|
|
|
| |
| |
Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
July 12, 2005
|
|
| site design imagesparkle.com |
| March 13, 2005 |
Learning About Libya – Dr. Abdul Kader Amed Atani and Mohamed Ben Suleiman |
|
| |
 |
| Libya has a long, rich cultural heritage |
The people of Libya have a rich and varied heritage. Through centuries of colonization and rule by outside forces, they continued to maintain their own unique culture and traditions. After gaining independence in 1970, Libya was finally able to build its own national identity, free from outside influence. Today, however, many people’s image of this Mediterranean country is unfortunately more linked to its politics than its culture. Before its stop in Tripoli, Peace Boat was pleased to welcome onboard two Libyan guests who helped participants deepen their knowledge of Libya and develop a better understanding of the North-African country. |
|
|
 |
| Dr. Abdul Kader Amed Atani during his lecture on the history and culture of Libya |
Dr. Abdul Kader Amed Atani, who joined Peace Boat for the second time from Egypt to Libya, was awarded a Monbusho (Japanese Ministry of Education) scholarship to study at Tsukuba University. After receiving his PhD, he served as Libyan ambassador to Japan and is now a Professor of Social Work at El-Fateh University in Tripoli. Onboard, he gave two lectures as a guest educator in which he presented an overview of Libyan history, including the September 1st revolution and Libya’s unique system of “direct democracy”. “We have to know the truth and the real information in order to operate a real relationship and to gain a real result,” Dr. Atani told lecture attendees. “Getting wrong information gives people the wrong image about others and the result is very bad. That is why I came here today to give you the truth about my land. Then, we can discuss other ideas and come to the truth when you go there and evaluate for yourself what is true and what is false. That is the true peace in the world.” |
| |
 |
| Through exchange programs in Tripoli, participants had the opportunity to learn about Libya from Libyans |
The opportunity to hear about life in Libya from a Libyan perspective was valuable for participants, as many had only learned about Libya though the mass media, which often provides biased or incomplete information. One of the aims of Dr. Atani’s lectures was to provide participants with a point of view different from that which they are accustomed to hearing, which he hoped would help them to increase understanding between Japanese people and Libyan people. “(In books and newspapers), we can read about Libya, but we cannot hear the voice of Libya.” Dr. Atani explained. “Before I went to Japan, of course I knew it through the media. But when I went to Japan, I found it was 90% different from what I had read. When I went to Japan, I found that people gave me the power to understand Japanese, to enjoy Japanese life and to understand the Japanese heart to heart. Now I am an ambassador of Japan in Libya. I am one person; if the Peace Boat made hundreds of people like me, it means we could create peace, and good relations between countries.” |
| |
 |
| Mohamed Ben Suleiman gives a lesson in basic Arabic onboard
(photo by Yoshida Shinobu) |
In addition, Mohamed Ben Suleiman, a young Japanese-Libyan who grew up both in Japan and Libya, joined the voyage for two weeks and provided a series of workshops in Arabic language and culture. Arabic is not widely studied in Japan, and these workshops were the first introduction to the language for most attendees. Participants learned the Arabic necessary to introduce themselves, order food, and bargain with vendors, all of which they were able to use while visiting Egypt and Libya. Mohamed, or “Moha” as he was affectionately called, took a very active part in life onboard and served as a bridge between the two cultures.
“Talking with Moha, I realized that our cultures aren’t so different,” one participant commented. “Before, I never really learned about Libya. Now, I can see a lot of similarities between Japanese and Libyan culture. I hope I can return someday and learn even more about Libya.” |
| |
|
|
|
