4/9/2019
by Christelle Barakat – Lebanon
Where do I begin when it comes to describing my SUSI experience?
I have been known to enjoy partaking in discussions, dialoguing and writing and yet words are now escaping me.
SUSI in my eyes can be best described as a dream. A beautiful dream that began with me being nominated by the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to partake in the program, that continued throughout the 5 weeks I spent in the U.S. and that I did not fully believe was a reality till I returned back to Lebanon and reflected upon the mesmerizing time in the land of freedom.
Majoring in Political Science and International Affairs, whilst minoring in conflict analysis and resolution, legal studies and gender studies, SUSI truly exceeded my expectations in terms of the knowledge that it has contributed towards my specializations. Indeed, it was truly an eye-opener for me as it helped me establish links between interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and peace studies, with the aforementioned being areas that I am extremely passionate about.
Furthermore, the in-class lectures, workshops, site visits and guest speakers each had something to add to my personal growth as a human being and sharpened my critical thinking skills. I have learned so many versatile elements about Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Unitarian Universalism, Baha’i and other religions within the world.
Moreover, I would have never imagined that I would be able to visit the U.S. institutions that I had studied about in books and seen in videos around a year prior to SUSI. It honestly felt surreal to be sitting in the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court and to have stood next to the national statues of the most prominent figures that have marked and shaped U.S. history.
Last but not least, each day was a new experience and each experience was abundant and unique in its own way when it came to acquiring knowledge. That said, I found inspiration all around me: in people, in monument, in the starry sky of Western North Carolina, in the Martin Luther King sites and in the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Georgia, in front of the Lincoln monument and at the Department of State in Washington D.C., in the religious monuments in Pennsylvania, at Asbury Park in New Jersey, at the top of the Empire State Building and inside the United Nations Headquarters in New York and within the United States as a whole. It is through all of these experiences that I was able to formulate my “dialogue rounds” action plan which I have been fine-tuning and creatively implementing after I got back to Lebanon.
All in all, within a state born out of multiculturalism and built based on coexistence, I got to interact with people from various beliefs, from different countries, with peers from Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, with scholars from all over the world, with brilliant staff whom I thank for their dedication and for ensuring that we felt welcomed and at home and with a host family that is wonderful beyond what words can express!
Andi, Mike, Brian, Jordan, Jake, Huner, Ken, Rebecca, Tony, Mer, Katie, Mr. Majid, Mr. Howard, Dr. Barbara, Dr. Swidler and all guest speakers, scholars, friends and inspirations that I have met: from Lebanon to the U.S., a big thank you from the heart!
