Author Archives: ld-sylff

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投稿者 : ld-sylff

Sylff@Tokyo: Fletcher’s Multinational Focus on Meeting Global Challenges

October 16, 2024

The Sylff Association secretariat was delighted to welcome two distinguished visitors from Tufts University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy on October 10.

Newly appointed dean of the Fletcher School Kelly Sims Gallagher and Tufts University Vice President for Development Sara Judge met with Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research President Izumi Kadono and members of the Sylff Association secretariat staff.

The history of the Sylff program began with the Fletcher School at Tufts University when it became the very first institution to receive a Sylff endowment in 1987. To date it has produced many outstanding fellows who have gone on to illustrious careers.

Examples include Amal Jadou, newly appointed Palestinian ambassador to the European Union; Jan Havranek, the deputy chief of mission at the Czech Republic Embassy in the United States who has been engaged in NATO coordination in Washington, DC; and Kaddu Sebunya, who as CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation is rallying the continent’s leaders to fight against the destruction of valuable habitats and wildlife.

Other recent fellows include Seth Owusu-Mante, who is working on renewable energy in Africa, and Bethany Christine Tietjen, who is involved in climate adaptation policy.

Gallagher noted that about one-third of Fletcher graduates go into private business—including social entrepreneurship—another third into the government sector, and the remaining third into intergovernmental organizations like the UN and the World Bank and also global nonprofits.

“This year we have seventy-five countries represented in the student body at Fletcher,” Gallagher noted. “It’s like a microcosm of the whole world, with there being many different perspectives in the classroom. This has an impact on their leadership style, and it’s very healthy in promoting cultural awareness. Our alumni are very comfortable working globally.”

Fletcher is also unique in not only offering fellowships but also supporting internships for Sylff fellows. “Internships can be very powerful for the students because they’ll have a chance to experiment with different careers and different types of organizations, so this is very much appreciated. We find that the students benefit a lot from ‘experiential education,’ where they have an opportunity to learn on the job and take new risks without having to make a permanent commitment.”

The Sylff Association secretariat is very grateful for the visit from the Fletcher School and hopes to continue working closely with the institution to promote leadership development among current and graduated fellows.

(From left) Program Officer Konatsu Furuya, Director Keita Sugai, President Izumi Kadono, Dean Kelly Sims Gallagher, Vice President for Development Sara Judge, and English Editor Nozomu Kawamoto.

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投稿者 : ld-sylff

Behavioral Disorders in the Digital Age

October 9, 2024
By 31442

The internet has become an integral part of our lives, offering both connection and entertainment. Ákos Arató (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 2024) points out, however, that deepening reliance on tech has led to concerning behavioral addictions, prompting research into their psychological impacts.

* * *

The ubiquitous and growing use of the internet, along with other digital tools, has brought about radical changes in society, making online devices an indispensable part of our lives. Over the past decade, in particular, the internet has gained a more prominent place in many areas of our lives as a fast and easy way of connecting with others, as a source of entertainment, and as a provider of instant answers to the challenges of everyday life. With smartphones now in everyone’s pocket, people can access a wealth of content that gives us positive feedback and offers respite from the difficulties of everyday life.

At the same time, the high functionality of the internet can, depending on personal disposition, easily lead to disorders similar to behavioral and substance addictions, such as problematic internet use (PIU) (Young, 1998), problematic smartphone use (Panova & Carbonell, 2018), and problematic social media use (Hou et al., 2019).

Nearly 68% of the world’s population uses the internet on a daily basis; in many European countries, this figure exceeds 90% (Iceland 100%, Norway 98%, Denmark 96%, United Kingdom 95%, Germany 94%). In Asia, almost 97% of the population in South Korea has access to the internet, while the figure in China is nearly 70%. The fastest growth in internet use over the last decade, though, has been in the developing countries of Africa (Mali 60%, Cameroon 33%) (World Stats, 2023).

As for mobile devices, nearly 80% of people around the world have a device that enables them to stay connected online, and more than 50% believe that access to the internet is an essential part of their daily lives (Fuchs et al., 2018). It is currently estimated that 6% of the world’s population is affected by PIU (Hull & Proulx, 2022), which suggests that these disorders are considered a new and relatively fast-growing mental health concern.

In the light of the prevalence of digital devices and the growth in disorders related to their use, I have chosen to focus my research on internet use, and more specifically, the impact of PIU on psychological well-being, psychological functioning, and underlying neurobehavioral functions.

Some people have compulsive thoughts about their internet-related activities.

Psychological Consequences of PIU

PIU is frequently defined as a form of behavioral addiction (Brand et al., 2016). PIU includes the uncontrolled use of the internet, obsessive thinking about it, or the neglect of other activities, such as daily chores, work, and social life (Demetrovics et al., 2008). All addictions have both psychological and physical characteristics, and PIU is no exception. The physical symptoms occur mostly during the withdrawal phase, while the psychological symptoms, such as anxiety, appear in the absence of the object of the behavioral disorder.

As a behavioral addiction, PIU is best understood through psychological symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, interpersonal problems, sleep deprivation, compulsive behaviors, low self-esteem, and emotional distress (Mihajlov & Vejmelka, 2017). When problematic users are prevented from engaging in their addictive activities for any reason, they experience various emotional withdrawal symptoms. More impulsive, aggressive, and compulsive behavioral reactions are also not uncommon (Park et al., 2014). This is not surprising, as withdrawal symptoms are generally accompanied by low self-control.

In addition, many researchers have found that problematic users are unable to regulate their emotional reactions (Caplan, 2010), which not only results in poor emotion regulation strategies but also affects their ability to cope with behavioral difficulties. Behavioral disorders like PIU can thus easily develop in the absence of adequate self-control and emotional regulation (Brand et al., 2016).

In terms of psychological disorders, it is generally agreed that there is a positive relationship between depressive symptom levels and internet use (Andreassen et al., 2016) and a negative relationship between heavy use of social networking sites and self-esteem (Malik & Khan, 2015). Heavy internet use can have negative consequences for individuals’ personality and social life (Griffiths, 2014) and can also lead to difficulties in work and academic performance.

However, it is important to note that the direction of the relationship between social media and various psychological outcomes is often unclear. It is possible that an individual’s depressive and anxious nature contributes to spending more time on social networking sites, while the reverse can also be true (L. Y. Lin et al., 2016). The fact that individuals’ prior psychological distress can be considered a risk factor for PIU may provide some explanation for this dichotomy. Of course, problematic internet and social media use may also increase the level of prior distress and contribute to the likelihood of depression onset (Gámez-Guadix et al., 2015).

Brand’s Model on the Development and Maintence of Internet-Use Disorders

Note: Bold arrows represent the main pathways of the addiction process.

Functional Brain Alterations and Future Directions in PIU

Several studies, moreover, have been conducted to investigate the effects of PIU on various cognitive functions (Weinstein, 2022). These studies have mainly used functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the underlying neural alterations behind cognitive functions in PIU.

These studies found structural and functional alterations in the brain’s reward (Altbäcker et al., 2016), executive (Darnai et al., 2019), inhibitory control (Dong et al., 2012), language (Darnai et al., 2022), social (Arató et al., 2023), and default mode (Darnai et al., 2019) systems, which were associated with reduced cognitive and executive control, diminished attentional processes, and impaired emotion regulation.

Altered functioning of executive and cognitive control functions are prerequisites for the development and maintenance of addictive disorders(Brand et al., 2016). And a decline in cognitive control functions and emotional regulation is a common phenomenon across different addictions.

Given these higher-level brain alterations, I believe it is important to explore what other higher-order functions might be associated with PIU. Therefore, for many years, the main theme of my research has been to investigate different psychological states and their possible neurological underpinnings in young adults with PIU.

Previous studies in which I have been engaged have confirmed the altered functioning of inhibitory and default systems in the brain (Darnai et al., 2019). And we have shown for the first time that social cognitive functions (the recognition of emotional facial expressions) and the underlying neural functions are associated with PIU levels in young adults (Arató et al., 2023).

In my present study, I am investigating mental fatigue in individuals with PIU. Long-term fatigue is a common symptom in addictions and is often reported by those diagnosed with PIU (Bachleda & Darhiri, 2018). The extent of PIU, moreover, has an independent effect on the level of perceived long-term mental fatigue (S. C. Lin et al., 2013). Spending a lot of time online and being constantly fed internet-related cues may lead to permanent fatigue in daily and professional life and could result in higher safety risks (Nachreiner, 2001), occupational issues (Williamson et al., 2011), and traffic accidents (Zeller et al., 2020).

Due to the lack of studies in this area, I would like to fill the gap in the scientific literature and provide a scientifically based foundation for appropriate preventive and therapeutic methods to reduce the amount of long-term and task-induced fatigue caused by PIU and thereby increase the psychological well-being of individuals.

References

Altbäcker, A., Plózer, E., Darnai, G., Perlaki, G., Horváth, R., Orsi, G., Nagy, S. A., Bogner, P., Schwarcz, A., Kovács, N., Komoly, S., Clemens, Z., & Janszky, J. (2016). Problematic internet use is associated with structural alterations in the brain reward system in females. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 10(4), 953–959. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-015-9454-9.

Andreassen, C. S., Billieux, J., Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., Demetrovics, Z., Mazzoni, E., & Pallesen, S. (2016). The relationship between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 30(2), 252–262. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000160.

Arató, Á., Nagy, S. A., Perlaki, G., Orsi, G., Szente, A. T., Kis-Jakab, G., Áfra, E., Alhour, H. A., Kovács, N., Janszky, J., & Darnai, G. (2023). Emotional face expression recognition in problematic Internet use and excessive smartphone use: Task-based fMRI study. Scientific Reports, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-27172-0.

Bachleda, C., & Darhiri, L. (2018). Internet Addiction and Mental and Physical Fatigue. The International Technology Management Review, 7(1), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.2991/itmr.7.1.3.

Brand, M., Young, K. S., Laier, C., Wölfling, K., & Potenza, M. N. (2016). Integrating psychological and neurobiological considerations regarding the development and maintenance of specific Internet-use disorders: An Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 71, 252–266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.033.

Caplan, S. E. (2010). Theory and measurement of generalized problematic Internet use: A two-step approach. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(5), 1089–1097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.03.012.

Darnai, G., Perlaki, G., Zsidó, A. N., Inhóf, O., Orsi, G., Horváth, R., Nagy, S. A., Lábadi, B., Tényi, D., Kovács, N., Dóczi, T., Demetrovics, Z., & Janszky, J. (2019). Internet addiction and functional brain networks: task-related fMRI study. Scientific Reports, 9, 15777. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-52296-1.

Darnai, G., Perlaki, G., Orsi, G., Arató, Á., Szente, A., Horváth, R., Áfra, E., Nagy, S. A., Kovács, N., Dóczi, T., & Janszky, J. (2022). Language processing in Internet use disorder: Task-based fMRI study. Plos One, 17(6), e0269979. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269979.

Demetrovics, Z., Szeredi, B., & Rózsa, S. (2008). The three-factor model of Internet addiction: The development of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire. Behavior Research Methods, 40(2), 563–574. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.2.563.

Dong, G., DeVito, E. E., Du, X., & Cui, Z. (2012). Impaired inhibitory control in “internet addiction disorder”: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 203(2–3), 153–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.02.001.

Fuchs, M., Riedl, D., Bock, A., Rumpold, G., & Sevecke, K. (2018). Pathological Internet Use—An Important Comorbidity in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Prevalence and Correlation Patterns in a Naturalistic Sample of Adolescent Inpatients. BioMed Research International, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1629147.

Gámez-Guadix, M., Calvete, E., Orue, I., & Las Hayas, C. (2015). Problematic Internet use and problematic alcohol use from the cognitive-behavioral model: A longitudinal study among adolescents. Addictive Behaviors, 40, 109–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.09.009.

Griffiths, M. D. (2014). Internet Addiction Disorder and Internet Gaming Disorder Are Not the Same. Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy, 05(04). https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-6105.1000e124.

Hou, Y., Xiong, D., Jiang, T., Song, L., & Wang, Q. (2019). Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention. Cyberpsychology, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2019-1-4.

Hull, M., & Proulx, D. A. (2022). Internet addiction facts and statistics. Umatilla, FL: The Recovery Village.

Lin, L. Y., Sidani, J. E., Shensa, A., Radovic, A., Miller, E., Colditz, J. B., Hoffman, B. L., Giles, L. M., & Primack, B. A. (2016). Association between Social Media Use and Depression among U.S. Young Adults. Depression and Anxiety, 33(4), 323–331. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22466.

Lin, S. C., Tsai, K. W., Chen, M. W., & Koo, M. (2013). Association between fatigue and Internet addiction in female hospital nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(2), 374–383. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2012.06016.x.

Malik, S., & Khan, M. (2015). Impact of facebook addiction on narcissistic behavior and Self-Esteem among students. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275716907.

Mihajlov, M., & Vejmelka, L. (2017). Internet addiction: A review of the first twenty years. Psychiatria Danubina, 29(3), 260–272.

Nachreiner, F. (2001). Time on Task Effects on Safety. Journal of Human Ergology, 30(1-2), 97–102.

Panova, T., & Carbonell, X. (2018). Is smartphone addiction really an addiction? Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(2), 252–259. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.7.2018.49.

Park, S., Kang, M., & Kim, E. (2014). Social relationship on problematic Internet use (PIU) among adolescents in South Korea: A moderated mediation model of self-esteem and self-control. Computers in Human Behavior, 38, 349–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.06.005.

Weinstein, A. (2022). Problematic Internet usage: Brain imaging findings. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101209.

Williamson, A., Lombardi, D. A., Folkard, S., Stutts, J., Courtney, T. K., & Connor, J. L. (2011). The link between fatigue and safety. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 43(2), 498–515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2009.11.011.

Young, K. S. (1998). Internet Addiction: The Emergence of a New Clinical Disorder. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 1(3), 237–244. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.1998.1.237.

Zeller, R., Williamson, A., & Friswell, R. (2020). The effect of sleep-need and time-on-task on driver fatigue. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 74, 15–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2020.08.001.

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The Impact of Terrorist Attacks on Tourism Arrivals and Income

October 1, 2024
By 30654

There has long been a correlation between terrorism and tourism, as terrorist attacks can reduce tourist arrivals at certain destinations until the unrest subsides. Farhad Nazir (University of Coimbra, 2022) undertook a study on the impact of terrorism on tourism arrivals and income by analyzing 30 years of data. This Voices article is based on a book chapter that was originally published in the Research Handbook on Tourism, Complexity and Uncertainty.

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Analyzing the Global Terrorism Database (START, 2022) provides evidence that almost every country in the world has experienced terrorist attacks. Since the second half of the twentieth century, terrorism has become a method of armed, institutionalized, and geographically widespread conflict (Seabra, 2019). There has been a proliferation of armed conflict in recent years, with the most influential phenomenon for geopolitical change being terrorism (Cutter, Richardson, & Wilbanks, 2003). Since the late 1960s, terrorist attacks have become more brutal and violent, far more organized, and geographically disseminated (Reisinger & Mavondo, 2005). International and domestic terrorism (perpetrated by national or international groups) have become a fact of modern life since the 1980s.

The impact of terrorism on the economy and society has been extensively documented in the literature on tourism (Blomberg, Hess, & Orphanides, 2004; Crain & Crain, 2006; Enders & Sandler, 1996; Krueger & Maleckova, 2003; Llussá & Tavares, 2007). Researchers in the 1980s predicted a substantial increase in terrorist attacks in the future, speculating that terrorist groups would continue to select vulnerable targets, attacks would become more indiscriminate, and terrorism would become more institutionalized and geographically widespread as a method of armed conflict (Atkinson, Sandler, & Tschirhart, 1987).

By attacking tourism targets, terrorist organizations gain publicity and achieve strategic and ideological goals by attracting attention to their message of opposition (Seabra, 2019). This unhappy match and the embedded dimensions and consequences for tourism demand and supply have been exhaustively contemplated in academic research since the 1980s. There has long been a close link between terrorism and tourism, but a number of high-profile attacks have brought a paradigm shift in demand and supply of the tourism system (Avraham, 2020).

Terrorist organizations appear to have become mainly focused on communicating a message to the largest possible audience: the 1972 attack during the Munich Olympics reached an audience of 800 million viewers (Schmid & De Graaf, 1982); the kidnapping of the Achille Lauro cruise ship in 1985 attracted global attention for weeks; and 9/11 in New York in 2001 showed the world that terrorists were willing to attack defenseless civilians in pursuing their objectives.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum, located at the site of the former World Trade Center in New York. ©Chris Hepburn / Getty Images

My research focuses on the impact of terrorism events on the tourism industry. Specifically, I analyzed how the number of terrorist events over the past 30 years (1991–2019), retrieved from the Global Terrorism Database (START, 2022), has impacted tourism income and arrivals in various regions, as classified by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): North Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; North, South, and Central America; the Caribbean; Northeast, South, and Southeast Asia and Oceania; Northern, Central/Eastern, Southern/Mediterranean Europe; Western Europe; and the Middle East. Using a Pearson correlation coefficient and a linear regression method, I measured the impact of terrorism events on tourist arrivals and tourism income generation for each UNWTO region.

Positive and Negative Impacts

For this study I worked with colleagues Claudia Seabra, assistant professor at the University of Coimbra, and Sunil Tewari, assistant professor at the Central University of Kerala. The study was empirical in nature, conducted through both qualitative and quantitative methods. To examine the association between terrorism events (predictor variable) and tourist arrivals and tourism income (outcome variables), a Pearson correlation coefficient was used. In the context of this study, terrorism events were regarded as independent variables and tourist arrivals as a dependent variable. Further, with the help of a linear regression method, the impact of terrorism events on tourist arrivals and tourism income was measured separately.

Terrorism is a serious, global concern for both domestic and cross-border tourism, which has been subject to immense and lasting impacts. Our analysis of the impact of terrorism events over the last 30 years in the UNWTO regions indicates that there have been both positive and negative impacts on tourist arrivals. In regions like South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Northeast Asia, Oceania, Southern/Mediterranean Europe, and Western Europe, the number of tourists decreased significantly. Conversely, in regions such as North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, North America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Northern Europe, Central/Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, the number of tourists increased.

Similarly, tourism income significantly decreased due to terrorism events in such regions as South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Northeast Asia, Oceania, Southern/Mediterranean Europe, and Western Europe, whereas in regions like North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, North America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Northern Europe, Central/Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, tourism income increased from 1991 to 2019.

Key Insights

This study offers several insights that have theoretical, academic, and institutional implications. Theoretically, we have corroborated the link between terrorist attacks and fluctuations in tourist arrivals and income. On the academic discourse front, this study has identified important dimensions and perspectives in envisaging the statistical variances, nature, and consequences of terrorist attacks. And for institutions and legal entities, both public and private, this endeavor has identified the key grey areas that need to be emphasized prior to, during, and after terrorist incidents.

Tourism destinations need to readdress conventional crisis management plans and blueprints, as existing institutional frameworks, governance legislation, and environmental landscapes may be inadequate to cope with fluctuating global conditions. The empirical results of this study suggest that a surge of terrorism events significantly impacts tourist arrivals and tourism income for a short duration. But after some time passes, tourists are even more curious to explore such destinations. International tourist arrivals will decline in the long run compared to domestic tourists, since international tourists want to avoid any kind of risk in their travel plans. In destinations affected by terrorism, governments and tourism organizations need to address safety measures and build marketing and promotion plans to reclaim their natural tourism markets.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge that this research received support from the Centre of Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning in Portugal, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology, and from the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research.

References

Atkinson, S., Sandler, T., & Tschirhart, J. (1987). Terrorism in a Bargaining Framework. Journal of Law and Economics, 30(1), 1–21.

Avraham, E. (2020). Combating Tourism Crisis following Terror Attacks: Image Repair Strategies for European Destinations since 2014. Current Issues in Tourism, 24(8), 1079–1092.

Blomberg, S., Hess, G., & Orphanides, A. (2004). The Macroeconomic Consequences of Terrorism. Journal of Monetary Economics, 51, 1007–1032.

Crain, N., & Crain, W. (2006). Terrorized Economies. Public Choice, 128, 317–349.

Cutter, S., Richardson, D. & Wilbanks, T. (2003). The Geographical Dimensions of Terrorism. New York: Routledge.

Enders, W., & Sandler, T. (1996). Terrorism and Foreign Direct Dnvestment in Spain and Greece. Kyklos, 49, 331–352.

Krueger, A., & Maleckova, J. (2003). Education, Poverty and Terrorism: Is There a Causal Connection? Journal of Economic Perspectives, 17(4), 119–144.

Llussá, F., & Tavares, J. (2007). Economics and Terrorism: What We Know, What We Should Know and the Data We Need. In P. Keefer & N. Loayza (eds), Terrorism, Economic Development, and Political Openness (pp. 233–254). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Reisinger, Y., & Mavondo, F. (2005). Travel Anxiety and Intentions to Travel Internationally: Implications of Travel Risk Perception. Journal of Travel Research, 43(3), 212–225.

Schmid, A. P. & De Graaf, J. (1982). Violence as Communication. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Seabra, C. (2019). Terrorism and Tourism Revisited. In A. Correia, A. Fyall, & M. Kozak (eds), Experiential Consumption and Marketing in Tourism: A Cross-Cultural Context (pp. 57–75). Oxford: Goodfellow Publishers.

START (University of Maryland National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism) (2022). Global Terrorism Database. https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/.

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投稿者 : ld-sylff

Sofia Fellow Supervises Bulgaria’s First Summer School of Ancient Near Eastern Studies

September 24, 2024

The first Summer School of Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Bulgaria was held from August 26 to 30, 2024, in Sofia. Supervised by Zozan Tarhan, a 2020 Sylff fellowship recipient at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” the program was held at the Regional History Museum Sofia and featured guest lecturer Priv.-Doz. Sebastian Fink of the University of Innsbruck, an expert on the language, literature, and ıntellectual history of the ancient Near East.

Program participants listen to a lecture on ancient Mesopotamia. ©Mario Filipov

More than 20 people from different countries took part in the program. Students, alumni, and researchers from Sofia University were joined by those from the New Bulgarian University, the University of Plovdiv, the University of Veliko Tarnovo, the University of Oxford, the Free University of Berlin, the University of Göttingen, the University of Amsterdam, and the National University of Kyiv, who were all eager to learn more about ancient Mesopotamia.

The Summer School offered basic knowledge about the field of ancient Near Eastern studies, also known as Assyriology. Participants received philological introductions to the basics of Akkadian and Sumerian—two of the world’s most ancient languages—worked with cuneiform texts, and were introduced to the history, culture, and religion of ancient Mesopotamia.

The program comprised intensive courses introducing ancient Near Eastern studies (S. Fink and Z. Tarhan), Akkadian (Z. Tarhan), Sumerian (S. Fink), religion in ancient Mesopotamia (S. Fink and Z. Tarhan), and archaeology of the ancient Near East (Z. Tarhan).

The Summer School was an outgrowth of Tarhan’s endeavors to develop a center for Assyriology and ancient Near Eastern studies in Bulgaria, both for study and research. Following the model of other international intensive and summer programs, Tarhan held the first intensive course in Akkadian on August 21–25, 2023, also hosted by the Regional History Museum Sofia. With the success of this course, Tarhan and the museum began preparations for an expanded program, culminating in the August 2024 Summer School of Ancient Near Eastern Studies.

Sebastian Fink and Zozan Tarhan (right and second from right) and other Summer School participants at the Regional History Museum Sofia. ©Mario Filipov

Zozan Tarhan is a recognized Assyriologist at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski with experience in philological work on cuneiform texts, mainly in Akkadian, and an expert in the study of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. She is currently editing unpublished texts .

Sebastian Fink is an Assyriologist at the University of Innsbruck focusing on Sumerian texts and is one of the leading specialists of Emesal. He has studied topics on various aspects of Mesopotamian history and culture.

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投稿者 : ld-sylff

Harmony in Diversity: Multicultural Education at China’s Universities for Ethnic Minorities

September 12, 2024
By 30637

Multicultural education that seeks to balance diversity and unity has become vital for many countries in the era of globalization. The “color-blind” approach that promotes equality regardless of race or ethnicity often overlooks systemic disparities, however. Dak Lhagyal (Columbia University, 2020, 2021) used an SRG award to explore the implementation and impact of multicultural education at minzu universities for ethnic minorities in China, offering insights into their unique role within a complex national identity framework.

* * *

In an increasingly globalized world, the concept of multicultural education has become paramount in fostering inclusive societies that celebrate diversity while promoting unity (Ramirez et al. 2009). The “color-blind” approach (Bonilla-Silva 2014), which aims to treat individuals equally regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds, presents itself as a universal solution in educational systems worldwide. However, this approach often overlooks the complex realities of racial and ethnic disparities, raising questions about its effectiveness in addressing the deep-rooted issues of inequality and discrimination in multicultural settings (Bonilla-Silva 2014).

My research delves into the implementation and implications of multicultural education at minzu universities in China’s higher education system. These institutions, dedicated to the education of ethnic minority students, provide a unique context to examine the dynamics of multicultural education in a country that officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups (Clothey 2005; Zenz 2013). Employing qualitative research methods, including ethnographic interviews and participant observations, I conducted research at a prominent minzu university in western China. This site was chosen for its diverse student body and its role in the national strategy to promote ethnic unity and cultural diversity.

The choice of my topic stems from a growing interest in understanding how state-led multicultural policies impact interethnic relations and identity formation within educational settings (Leibold 2019). By examining the nuanced experiences of students and faculty within minzu universities, my study aims to contribute to the broader discourse on multicultural education and its capacity to address or perpetuate ethnic inequalities (Leibold & Chen 2014). The findings offer insights into the complex interplay between policy, identity, and educational practice (Yang 2017; Grose 2019; Robin 2014), shedding light on the broader societal implications of diversity education in a context as diverse as China’s. Through this analysis, I seek to enhance understanding of the potential and limitations of multicultural education in fostering truly inclusive and equitable educational environments (Lhagyal 2021).

Dual Role of Minzu Universities in Ethnic Identity Formation

Minzu universities in China hold a distinctive position within the country’s educational landscape, serving a dual purpose in the formation of ethnic identity among minority students (Clothey 2005). These institutions, designed to cater specifically to the educational needs of China’s ethnic minorities, offer a unique blend of cultural preservation and integration into the broader Chinese national identity (Zenz 2013; Yang 2017). At the heart of the minzu university experience is the endeavor to maintain the linguistic and cultural heritage of ethnic minority students while also integrating them into the Han-dominated national narrative (Clothey 2005). These institutions provide programs in both ethnic minority languages and Mandarin, reflecting a commitment to bilingual education (Zenz 2013; Robin 2014). This approach aims to equip students with the tools needed to navigate the broader Chinese society while retaining a connection to their ethnic roots (Yang 2017).

Research conducted at these universities reveals a nuanced impact on student identity. For Tibetan students, for instance, the environment fosters a heightened awareness of their ethnic heritage and encourages the formation of a modern Tibetan identity that coexists with the national identity promoted by Beijing. This dual identity formation process highlights the universities’ role in creating a space where ethnic minority students can explore and redefine their cultural identities within the context of a dominant national culture.

A curator explains the traditional Tibetan thangka painting to a group of student visitors at a minzu university museum in April 2023.

However, the experiences of students at minzu universities are not without challenges. The push and pull between ethnic and national identities can lead to a complex negotiation of identity for students, who must navigate the expectations and norms of both their ethnic community and the broader Chinese society. By offering an education that straddles ethnic heritage and national integration, minzu universities facilitate a form of identity formation that reflects the complexities of modern Chinese society.

State-Led Multiculturalism and Interethnic Relations

China’s approach to multiculturalism, particularly through its education system, offers a distinctive perspective on managing interethnic relations. Within this framework, minzu universities emerge as pivotal institutions where the nation’s aspirations towards unity in diversity are enacted. These institutions embody state-led efforts to foster multicultural education, aiming to enhance mutual understanding and respect among China’s numerous ethnic groups. My research delves into the effects of such policies on interethnic relations, shedding light on the nuanced outcomes of these endeavors.

State-led multiculturalism in China is characterized by the promotion of ethnic diversity alongside the reinforcement of a unified national identity. Minzu universities play a critical role in this strategy, providing a platform for students from diverse ethnic backgrounds to engage with each other and the nation’s dominant Han culture. The presence of programs that celebrate ethnic minority languages and cultures within these universities illustrates the state’s commitment to diversity. However, the overarching goal remains the cultivation of a cohesive national identity among all students.

Tibetan students dressed in traditional attire during a university-sponsored campus activity at a minzu university in May 2023.

The impact of this approach on interethnic relations is multifaceted. On one hand, it facilitates encounters and exchanges among students of different ethnic backgrounds, potentially laying the groundwork for increased understanding and solidarity. Students are exposed to a variety of cultural perspectives, which can enrich their personal and intellectual development. On the other hand, the emphasis on a unified national identity might overshadow the distinctiveness of minority cultures, complicating the process of identity formation for minority students.

These dynamics underscore the complexity of implementing state-led multiculturalism in a society as diverse as China’s. While aiming to harmonize interethnic relations, the challenge lies in balancing the celebration of ethnic diversity with the promotion of national unity. Through the lens of minzu universities, we gain insight into both the achievements and challenges of this endeavor, highlighting the ongoing negotiation of identity and belonging in China’s multicultural landscape.

Institutional and Structural Challenges in Ethnic Inequality

In the diverse landscape of China’s higher education, minzu universities represent a critical effort to integrate ethnic minority students into the national fabric while respecting their unique cultural identities. However, these institutions face the monumental task of addressing and overcoming ethnic inequalities within an educational and societal context.

At the core of minzu universities’ mission is the goal of fostering an environment where students from all ethnic backgrounds can thrive academically and socially. These universities are designed to be inclusive spaces that not only educate but also promote understanding and respect for cultural diversity. They offer programs in minority languages and culture, aiming to elevate the status of ethnic minorities within the broader society.

Despite these commendable efforts, challenges persist in fully addressing the deep-rooted inequalities that affect ethnic minority students. One of the primary obstacles is the delicate balance between celebrating diversity and ensuring equal opportunities for all students. While the curriculum and extracurricular activities at minzu universities strive to highlight ethnic traditions and languages, ensuring that diversity does not translate into disadvantage remains a constant challenge.

Moreover, the structural limitations within the educational and societal system can sometimes hinder the full realization of these goals. For example, the transition from education to employment remains a significant hurdle for many ethnic minority graduates, reflecting broader societal patterns of inequality.

Understanding the institutional and structural challenges faced by minzu universities in addressing ethnic inequalities is crucial. These institutions stand at the intersection of cultural preservation and societal integration, embodying the complexities of navigating ethnic diversity within a rapidly modernizing nation. Examining their efforts offers insights into both the progress made and the hurdles that remain, highlighting the nuanced journey toward achieving equality and inclusion for all ethnic groups in China.

Toward a More Inclusive Multicultural Education

China’s innovative approach to multiculturalism within its higher education system, particularly through the minzu universities, represents a significant endeavor to integrate ethnic diversity with national unity. These institutions serve as a focal point for exploring the intricate balance between celebrating ethnic identities and fostering a cohesive Chinese national identity. They not only provide education in minority languages and cultures but also serve as a microcosm for understanding broader societal dynamics. The dual identity formation process they facilitate highlights the potential for creating a more inclusive national identity that acknowledges and respects ethnic diversity.

The state-led approach to multiculturalism has had a nuanced impact on interethnic relations. While it promotes interactions among diverse student bodies, fostering understanding and solidarity, it also faces the challenge of ensuring that the richness of minority cultures is not overshadowed by the overarching narrative of national unity. The experiences of students within these universities underscore the delicate balance between celebrating diversity and achieving cohesion.

Institutional and structural challenges persist in fully addressing ethnic inequalities within the education system. Despite efforts to promote equality and inclusion, disparities in educational outcomes and experiences among ethnic groups indicate areas for further reflection and improvement.

China’s minzu universities embody the country’s commitment to navigating the complexities of multicultural education. Their role in shaping the future of ethnic relations and national identity in China is both critical and evolving. As these institutions continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by the country’s diversity, they serve as a valuable case study for understanding the broader implications of multiculturalism in education. I hope my research will provide a foundation for further analysis and deeper understanding of the dynamics at play in one of the world’s most populous and culturally diverse countries.

References

Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. 2014. Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States, 4th ed. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Clothey, Rebecca. 2005. “China’s Policies for Minority Nationalities in Higher Education: Negotiating National Values and Ethnic Identities.” Comparative Education Review, 49(3), pp. 389–409.

Grose, Timothy. 2019. Negotiating Inseparability in China: The Xinjiang Class and the Dynamics of Uyghur Identity. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Leibold, James. 2019. “Planting the Seed: Ethnic Policy in Xi Jinping’s New Era of Cultural Nationalism.” China Brief, 19(22), pp. 9–14.

Leibold, James, and Yangbin Chen, eds. 2014. Minority Education in China: Balancing Unity and Diversity in an Era of Critical Pluralism. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Lhagyal, Dak. 2021. “‘Linguistic Authority’ in State-Society Interaction: Cultural Politics of Tibetan Education in China.” Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 42(3), pp. 353–367.

Ramirez, Francisco O., Patricia Bromley, and Susan Garnett Russell. 2009. “The Valorization of Humanity and Diversity.” Multicultural Education Review, 1(1), pp. 29–54.

Robin, Françoise. 2014. “Streets, Slogans and Screens: New Paradigms for the Defence of the Tibetan.” In Trine Brox and Ildikó Bellér-Hann, eds., On the Fringes of the Harmonious Society: Tibetans and Uyghurs in Socialist China. Copenhagen: Nias Press, pp. 209–235.

Yang, Miaoyan. 2017. Learning to Be Tibetan: The Construction of Ethnic Identity at Minzu University of China. Lanham: Lexington Books.

Zenz, Adrian. 2013. “Tibetanness” Under Threat?: Neo-Integrationism, Minority Education and Career Strategies in Qinghai, PR China. Leiden: Brill.

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投稿者 : ld-sylff

A Youth-Driven Pact to Promote Ethics in Costa Rican Politics

August 28, 2024
By 31231

In November 2023, Mauricio Artiñano (Princeton University, 2013) organized a transformative retreat for youth leaders from 37 Costa Rican political parties that led to the drafting of a groundbreaking Interparty Ethical Pact addressing campaign issues like hate speech and corruption. Culminating in a historic signing event by parties from across the political spectrum, the SLI-supported, media-acclaimed project produced a commitment to democratic integrity for the February 2024 municipal elections and beyond.

* * *

Imagine sending almost 60 representatives of different political parties to a rural community for a weekend to live together and work to draft a pact of ethical principles for a campaign period. It sounds like an idea for a reality show, one that would likely end in fighting or scandal. Few people would guess that a social experiment of this nature would result in new friendships and a consensus agreement.

In November 2023, though, thanks to a Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI) grant, I worked with the civic association Costa Rica Íntegra—the Costa Rican chapter of Transparency International—to facilitate a retreat for 59 young men and women representing 37 local and national political parties from across the country’s ideological spectrum.

Many people we consulted about this project were skeptical about our chances of success. However, thanks to a unique, self-designed methodology, the support of an excellent facilitation team, and, most importantly, the hard work of the youth leaders, the group was able to draft a 25-point pact that they named Interparty Ethical Pact “Sitio Mata” in honor of the community where we held the retreat. The Pact includes commitments related to such controversial issues as hate speech, disinformation, corruption, attacks against democratic institutions, campaign finance, and the environmental impact of political campaigns.

Youth leaders (and the author, shown standing in the top photo) discussing and drafting the ethical pact.

An Environment Conducive to Building Rapport

According to the youth leaders, another factor that helped set the stage for a successful conclusion was the place we chose to hold the retreat. Most events of this nature are held in hotels or retreat centers, but our meeting was held at a rural community center, and the youth leaders and staff stayed with local families that run a rural community tourism project in the village of Sitio Mata, some 50 km east of the Costa Rican capital of San Jose. With this choice, we were able to support a thriving, women-led tourism venture and the local economy, while also giving the young leaders the opportunity to get to know the local community. The participants agreed that the hospitality and warmth of their adopted families helped promote a sense of community that fed into the negotiations for the Pact.

With the momentum generated by the retreat and the Sylff grant, we were able to obtain additional financial support from the Swiss Embassy in Costa Rica, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA International), the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Indefinido Design Studio, and the European Union Delegation to Costa Rica. These funds allowed us to work with the youth leaders to organize 11 different events to promote the Pact and give political parties and candidates the opportunity to sign it. We were also fortunate to have the support of four University of Costa Rica political science students, who chose this project as their professional practice (a graduation requirement).

The largest of the 11 signing events took place a few weeks after the retreat, at the University of Costa Rica’s main campus. Forty-two political parties signed the Pact at that event, which was also attended by representatives from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, organized labor, the business community, and academia.

In addition, we were honored by the presence of the ambassadors of Switzerland, Perú, the Netherlands, Canada, Chile, and the European Union, and a representative from the Embassy of Japan (who also happened to be a Sylff fellow!). It was especially noteworthy that we had representatives from nearly all the national political parties sitting side by side at the same table signing the Pact. Various observers remarked that they couldn’t remember the last time so many political parties signed the same document.

Representatives of political parties signing the Pact at the University of Costa Rica event.

The initiative also received widespread media coverage, including TV and radio interviews and even a mention on the front page of La Nación, Costa Rica’s largest newspaper. The press coverage was also a great opportunity for the youth leaders to engage with the press and learn skills related to public relations, interviewing, and dealing with the media.

In total, 53 political parties signed the Pact out of the 75 that presented candidates for the February 4, 2024, municipal elections in Costa Rica, representing 86% of all candidates. With the support of Indefinido Design Studio, we were able set up an online platform for individual candidates to sign the Pact. Only 467 out of more than 37,000 candidates signed it individually, however, prompting the youth leaders to note—during a lessons-learned retreat held two months after the elections—that the online platform may have been set up too late and that many candidates believed that there was no need for them to sign the Pact individually if their party had already signed it. This was an important lesson for possible future iterations of this initiative.

At the follow-up retreat, the youth leaders expressed their deep gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this initiative and for the skills, connections, and inspiration that they derived from the project. They were especially enthusiastic about continuing to work together as a network of youth leaders committed to democracy and electoral ethics and integrity. Together with some of the funders of the initiative, we are currently brainstorming ways of continuing to support the youth leaders and maintain momentum. We are also looking forward to leading a similar exercise for the 2026 presidential and legislative elections.

Youth leaders who participated in the retreat.

My two main objectives with this project were to foster ethical principles in the context of the Costa Rican municipal elections and to promote the leadership and initiative of the next generation of leaders in the country. In her speech announcing the preliminary results of the elections, the presiding magistrate of the Costa Rican Supreme Electoral Tribunal—the institution in charge of organizing and supervising Costa Rican elections—mentioned the Pact as a successful civil-society-led initiative to promote democratic values. I was very proud of that recognition and very proud of the results of this initiative, particularly of the network of youth leaders that was created. I also had an opportunity to give a TED talk in April about this experience. All this was possible thanks to Sylff, and I am deeply grateful for its support.

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投稿者 : ld-sylff

End-of-Life Care Decisions for People with Dementia in China: Patients Rarely Have a Say

August 22, 2024
By 30592

Given that Asian medical decision-making experiences tend to be overlooked in academia and policy design, gerontologist Yifan Lou (Columbia University, 2019, 2022) conducted an SRG-supported study to provide empirical evidence for end-of-life decision-making narratives in China. She hopes to contribute to effective interventions and services for older Chinese with dementia and their family caregivers, as well as to discussions on culturally specific definitions of a “good death.”

* * *

With generous support from SRG, I was able to finish the data collection, transcribing, and preliminary analyses of the project entitled “End-of-Life Decision-Making Experiences among the Primary Caregivers for Older Adults with Dementia in China.” This study aims to understand the values and unique challenges around end-of-life care among Chinese dementia caregivers, the results of which can inform the future design of a culturally sensitive intervention on advance care planning (ACP) for people living with dementia and their family caregivers in China.

China is the country with the largest population of older adults and people living with dementia in the world. The country’s population of people living with dementia is projected to reach an estimated of 75.6 million by 2030 (Xu et al. 2017). Unlike other critical illnesses like cancer, dementia always requires primary caregivers to make many end-of-life care decisions, including but not limited to admission to nursing homes, tube feeding, and do-not-resuscitate orders, on behalf of the people living with dementia themselves. Those decisions are extremely hard for caregivers, especially if they are experiencing physical exhaustion from long-time caregiving, emotional distress, and “anticipatory grief” due to the nature of dementia (Jones et al. 2019). Advance care planning can help to relieve the burden of caregivers and also make sure that those with dementia will receive the treatments that align with their preferences. Studies suggest that people at an early stage of dementia are still capable of making ACP choices (Yaffe et al. 2002; Hirschman et al. 2008).

ACP is still an emerging concept in China, however, where death and dying are cultural taboos. There are no studies elucidating the experience of dementia caregivers around end-of-life care decisions, and little is known regarding how their emotional burdens can be relieved to make sure people living with dementia can meet a dignified death. ACP in China cannot be promoted without knowing the Chinese people’s perceptions of and their current experiences with this issue. My study thus seeks to provide empirical evidence for decision-making narratives in China, which can significantly contribute to future developments in interventions and services for older Chinese with dementia and their family caregivers.

Having No Say in Care Decisions

In the project, I was able to interview 20 dementia caregivers and 5 health-care professionals in collaboration with community-based health-care centers. I conducted semi-structured interviews with the 25 participants on their experiences and perceptions of medical decision-making for people living with dementia. I also administered background questionnaires on their socioeconomic and health information. The participants had diverse backgrounds in terms of socioeconomic status, rural/urban residence, relationship to people living with dementia, and their own health status.

Because the majority of participants used the Shanghai dialect in the interview, I outsourced the transcribing to a research assistant who can understand the dialect and have basic knowledge of social science research. The research assistant and I further worked on data analysis, the results of which were finalized and will be presented at the annual scientific meeting of the Gerontological Society of America in November 2024. To disseminate the results and make real impact, I also plan to present the results to community-based social service agencies and work with social workers in the agencies to design culturally appropriate interventions and evidence-based practices.

Our preliminary results show that people with dementia in China never have a say in their medical-care decisions. More specifically, as was seen in with my previous research in health communication during end-of-life care, we consistently observed three different types of power dynamics in the triad relationship among primary caregivers, medical professionals, and other family members: shared power between primary caregivers and doctors, balanced power between primary caregivers and other family members, and unbalanced power among the three stakeholders. Guided by Dahl’s relational power model (Dahl 1957), we further discussed the outcomes of the three different types of power dynamics. None of the three, though, involved the person who is actually experiencing death and dying. Primary caregivers, health-care professionals, and other family members frequently cited as reasons for such exclusion concerns about filial piety, the uncertain validity of the people living with dementia’s expressed wishes given their cognitive status, and concern for family harmony.

The nuanced data has the potential to spawn more research questions related to death, dying, and medical decision-making involving people living with dementia. More particularly, we will further explore the unique challenges of caregivers and health-care professionals when they try to make big life decisions for the patients without being able to confirm their wishes and preferences. We will also investigate how culture plays a part in medical decision-making so as to inform the development of culturally appropriate interventions and service delivery.

It is also possible to use this data to understand how family members communicate needs and information with health-care professionals. Health communication is an important topic in China because of frequent conflicts between the patient, family, and provider in hospitals. By understanding the concerns of family members and providers simultaneously using the data, we will be able to detangle the potential reasons behind the miscommunication in medical decision-making.

Framework for Intervention

My study is among the first to understand the experiences of advance care planning in the Chinese community. The study provides practitioners a framework for understanding and intervening in medical decision-making and ACP for surrogates of people with dementia. The results highlight the distinct decision-making experiences of people living with dementia in China compared to those in the West and suggest that policymakers should consider the voices of the local people and families. The study may also shed light on the medical decision-making process in other Asian countries with similar cultures, such as Korea and Singapore.

The Asian medical decision-making experience is largely overlooked in academia and policy design, particularly given that end-of-life care, hospice care, and ACP are all Western concepts. I thus hope to contribute to the growing conversation on adopting ACP and related concepts in Chinese and other Asian societies and to the larger discussion on culturally specific definitions of a “good death.” Future studies can provide a comparative lens to more comprehensively understand how health-care decision-making in end-of-life care settings works in Asian and Western countries.

References

Dahl, R. A. (1957). The Concept of Power. Behavioral Science, 2(3), 201–215.

Hirschman, K. B., Kapo, J. M., & Karlawish, J. H. (2008). Identifying the Factors that Facilitate or Hinder Advance Planning by Persons with Dementia. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 22(3), 293–298.

Jones, K., Birchley, G., Huxtable, R., Clare, L., Walter, T., & Dixon, J. (2019). End of Life Care: A Scoping Review of Experiences of Advance Care Planning for People with Dementia. Dementia, 18(3), 825–845.

Xu, J., Wang, J., Wimo, A., Fratiglioni, L., & Qiu, C. (2017). The Economic Burden of Dementia in China, 1990–2030: Implications for Health Policy. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 95(1), 18.

Yaffe, K., Fox, P., Newcomer, R., Sands, L., Lindquist, K., Dane, K., & Covinsky, K. E. (2002). Patient and Caregiver Characteristics and Nursing Home Placement in Patients with Dementia. JAMA, 287(16), 2090–2097.

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投稿者 : ld-sylff

Bridging Cultures, Building Futures: Empowering the Amahuaca through an Innovative Educational Model

August 5, 2024
By 31278

A major challenge for Indigenous peoples transitioning from a forest-dwelling life to a settled one is lack of access to formal education as a pathway to empowerment. Even when schooling is available, though, new issues can arise, such as the loss of language and identity. To address these challenges, Pilar Valenzuela (University of Oregon, 1995–96) used an SLI grant to develop a novel approach to preserving traditional knowledge while meeting modern needs.

* * *

How is it possible for a community to exist in the twenty-first century without access to school, with residents lacking the opportunity to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills? Sadly, this stark reality confronts certain Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon, particularly those families who are part of the initial generation transitioning from a forest-dwelling life to settling in a village and establishing regular contact with Peruvian society. Among these communities, the Amahuaca people residing in the upper reaches of the Inuya River face significant challenges, including lack of access to formal education.

In Alto Esperanza, the village that serves as their home, leaders passionately express their desire for a primary school. They envision a pathway for their children to access formal education, not only to protect them from unscrupulous individuals seeking to manipulate or exploit them but also to empower them so they may safeguard their territory and exercise their rights as both Indigenous people and Peruvian citizens.

The residents of Alto Esperanza are not willing to sacrifice their language and culture, though, in exchange for educational access. This, unfortunately, has been the choice other Amahuaca villages have had to make when establishing primary schools, as non-Amahuaca teachers invariably conduct classes exclusively in Spanish.[1] The children who attended these schools no longer speak their Native language, severely compromising their identity as members of the Indigenous community.

Motivated by a desire to find a solution to these challenges, I embarked on a collaborative effort with the villagers of Alto Esperanza to devise an alternative educational model—a school that values and integrates the language, culture, and knowledge of the Amahuaca people while simultaneously teaching children Spanish and introducing them to Western culture and science. Thanks to a Sylff Leadership Initiatives grant, the initial stage of this crucial project was successfully completed in January 2024.

Developing Teaching Materials

A dedicated team consisting of representatives from Alto Esperanza, Amahuaca educators, Amahuaca leaders, and myself as the linguist collaborated in the nearby city of Atalaya to meticulously design a tailored preliminary curriculum for Alto Esperanza. The curriculum incorporates an outline of monthly projects that align with the community’s engagement in such activities as hunting, fishing, gathering turtle eggs, opening small clearings in the forest sustainably for horticultural practices, and utilizing medicinal plants in a traditional manner. Additionally, we developed a range of teaching materials focused on fostering children’s literacy skills, encompassing essential aspects, such as reading, writing, and numeracy.

A page from the curriculum material incorporating both Spanish and Amahuaca vocabularies.

During this period, we also had the privilege of conducting classes for two boys and one girl from Alto Esperanza who were eager to learn and unwilling to wait for the opening of a local school in their village. Over a span of three weeks, they participated in both morning and afternoon sessions, held daily from Monday through Saturday. Each child received personalized instruction delivered by a dedicated Indigenous teacher.

Jacinto,[2] an 18-year-old young man with no prior school experience, started from the basics, mastering fundamental motor skills required for writing. He successfully learned the Amahuaca vowels, basic numbers, and simple additions. The second child, Liliana, approximately 12 years old, had received one year of education in another village. She achieved proficiency in learning some syllables and doing simple additions. The third child, Carlos, around 15 years old, had undergone two years of elementary education, also in another Amahuaca village. He exhibited substantial progress in reading, writing, and arithmetic during the project’s duration. Overall, we were deeply impressed by the children’s desire to learn and their remarkable knowledge about the Amazon rainforest. Moreover, upon their return to Alto Esperanza, I was thrilled to learn that Carlos has started conducting classes with seven Amahuaca children!

Liliana, a student of the class, practices writing.

A Viable Alternative for Other Communities

The project was a resounding success, and we believe that the schooling model we are developing can serve as a viable alternative for other Indigenous groups facing similar challenges. Our focus now is on securing funding to ensure the successful launch of the community school in September 2024. We plan on launching a GoFundMe campaign and are keeping our fingers crossed to obtain the necessary resources to make the elementary school in Alto Esperanza a reality. Alto Esperanza has already decided on the school’s name: Vachi Maitiya, which means “Those wearing the Amahuaca tall headdresses.”

By bridging cultures and building futures, we are not only providing educational opportunities but also empowering the Amahuaca people to preserve their language, culture, and identity while acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the world outside of their community. Together, we can create a brighter future for the Amahuaca community and inspire others to embrace innovative educational models that respect and celebrate diverse cultures.

[1] Schools in rural areas, such as those along the upper Inuya River, often have only one teacher overseeing all six grades of primary education.

[2] In order to protect the privacy of the individuals involved, the names of the children mentioned in this article have been changed.

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投稿者 : ld-sylff

Blazing a Trail for Female Orchestra Conductors in Leadership Positions

July 29, 2024
By 31775

On April 13 and 14, 2024, Sinfonietta Passau—a symphony orchestra founded and led by Eleni Papakyriakou (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, 2012)—performed highly acclaimed concerts supported by an SLI grant. She outlines the significance of the orchestra not only in promoting gender equality but also in enriching the cultural life of the community and achieving musical and social harmony.

* * *

Sinfonietta Passau is a newly founded symphony orchestra in the Bavarian city of Passau, on the German-Austrian border. The orchestra consists of 64 musicians, mainly freelance professional musicians from the wider region and advanced students from the nearby music universities in Linz, Munich, and Salzburg—a well-balanced mixture that combines quality, passion, vitality, and youthful energy. The 33 female and 31 male orchestra members came to Passau over three weekends in March and April 2024 for intensive rehearsals and two concerts in Passau and nearby Deggendorf. The program consisted of:

Philipp Ortmeier (Passau-born composer): “Tree of Life” for soprano and orchestra, German premiere (first prize at the March 2023 “Orient/Occident” international competition in Ukraine). Soloist: Sarah Romberger
Gustav Mahler: Orchestral songs from “Des Knaben Wunderhorn.” Soloist: Sarah Romberger
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 (Bruckner Year 2024)

The concerts were highly successful—the press reviews and the feedback of the audience were very enthusiastic:

“A great evening: standing ovations for Sinfonietta Passau with Bruckner’s Seventh and Philipp Ortmeier’s “Tree of Life.” You can feel the trust between the orchestra and the conductor. The orchestra is highly motivated. The conductor masters the large orchestra with clear gestures and great calm. She takes the pauses seriously and makes them wonderfully fitting in the room.”
—Passauer Neue Presse

“Great musical sensitivity: The conductor succeeds in making the sound layers in this monumental work [Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony] audible in a finely nuanced way. The Bruckner interpretation receives standing ovations and many “Brava” calls for the conductor.”
—Rabenstein Kultur Blog

Back in my teenager years, the beauty and power of Anton Bruckner’s music awakened in me a love for the orchestral sound and a strong will to become a conductor. I wanted to understand the masterpieces of the symphonic repertoire and the message of the composers in depth and then share it with the audience. I already had a vision of the social impact music can make—as the legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein said: “Art never stopped a war. But it can change people. It can affect people, so that they are changed—enriched, ennobled, encouraged—they then act in a way that can affect the course of events . . . by the way they vote, they behave, the way they think.”

Several years later, my dream came true. After studying orchestral conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and my professional experience with various orchestras in Europe, I decided to create my own symphony orchestra. Together with other supporters we founded the nonprofit association Sinfonietta Passau e.V. in October 2022. My vision was not only to share with the public the beauty and the message of orchestral masterpieces, which are so rarely heard around Passau, but also to have a major social impact. As it turned out, the social benefits were much more than I had thought at the beginning.

Like many other female conductors, I faced discrimination and unfair treatment in my professional career up to that point. A study by the German Cultural Council in 2021 showed that currently only 8% of conductors in leadership positions in Germany are female, and the same percentage applies worldwide (study commissioned by the conducting competition, La Maestra Paris, in 2022). As the founder and music and artistic director of Sinfonietta Passau, I wanted to send a powerful message to the world of classical music: musicality and leadership skills have nothing to do with gender. Female conductors are equally capable of effectively leading an orchestra as their male colleagues, so they should be given more chances and should be treated with the same respect. This applies also for women in leadership and managerial positions in general.

Eleni Papakyriakou conducting Sinfonietta Passau in the Church Mariä Himmelfahrt in Deggendorf, April 14, 2024. ©Florian Stelzer

During the post-pandemic revival of the cultural scene, another goal was to provide greater opportunities for freelance professional musicians. According to a survey by the Berlin State Music Council, a third of freelance musicians no longer see any future in the music profession, and many have already given up or are in the process of reorienting themselves. In addition, I wanted to offer advanced music students the chance of working with professionals, which is of great educational value. The music students can also supplement their CV with professional experience, which gives them a higher chance of being invited to audition for permanent orchestra positions.

An important part of the social action of the orchestra is the inclusion of musicians who come from disadvantaged or war regions, thus promoting mutual understanding and helping create a more open society that is free of prejudices. The peaceful coexistence of people from different origins and social backgrounds is one of the most important purposes of an institution like an orchestra, as well as of music in general. For the April 2024 concerts, professional musicians who fled Ukraine because of the war were invited to participate.

In the small but culturally vibrant city of Passau, a large part of the modern orchestral repertoire—symphonic music by composers such as Bruckner, Mahler, and Sibelius, as well as contemporary music—was almost never heard. But the region has some exceptional local composers, whose works are worth listening to. This combination of old masterpieces with contemporary music, along with rarely performed works, proved to be very successful in enriching the city’s musical life. At Sinfonietta Passau’s founding concerts in 2023, we performed the world premiere of a work by Bavarian composer Cornelius Hirsch. And in the recent concerts in April 2024, the “Tree of Life” by Passau-born composer Philipp Ortmeier impressed the audience and the critics and ensured the composer the recognition he deserves.

Sinfonietta Passau also aims to act as a springboard for young, talented soloists, who are at the beginning of their careers, in addition to collaborating with internationally acclaimed soloists. In the founding concerts, the award-winning young Greek flutist Stathis Karapanos and the internationally renowned flutist and professor at the Paris Conservatory Philippe Bernold performed the rarely played flute concerto by Carl Nielsen. In April 2024, we had the honor to perform with mezzo-soprano Sarah Romberger, who has already started a brilliant career in Germany. The public was moved and excited with her powerful interpretation of Philipp Ortmeier’s “Tree of Life” and Gustav Mahler’s songs.

All in all, the two concerts in April 2024 were a huge success and resonated widely in the local community. The objectives of the orchestra were achieved, and everyone is looking forward to future activities. Sinfonietta Passau aspires to become an important cultural institution in the region, making the city of Passau a radiant artistic center on the German-Austrian border that is worthily represented in international festivals in Germany, Austria and neighboring countries.

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投稿者 : ld-sylff

Sylff@Tokyo: Inspired by Sylff Leaders Workshop to Teach Food Justice

July 23, 2024

Susan Banki, a Sylff fellowship recipient at the Fletcher School from 1999 to 2001 and now an associate professor at the University of Sydney, visited the Tokyo Foundation on July 12, 2024.

After participating in the Sylff Leaders Workshop in 2018–19 that was held on the theme of food justice, she developed a deep interest in this issue. She now addresses this topic in her courses at the University of Sydney’s postgraduate Social Justice Program, of which she is the director.

She is currently planning a 12-day food justice trip to India, where she and her students will visit seed banks, agricultural cooperatives, and markets to explore the gender, economic, and political dynamics of the farming sector and the consumption of food.

(From left) Program officer Yumi Arai, executive director Mari Suzuki, Susan Banki, director Keita Sugai.