowering for any country. And as the world seems to be headed into a time of 'economic downturn' (I can't bring myself use the 'R' word- though we're probably there or getting close), what's wrong with a little national empowerment?

I really enjoyed the debate last night. And I'm even more excited now for some "national empowerment" back home come election night. It's finalized- there will be an election watch party in our student bar on campus. They will have CNN International on all the TVs, and we'll have a computer with a projector to check websites. I'm bringing my computer with me, so I can check on the 26th legislative district races, and on all the races that I'm really interested in- Governor, Initiative 1000... the list goes on! Party alllll night long, and class at 9am. ;-)

A Map

It's late (almost 1am)... I've been out at a party with many of my fellow MA students, hosted by one of the PhD students from my university- a chance for us to get to know each other better.

Everyone brought food to represent their country. I brought a raspberry dessert that my mom makes sometimes (I could eat this every day and not tire of it- though, after about a week, I'm sure my clothes would begin to shrink...). It wasn't as good as she makes it, but it was pretty darn good. :-) I almost didn't have enough raspberries for it, as I started to nibble on them... mmmm. I love raspberries. :-)

I tried food from Ethiopia, Syria, England, and Britain (and I wanted to try the food from Palestine and Nepal, but I was too full!). I've got to brag a bit- I actually ate spicy food! Green curry from Thailand, to be specific. And no, I didn't cry, gasp, or have a need to chug enormous amounts of liquids afterwards (gimme a break, anyone eating something that spicy is gonna need some cool liquid to wash it down with!)

:-)

I thought it would be interesting to show you all a map of the countries represented in my programme. It's late, so I hope I didn't forget any countries... I think this is it though:

Cambridge #2

Whoops! Forgot two things in my last posting. First: As you'll see in one of the photos in my "Cambridge" entry below, yes, autumn (language lesson: the season is not "fall") is in full swing. The reds and yellows on the trees are beautiful!

And two: I hate my parents. For those who aren't on facebook and therefore haven't heard, they met several members of the Coral Reefers, the band for my absolute most favorite singer of all time, Jimmy Buffett. They met them in an elevator in California before a Buffett concert that my parents flew down there to attend. And can you believe it, no photo? Geesh. I apparently still have much to teach them. (never heard of Jimmy Buffett before? Shame. Shame on you. Check this out-it'll change your life for the better: www.margaritaville.com). :-)

Cambridge

I started my day early today- visiting the Coventry Breakfast Rotary Club. It was so nice to attend a Rotary meeting on a Friday morning again! (that's when my sponsor club meets). Thanks to everyone at the club for offering such a warm welcome. I really enjoyed the speakers- who came to talk about Coventry's ties to the Gunpowder Plot! If you, like me before this morning, did not remember way back to world history class and the details of the Gunpowder Plot, check here- it's an interesting story: gunpowder plot

I look forward to spending more time with the Breakfast club (and other clubs nearby) in the future, and speaking with you about my home, and the programme I'm in here in Coventry! Unfortunately, I had to leave today's meeting early... but fortunately, the reason was that I was off to Cambridge to play tourist once again!

There are no words to describe how beautiful the city is. I enjoyed it much more than Oxford. That may be in part because I went punting in Cambridge! I actually got to participate in a water sport! No, I didn't try actually making the boat go- we hired a guide. And it was much better that way, for two reasons: 1) I didn't fall into the water, and 2) We learned more about the colleges that we were passing with an experienced guide. Well worth the money!

But, to start from the beginning... The first thing we did after the hour and a half bus ride was head to the Fitzwilliam Museum. The photo you'll see to the left is the lobby, which is the only room we could take photos. I wish I could have stayed here all day. I wouldn't be surprised if this was considered the best art museum in England outside of London. There were three large floors with galleries ranging from British, French, Spanish, Italian art of the 14th-20th centuries, and Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Japanese, Korean... It would probably take more than a day to see it all. But I was there for three paintings. Can you guess the artist??? A hint: their titles were: Le Printemps (Springtime); Rocks at Port-Coton; and The Rock Needle and Port d' Aval. Give up? They were all painted by Monet, my favorite artist. I was especially looking forward to seeing the vibrant colors of Le Printemps. Monet's work as always come alive in my imagination, moreso than any other painter. Especially his work with water lilies, and the footbridge. But Le Printemps was just as powerful to me as seeing the his famous Le Bassin aux nympheas, or the Footbridge, as this humble, non French-speaking American refers to it. That footbridge is an image I'll always consider the most beautiful painting in the world. I cannot wait to get to Giverny and see it myself. But, getting back to my original point- Le Printemps was very vibrant and alive in its own right. Two women, sitting on grass, with amazing trees surrounding them. Wonderful! By the way, the photo to the left isn't of the museum. I am fairly certain it's Trinity College. We were walking down a very narrow row on our way to punting, and a small door led us to this. I loved how the arch framed the photo.

If you would have asked me several years ago if I'd be pursuing a MA degree in the future, I'd have probably laughed and said that I'd never be able to do that. I'm not 'book smart.' I have to work twice as hard (willingly!) to remember things like many people can. And I bet many of the people reading this had no idea. I hide it well. I have such a strong desire to learn, and wish academic study would come easier for me. But I feel like, in the last few days or so, I've hit my groove. I feel very comfortable in my programme (and some of my British spelling!), and I assume that means I've found the right school and the right subject. I really look forward to my classes, and to what I'll learn next. So, today, when I stepped into the Wren Library (Trinity College), all I could think about was how wonderful it would be if I could continue my education past this MA degree. There aren't many places that I've seen where I've been so awe-struck that I have literally stopped walking, talking, even thinking to absorb my new surroundings. It has happened at Fenway Park (doesn't everyone get that their first time there?), and I get that feeling for a few brief seconds every time I sit in my seats at Cheney Stadium. Oh, and I got it when I first visited Monticello, and every time I see a Monet painting in person. But that's it! Today, as I walked into that library, time seemed to stop. The smell of the old books was overwhelming. More so than just a 'plain ole' old book store. This was more collegiate. There were busts everywhere of people like Socrates. I saw original writings of Sir Issac Newton (also walked by where he clapped his hands to measure the speed of sound!), Milton, Byron, Tennison- and the original manuscript of Winnie the Pooh! Oh- and also the first English translation of the bible in movable type. It was absolutely amazing. If only I could study there. You have to see what this place looks like. It's only open to visitors two hours each day. If you can't make it here in person, check out the photo here (I wasn't allowed to take a photo of my own): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wren_Library,_Cambridge

The other place I visited, per the recommendation of Mr. Rick Steves, travel-writer extraordinaire (I'm really, really, really happy to have bought his guide books- his advice has been spot-on thus far!), was Kings College Chapel. We can categorize this chapel as yet another incredible piece of architecture that I wish we had in the US. I'm always prepared to be amazed by churches here, and this one, built from 1446-1515 certainly did not disappoint. Yet another awe-struck moment when I entered- just taking in the immense size and the detailed work on the ceilings. Then, I turned my head and saw all the amazing stained glass. It was so ornate- like looking at photographs. Everything felt surreal, and it probably took me a few minutes to realize that someone was playing the organ- which made the church come alive. The organ is in the middle of the church, and is very beautiful itself. As you pass under the organ, you walk through the Choir, with its stunning oak work. As you look towards the east and what I would call the 'front' of the church, you see the phenomenal "Adoration of the Magi," painted by in 1634 by Rubens. It is a huge piece of art- must be at least eight feet across and ten feet high. If not bigger. It fills a commanding space behind the alter. The colors are still very rich.

That was my day in Cambridge. A good day. :-)

Back from London!

I'm back in Coventry now after a four-day weekend in London! It was my first trip to the city, marking my first full month abroad. It's hard to imagine that I've been here an entire month already. That means I'm 1/14 of the way to my masters degree. Wow. Make time go slower, please? So much to see, so little time to see it in!

On Friday I took the train from Coventry to London Euston, which takes just over an hour (and costs more than $40 US with my student discount- ouch!). There I was met by Sherrie, my godmother, who has lived in the London area for a few year now. She and Jim, my godfather, were my hosts for the weekend. Sherrie was my London tour guide, taking me on a sightseeing bus to get my bearings in the city. We saw most of the 'big' sights, from Westminster Abbey, to Parliament, to Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, Big Ben... And we took a ride on the London Eye, which is, in my expert opinion, the best way to see the city. :-) It was amazing. It looks tall from the ground, but from the top- it's really, really, really tall!

Sherrie and I met up with Jim for dinner and then we went to see the Noel Coward play "Brief Encounters." It was wonderful. The actors were great- I really enjoyed their singing, and the way they combined video with the live acting was really interesting. And the story itself is a great one. For more: http://www.seebriefencounter.com/

On Saturday we took a scenic drive and ended up at Waddesdon Manor, a home built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the late 1800s. It's now a part of the National Trust (think National Park-like organization). I'm now a National Trust member, so I can get into any of the more than 300 National Trust sites. Seen the movie "The Queen"? some of the interior was filmed here, and some garden shots. More: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-waddesdonmanor.htm

Saturday afternoon brought us to a small pub very near the windmill seen in the movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" as the workshop for Caractacus Potts. We sat in the very quiet country yard, sipping our drinks, and looking up the hill at the windmill. It was great!

That night I had my first fish and chips here in England. Mmmm! Yummy. And oh, the cider. Mmm, good. I love cider here. :-)

Sunday Sherrie and I went for another drive. This time, we saw William Penn's grave, a barn made out of wood from the Mayflower, The Burnham Beeches (amazingly beautiful woodlands), Cliveden (another National Trust property- the rich and famous used to frequent here, including the Astors)... and, here's the most exciting: Sainsburys! For those not familiar with all things England, Sainsburys is a grocery store. You don't know how excited I was to go in a "real" sized grocery store! The ones I can walk to in Coventry are small, and don't have a huge selection. And I needed two things: athletic tape (for blister prone toes), and color magnets (so I can wash white and black clothes together saving money doing laundry). Hooray, Sainsburys to the rescue. :-)

It was an amazing weekend, thanks in very large part to Sherrie and Jim!!! Three cheers for godparents who live in cool places. :-) I'll be heading back to their house for Thanksgiving in a few weeks, and Christmas, too!

I'll try to get some more photos up soon.

Another dose of Peace education

Well, it's the end of Week 2 of classes. And no, I'm not behind, or feeling (totally) overwhelmed. In fact, I'm a week ahead in my reading. And I've volunteered to give a presentation next week. Yep, me who hates throwing herself out there for fear that I'll mess up or say something wrong. Prepared speeches are ok. I'm off to London tomorrow morning to spend four days with my godparents- which means four days with no serious speech prep time. So I worked all evening researching the assigned topic: Are women more peaceful than men? One woman (me!) and one man from the class are each giving 5 minute presentations on that topic next week. No women were volunteering in class, so I put myself out there. I've read four journal articles since class ended at 5pm (yep, in 3.5 hours I've been pretty productive!).

I'm one of "those" women who feels that the long-ago proposed "Equal Rights" amendment is a waste of time and energy. I don't feel women need or deserve any special treatment. I'm a smart woman, and will ensure that I'm treated fairly. I don't want or need special protection. Does that sound ignorant or elitist? I hope not (well, elitism isn't such a bad thing after all- intellect should be admired). You're probably wondering- how does this relate to the assigned topic? Well, here's how: I don't like it when people assume that because you are one thing or another that you have such-and-such capabilities. A real-life example from today: I ordered a vegetarian pizza for lunch today. Different places serve different things on veggie pizza. I had no idea what I'd get for toppings (it's late- forgive me for comparing women to pizza. But hey, it kind of works). You never know what you're gonna get. People are unique. I don't like classifications.

So, when I began reading this evening, the first article talked about how women have special abilities in peace building simply because they are capable of being mothers. And I wrote furiously in the margins- things like "is this author nuts?" and "NO! Wrong!" and "I'm OFFENDED by that!" Hahaha. Great way to start a project. Everyone is their own person, with their own values, beliefs, and upbringings. I think anyone has the capacity to succeed in whatever they try. The question remains, though- are there situations in peace building where women have an advantage? Perhaps. Should they? No way.

I'd welcome your thoughts--- are women more peaceful than men?

Photos

I've been asked for photos from several people, and rather than emailing them out, I put them together in an album online. Not all the photos I've taken, as I'm sure you'd be quite bored. But a selection of what I've been doing the last three weeks. There you'll find Windsor Castle (my first day in England!), Coventry, Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham, Leamington Spa, more Stratford, and a bit of the Cotswolds. I'm off to London next weekend, and will get those photos up when I'm back. 

You can find a permanent link to my photos in the links section to the right...  Look for "Hannah's Photos"  http://picasaweb.google.com/hannah.kali.johnson/EnglandSeptemberOctober2008# 

Back to reading in the rain... it's a beautiful day in England. ;-) 

A Taste of Peace Education

Well, I've officially survived my first days of class. I have three classes: Research Methods, Key Issues in Peace and Reconciliation Studies (KIPRS for short), and Theories and Practice of Conflict Transformation. That's a full 50 credits for the semester (yes, it's a very different system here than what I'm used to!). 

I figured I'd use tonight's blog posting to give you all a basic introduction to the field of peace studies. Whenever someone asks what I'm studying, whether it be here or in the US, I always get the same, somewhat dumbfounded look back at me when I say "Peace!"  The typical response is something like: "I didn't know you could study that!" Most people don't know that it is a real, legitimate field of study. 

So, what is peace? How do you define it? Do you think of peace as the absence of war? How about the absence of violence? When you think of violence, do you think of only physical violence, or do you think of things like psychological violence? How about poverty, and its effects upon certain groups in world society? The study of peace asks these sorts of questions.

Why am I studying peace? Well, for that, you must learn some terminology. Back in the '60s, a giant in the field of peace studies coined the terms Positive Peace, and Negative Peace. No, it's not a happy/sad type of positive/negative.   Negative peace is simply the absence of war. So, when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end (very soon I hope), the US will be in a state of "negative peace." Positive peace is where my interests begin. It would be a great day to have an absence of war. But it would be an even greater day to have an absence of war alongside equality, quality and accessible healthcare and education for all, housing for all, food for all. It is in this world of social justice that positive peace is attained. 

I'm often told that such a world is utopia- a fantasy that will never be achieved. But to those naysayers, I respond that peace, especially positive peace, is a process. And we all must do our part to contribute to this important world-wide process. We don't all have to be working on bringing peace to the Middle East and other areas in strife. But we should all be working on fostering peace in our own communities, in the simple form of participation in community events, working to solve local problems, or even just educating yourself. You see, the study of peace is an intellectual process. The more we know, the more we can share with others. The more we know, the greater chance we will learn from our past mistakes to create a better future for coming generations. 

This is not an easy task, nor an easy topic of study. And I'm honored to be able to spend a year of my life thinking about it, participating in it, and being able to take this new knowledge back home where it is so desperately needed. We have many, many, many domestic problems to solve in the US. We have way too many people without access to health care. We have way too many people graduating from high school without basic skills in reading and math. We have way too many people staying home on election day, not believing that they have a say in the way their country is run. This needs to change. And I don't even want to get started talking about all the things to be worked on in US foreign policy... 

I hope you enjoyed Peace Studies 101. Stay tuned for future lessons.