Bridge the Gap in Blogspace
We fear what we don't know. So let's get to know the people we
fear!
Let's Bridge this Gap in Blogspace - Call for Volunteers
vrijdag 10 februari 2006 17:22 door Bridging the Gap in Blogspace
After receiving this email from Ayman
I posted it on my blog. Fellow VK-Blogger Helena responded immediately and suggested that
more people ought to start communicating with bloggers
abroad.
Ayman is a guy from Syria, a country that, in the Dutch public opinion seems about ready to unleash the Muslim hordes on the western world.
Why on earth are we thinking that?
Because a few fundamentalist and extremist Imams try to gain the right to speak for all Muslim people in the world? And seem to succeed?
Because by doing so they willingly try and drive a wedge between the Muslims abroad and their new home-countries?
Because our populist politicians need the attention and tensions just as badly as the Imams do? As well as any excuse to start their old familiar rants again?
Because our TV-Networks are much more interested in showing us the scary images that will keep the ratings up and everybody glued to their TV-sets, than they are in showing footage of a billion people not setting fire to embassies? (See ‘Bowling for Columbine’...)
Whatever the reasons, we always fear what we do not know.
And the only medium that could help us gain eye-witness knowledge seems more interested in scaring us than in informing us.
Ayman, Helena and me stumbled upon the effects the incredible power of the Internet might have on getting the real information across. Because what better way to find how and what people are really thinking and feeling than by a virtual visit to their home?
That’s why we would like to call every Blogger that is willing to start an open dialogue, based on mutual respect and understanding with someone from an entirely different culture to come forward!
All Volunteers willing to try and Bridge the Gap between our Cultures through Blogspace, will be compiled in a separate page, for easy browsing. Just click on any name from any country that interests, worries, intrigues or scares you.
Calling out to Bloggers around the world willing to teach about their cultures and curious to learn about other cultures!
Ayman is a guy from Syria, a country that, in the Dutch public opinion seems about ready to unleash the Muslim hordes on the western world.
Why on earth are we thinking that?
Because a few fundamentalist and extremist Imams try to gain the right to speak for all Muslim people in the world? And seem to succeed?
Because by doing so they willingly try and drive a wedge between the Muslims abroad and their new home-countries?
Because our populist politicians need the attention and tensions just as badly as the Imams do? As well as any excuse to start their old familiar rants again?
Because our TV-Networks are much more interested in showing us the scary images that will keep the ratings up and everybody glued to their TV-sets, than they are in showing footage of a billion people not setting fire to embassies? (See ‘Bowling for Columbine’...)
Whatever the reasons, we always fear what we do not know.
And the only medium that could help us gain eye-witness knowledge seems more interested in scaring us than in informing us.
Ayman, Helena and me stumbled upon the effects the incredible power of the Internet might have on getting the real information across. Because what better way to find how and what people are really thinking and feeling than by a virtual visit to their home?
That’s why we would like to call every Blogger that is willing to start an open dialogue, based on mutual respect and understanding with someone from an entirely different culture to come forward!
Respond in the box below (‘Uw reactie:’) with your name, blog-address and home country. If there are any special topics you happen to be particularly knowledgeable about, please let us know! Clicking ‘Verstuur’ will post the reply. Replies will be sent to a moderator, they are not immediatly visible here. But we do receive them!
All Volunteers willing to try and Bridge the Gap between our Cultures through Blogspace, will be compiled in a separate page, for easy browsing. Just click on any name from any country that interests, worries, intrigues or scares you.
Calling out to Bloggers around the world willing to teach about their cultures and curious to learn about other cultures!
22reacties
Francis
10-02-2006 19:52
As I said once
How peaceful would I be, If I were not a rich Dutch woman but a Nicuraguan woman in the eighties?
Would I have shot some one?
And how would I be if born in Africa?
Everything has changed even though I live in one of the richest countries in this world and have to face an illness that makes me a bed-alien?
And again the answer is Sometimes I do not know
How peaceful would I be, If I were not a rich Dutch woman but a Nicuraguan woman in the eighties?
Would I have shot some one?
And how would I be if born in Africa?
Everything has changed even though I live in one of the richest countries in this world and have to face an illness that makes me a bed-alien?
And again the answer is Sometimes I do not know
Helena
10-02-2006 19:53
Thank you for constructing (?) this blog! Do I have to write in
english by the way? I am afraid my english writing is not so very
well!
N=1
10-02-2006 20:00
@ Francis: If I would arrive at a party were half the people were
talking in a language I would not understand I would feel a bit
awkward.
English is a foreign language for us as well as it is for a majority of people in the world. So, speaking english, all be it awkwardly will democratically put us all at a similar disadvantage.
Leaves us with the Americans, Canadians, Brits and a whole slew of other native english speakers at an unfair advantage.... Hmm, maybe they should post in French? ;-)
English is a foreign language for us as well as it is for a majority of people in the world. So, speaking english, all be it awkwardly will democratically put us all at a similar disadvantage.
Leaves us with the Americans, Canadians, Brits and a whole slew of other native english speakers at an unfair advantage.... Hmm, maybe they should post in French? ;-)
Yael
11-02-2006 11:06
Yael
olehgirl.blogspot.com
Israel
olehgirl.blogspot.com
Israel
ShrinkWrapped 11-02-2006
15:36
I am a Jewish-American Psychiatrist/Psychoanalyst blogging
anonymously as ShrinkWrapped at
http://shrinkwrapped.blogs.com/blog/
I try to use principles of applied Psychoanalysis to current events and I try to be respectful to those who are willing and able to engage in open, non-polemical, non-ad-hominem debate and discussion. I would be delighted to take part in this effort.
I try to use principles of applied Psychoanalysis to current events and I try to be respectful to those who are willing and able to engage in open, non-polemical, non-ad-hominem debate and discussion. I would be delighted to take part in this effort.
matoko
kusanagi 11-02-2006 21:04
i'm in if you'll have me.
here's my blog.
http://quantumghosts.blogspot.com
Denver, USA
matoko-chan
here's my blog.
http://quantumghosts.blogspot.com
Denver, USA
matoko-chan
matoko-chan 11-02-2006
21:05
http://quantumghosts.blogspot.com
Steliano
Ponticos 12-02-2006 02:45
We need this.
My blog is www.suenos64.blogspot.com I blog from France. Please include me in your effort. I blog about world music history and sometimes religion. (Also I blog for fun :D)...Mainly I am interested in oriental music and greek music and also in stories from around the world...peace
My blog is www.suenos64.blogspot.com I blog from France. Please include me in your effort. I blog about world music history and sometimes religion. (Also I blog for fun :D)...Mainly I am interested in oriental music and greek music and also in stories from around the world...peace
elengil
12-02-2006 02:59
http://nomoreillusions.blogspot.com/
-United States
I am a Christian and American and would be honoured to be a part of this project.
-United States
I am a Christian and American and would be honoured to be a part of this project.
Yazan
12-02-2006 06:56
Yazan
My Stupid Corner: http://zozo2k3.blogspot.com
yazan.badran@gmail.com
My Stupid Corner: http://zozo2k3.blogspot.com
yazan.badran@gmail.com
She
12-02-2006 10:06
I'd be happy to volunteer! Our blog is called something
something, and we are based in Israel. The address is:
http://somethingsomething.blogspot.com
Innocent
Criminal 12-02-2006 10:46
Hi,
I would like to join as well, i am Syrian living in Amsterdam and it was a nice surprise to see this Dutch initiative. my blog name is http://innocent-criminal.blogspot.com/ my views are too liberal for your average Syrian but then again it means i am walking on that gap you speak of :)
Regards,
Tarek
I would like to join as well, i am Syrian living in Amsterdam and it was a nice surprise to see this Dutch initiative. my blog name is http://innocent-criminal.blogspot.com/ my views are too liberal for your average Syrian but then again it means i am walking on that gap you speak of :)
Regards,
Tarek
Gijs
12-02-2006 13:59
I'm dutch, but found this site through Ayman's blog that I've
been following for some time now.
Like N=1, I also recognize less of myself in the image of the typical Dutchman. I'm married to a Syrian and feel very welcome in the Arabic culture. Like many on this blog, I believe that understanding of cultures and dialogue is the only way forward.
My own blog that I've just recently started can be found on http://www.gijsdekoning.com/
One technical issue, I would love to see this group-blog take off and get huge traffic to it, but its layout and structure seems not very clear to me and is not very inviting to keep on reading. Any plans on changing this?
Like N=1, I also recognize less of myself in the image of the typical Dutchman. I'm married to a Syrian and feel very welcome in the Arabic culture. Like many on this blog, I believe that understanding of cultures and dialogue is the only way forward.
My own blog that I've just recently started can be found on http://www.gijsdekoning.com/
One technical issue, I would love to see this group-blog take off and get huge traffic to it, but its layout and structure seems not very clear to me and is not very inviting to keep on reading. Any plans on changing this?
Globalance 12-02-2006
14:17
Name: Robert & Mark
Blog-address: Globalance, http://www.volkskrant.com/weblog/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=1189
Home country: Netherlands
Blog-address: Globalance, http://www.volkskrant.com/weblog/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=1189
Home country: Netherlands
Shannon
12-02-2006 19:25
Shannon
http://shannonosphere.blogspot.com/
United States
I lived two years in Russia, but I wouldn't call myself an expert. I'm just interested in participating and learning about this dialogue.
http://shannonosphere.blogspot.com/
United States
I lived two years in Russia, but I wouldn't call myself an expert. I'm just interested in participating and learning about this dialogue.
Ahmed
Baset 13-02-2006 04:15
http://taqrib.blogspot.com
Musings of a Moderate Muslim
United States, Washington DC
special topics I am not an expert on but know a few thing about: islam & politics, internatinal affairs, islamist movements, international affairs theory, class of civiliations politics, domestic american politics
Musings of a Moderate Muslim
United States, Washington DC
special topics I am not an expert on but know a few thing about: islam & politics, internatinal affairs, islamist movements, international affairs theory, class of civiliations politics, domestic american politics
Lies Van
Rompaey 13-02-2006 17:51
Lies Van Rompaey
www.dailydog.be
Belgium
I know a little about many topics. A lot about literature.
Over the last few weeks I have had many conversations with a young Syrian. I have set up a blog for him and I am helping him improve his English. He has raised many issues that have rerouted my thinking.
www.dailydog.be
Belgium
I know a little about many topics. A lot about literature.
Over the last few weeks I have had many conversations with a young Syrian. I have set up a blog for him and I am helping him improve his English. He has raised many issues that have rerouted my thinking.
quetzalquatl 13-02-2006
21:55
Ik ben reeds geruime tijd in discussie op diverse spirituele
forums, waarbij ik regelmatig de 'nieuwe politieke correctheid'
van muslim-bashing tegenkom.
Het is mijn intentie om in zulke gevallen zoveel mogelijk in discussie te gaan om een tegengeluid te laten horen.
Het is mijn intentie om in zulke gevallen zoveel mogelijk in discussie te gaan om een tegengeluid te laten horen.
Desh
14-02-2006 04:38
Desh Kapoor
Personal Blog: www.Drishtikone.com
Home country- India but currently living in the US.
Like to write on Vedanta (Hindu philosophy which looks for Truth and the bedrock of India's secular principles), SPirituality and SOuth Asian politics.
Thanks,
-d.
Personal Blog: www.Drishtikone.com
Home country- India but currently living in the US.
Like to write on Vedanta (Hindu philosophy which looks for Truth and the bedrock of India's secular principles), SPirituality and SOuth Asian politics.
Thanks,
-d.
anoniem
14-02-2006 06:19
Jinan Shbat
www.xanga.com/princessjinan
USA
www.xanga.com/princessjinan
USA
annie
16-02-2006 06:25
I linked your site on mine (in French) http://syrie.be
Congrats on your initiative
Hartelijk dank
Congrats on your initiative
Hartelijk dank
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Bridging the Gap in Blogspace
Woonplaats: RotterdamNico Moenens, (1968) from Rotterdam, the Netherlands. I am an MD, waiting to start my residency in psychiatry, hopefully by 1/1/07. My interests in psych focus on the psychotic disorders seen from as many points of view: biological, sociological, evolutionary, pharmacological and ethical. Until the start of my residency I am working in a daycare facility for 20 homeless Double Diagnosis patients. DD, in our case the combination of an addiction and a psychotic d.o. Being Dutch, I am part of a collection with an N of 16 million. I am part of an N=6 billion world, and an N=598.000 city. The larger the N, the more accurate the predications one could make about the entire population. Then again, the larger the N, the more my personal opinions get filtered out. So I recognize less of myself in the image of the typical Dutchman. Let alone that I recognizable much of the typical European as seen on CNN and such. So I am conducting an N=1 study in this blog. Very reliable when it comes to my personal opinions, guesses, hopes and fears. But definetely no predictor for the world population at all. So reader be warned. If you want accurate generalizations, better click on to Gallup...
Man
Index of Files
Bridge the Gap has Moved! to
BlogSpot! Calling out to Bloggers around the world
willing to teach about their cultures and curious to learn about
other cultures! Main
Index Call for Volunteers List of Volunteers Not very FAQ!Stories of unexpected but
Everything you always wanted to know about Muslims, Christians or
Jews, but were afraid to ask... Chance Meetings on the BridgeStories of
unexpected but stimulating meetings of minds across the cultural
Gap. DownloadablesBanners, Images and Stamps. Please
link back to us! How this idea got started
Blog: Syrian Weblogs Disprove Islam is a Backward
religion Email from Damascus Free yourselves from false fears In
Dutch Syrische weblogs ontmaskeren de Islam nu definitief
als achterlijke godsdienst! Email uit Damascus Wees vrij van valse angst
Global Voices Online
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