THE MAP’S EDGE 4 BRAZIL
8 SIKKIM
Lepcha: Children of the Snowy Peak
A Home Away from Home
10 MADAGASCAR
12 SENEGAL
16 JORDAN
22 MOROCCO
BY JIMIN KANG
BY SHARON SITLING
BY STEVEN GU
BY CRYSTAL LIU
BY JOSHUA EMMOTT
BY MOHAMED ARGUINE
Princeton Bridge Year: To Have a Home
WINTER 2018
Photo Essay: Between the Lens & Me
Partnerships: Through the Eyes of an Educator
Interview: The Beat of a Different Drum
2017 Summer Photo Contest Finalists FIRST PLACE: LUISA ROJO (TOP LEFT) “As I was walking through Takmachik, a small village in Ladakh, India, I encountered three girls playing on a prayer wheel. The girls spun the prayer wheel in laughter and joy and occasionally, in a hushed voice, they would say “Om Mani Padme Hum.” To me, this picture captures the girls’ innocence and youth while holding onto tradition.” CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Luisa Rojo (First Place), Jenna Smith (Tied for Third), Cora Sutcliffe, Hannah Waraich, Eric Meicheng Lu, Elizabeth Shoup (Second Place), Katherine Weyback, Maddy Griffin (Tied for Third)
On the Cover “A Senegalese woman takes a break while preparing food for a naming ceremony and feast in Temanto Samba, Senegal. Temanto Samba is a village of 400 people in southern Senegal where the daily rhythms and customs have changed very little in the last few hundred years.”
—
MICAH LeMASTERS Senegal, Indonesia and Madagascar Instructor
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THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
Bridging Perspectives WORDS AARON SLOSBERG
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT PROGRAMMING
T
en years ago I guided twelve high school students around Guatemala for six weeks. It was a “typical” Dragons group, inasmuch as that can be said of any configuration of twelve unique personalities. They represented distinct interests and identities from across the US:
“jock,” “theater kid,” “activist,” “class clown,” and any other number of archetypal adolescent hats could be found in the group. For Michael, he proudly, and loudly, found traction as the “devil’s advocate.” This wasn’t a stretch or fabrication for Michael. Growing up in a conservative Texas town, Michael relished being the champion of the often unpopular opposing perspective. Discussions were (almost) always friendly and respectful. Even when the majority of the group disagreed with Michael, everyone simultaneously respected and felt frustrated by his persuasive rationality and rhetoric. A central theme of the course was exploration of the causes
with virtually no men between the ages of 18 and 30. We listened to
and conditions of global migration. By some estimates, there are
harrowing accounts of exploitation and abuse from those who had
over 1.5 million Guatemalans in the US (nearly 10% of Guatemala’s
ventured to El Norte. We stayed with families who had lost loved ones
national population) with 60% living as undocumented immigrants.
to corrupt coyotes promising a pathway to golden dreams. We broke
Remittances—money sent from expatriates working abroad—account
bread with fathers and mothers who had risked everything to pursue
for over 10% of Guatemala’s total GDP with the vast majority of the
a better life for their children. Through it all, we were welcomed with
approximately $6 billion annual influx originating in the US. While the
overwhelming hospitality and humility.
statistics are eye-opening, they only hint at the complex realities of migration as experienced through personal and communal stories.
At the end of our six weeks together, Michael said he wanted to say something to the entire group. Standing at the head of our final
Michael arrived with debate lines firmly drawn. Immigration was
dinner table, with a quiver of emotion in his usually steadfast voice,
as red and green as a traffic light: you choose to follow the rules of
Michael spoke about the strangers who welcomed him as family in
the road, or break the law and face the consequences. No amount
Guatemala. He spoke about the human stories and connections that
of statistics on rising crime rates or lack of economic opportunities
weaved their way into his heart and mind. Michael concluded with the
in Central America could cloud the issue. No eloquent articles about
proclamation that, “I can’t hold onto the same views because I am no
the displacement of farmers by industrialization and globalization
longer that same person who arrived in Guatemala six weeks ago.”
could accentuate the glowing yellow lighting between stop and go.
Michael’s words have stayed with me for a decade not as some
Michael was convinced of a worldview that left little room to deviate
triumph of one perspective over another; in fact, I’ve always tried to
from fixed standards of right and wrong, and little allowance for the
generate appreciation of students’ disparate views. What has stuck
complexity and context of bends in the road beyond our individual
with me all these years is the reminder that we are all capable of
control.
change at the deepest levels.
Psychologist Jonathan Haidt researches the compelling emotional
Surrounded by competing narratives of us and them, fear and
and sociological influences underlying our most closely held beliefs.
hope, sacred and profane, our ability to find common ground is
In his book The Righteous Mind, Haidt unveils the fallacy that human
increasingly paramount to the well-being of our local and global
rationality reigns supreme in governing our moral positions. Rather
communities. And while I’d like to believe we can reach that shared
than the rational brain forming our core beliefs and perspectives,
ground through reason and compromise, it is going to take an
it is far more likely that the deeply seated emotional brain is at the
emotional engagement beyond books and borders. Fundamental
foundation of our truths. Like the proverbial grain of sand at the
shifts in our beliefs will require human connection, and intellectual
center of a pearl, our religious, political, and moral positions are
understanding, while imperative in its own right, will not be sufficient
enveloped by many layers of retroactive justification. While we
to bridge polarized perspectives. We all stand to benefit from
fancy ourselves rational beings, many of our core beliefs are actually
going beyond the comforts of familiar discourse to engage a more
quite immune to contrary facts and lines of reasoning when they are
embodied and empathetic approach to learning. We may find that
divorced from human connection and emotion.
in those shared human connections it’s not only our views that will
As we moved through Guatemala, we lived with communities
be transformed.
—Aaron Slosberg AARON SLOSBERG h as worked as an educator and administrator for more than a decade, leading Dragons courses from Latin America to
Southeast Asia. A student of religion and history, Aaron researched “neurotheology” at UCLA before completing his Master’s degree in History. He is passionate about transferring Positive Psychology research to international education, and finding the perfect wave.
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To Have a Home WORDS & IMAGES JIMIN KANG
“EU SOU DA COREIA MAS MORO EM HONG KONG.” “I AM FROM KOREA BUT I LIVE IN HONG KONG.”
T
hus went the self-introduction I offered to the many people whom I grew to know, and love, throughout my nine months in
Instead, the crawling peaks, crowded streets and double-decker buses of Hong Kong laid the backdrop to the formative years of
Brazil. Whenever someone asked me who I was, I always offered a
my life. Hong Kong was where I learned to recognize the incredible
dual identity: I belonged to two places at once.
vastness of the world: it was in this cross-section of East and West
Yet the preposition ‘but,’ which I used instinctively, suggested
where I observed the existence of multiple cultural identities that
a different idea. ‘And’ would’ve been a natural acceptance of two
made me itch to experience more. And so, in August of 2016, I
separate, yet complementary, homes. ‘But’ suggested a gap—a need
boarded a flight to Princeton en route to my Bridge Year in Brazil.
to justify why I was not entirely Korean. The simple fact that I am
Korean, however, rendered Hong Kong an adopted city, which meant that my own self-explanation claimed I was associated with two places—but belonged to neither. Suffice it to say, I was probably the only one who ruminated over the semantics; my homestay mother only wanted to know if I liked what she made for breakfast.
mine, even if there were aspects of both that remained relatively unknown. Upon landing in Brazil, however, I realized that I’d been misguided
Despite my move to Hong Kong at the age of four, I was raised to believe I hadn’t fully left the country of my birth. Kimchi was a
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When I left Hong Kong, I wasn’t in doubt about who I was or where I came from. I believed I had two homes that were equally
all along. As I observed a host of communities that constitute the exhilarating state of Bahia, I understood that I’d never known what it truly means to ‘belong.’ How could I, with my cultural duality, relate to the Bahians
daily staple on our dinner table, and Korean was the language of
whose speech is peppered with colorful phrases and colloquialisms
the lullabies and reprimands that punctuated a childhood far from a
that belong to Bahia alone? Or to the soteropolitanos (residents of
birthplace I’d never really known.
Salvador) who sing about their beloved beaches and quaint praças
THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
(plazas) in the color and pomp of history-rich Carnaval? Could I ever
public transport system. But after the exuberant camaraderie that I’d
care about my cultural history in the same way that Professor Del, my
witnessed in Bahia, I anticipated something fantastic: ahead of me I
capoeira teacher, did, when his ginga (a basic move in capoeira that
saw a summer full of Korean literature detailing the joys and sorrows
sets a rhythm for the art) echoed his predecessors’ tumultuous past?
of my motherland, cultural activities like Korean drumming or dance
I knew little of the collective history that made me who I am, let alone the cultural quirks and idiosyncrasies that make Korea home to those who share my blood. My reality contrasted so greatly with that
with histories I could relate to, and intimate conversations shared with strangers on the street in a language I could call my own. For the first time in fifteen years, I thought, I’m going home!
of the Bahians who welcomed me into their lives, which were so richly
intertwined with the historical, geographical and cultural context they inhabited.
Fifteen years is a long time. Upon returning to Korea, I discovered
I reluctantly thought about returning home to Hong Kong, where I spoke just enough Cantonese to ask for the bill; otherwise, I spoke with the common, yet alienating, expatriate’s tongue. I thought about
that my fifteen years were so long that they had made me a foreigner in my own country. Most strikingly, there is a conspicuousness to my appearance that
Korea, a country I’d only caught glimpses of in moments that were
distinguishes me from all the other Koreans my age. The fact that
too ephemeral to feel real.
I don’t wear make-up, for example, has been a cause for comment
I resigned myself to think that things would never change. One quiet morning in March, however, I was lying in bed in the
various times this summer, and my colorful headbands and maxiskirts have elicited side glances more than once. Perhaps more importantly, there is a chasm between myself and my mother tongue that I have yet to bridge. I could tell you about
verdant land of Bahia’s Chapada Diamantina region when I received
what I had for lunch, but not about the state of Korean politics—nor
a call from my parents. After the cursory chat about the cat, my work
my own physical health. When I open my mouth, what many expect
and my mom’s premature anxieties over my college matriculation in
to be a fluent, standard Korean turns out to be a faltering, strangely
September, I found out that two weeks after wrapping up my life in
accentuated version of a language that has grown rusty over time.
Brazil, I’d be doing the same in Hong Kong.
The incongruity between who I thought I was and who I am left
Our family was moving back to Korea.
me devastated. I gradually lost the agency and independence I’d
My pre-Brazil self would have undoubtedly mourned an entire
developed while living away for so long, and ended up living in my
obligation-free summer without friends and any knowledge of the
parents’ shadow. I didn’t even read a single Korean book.
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But on the days Korea wasn’t there for me, I found to my surprise
my love for acarajé, the fried bean fritters I’d eat with friends after
that Brazil was. Slowly at first, but surely, Brazil became my getaway:
hours of practicing Portuguese. I miss the music and the visual arts
a reality that I could relate to and return to whenever I felt like an
that flourish across Salvador, and the days I painted lampposts with
outcast.
spray paint oozing down my hands. I miss the confidence with which
On the walls of my room sit film photographs of Salvador: the sea as seen from above Cidade Baixa, my neighborhood Candeal, and a oil-painter in Pelourinho. Portuguese terms with no English
Bahians wear their own skin, and the way I felt more comfortable in my own body than I’d ever been. More than anything, I miss the people who greeted me with a
or Korean equivalent continue to slip into my daily lexicon: oba! in
“seja bem-vindo” (be welcome) and bid me farewell with a “volte
moments of sudden surprise; nossa! in moments of amazement;
sempre” (return always). People who taught me that home can be
chato! when something is disappointing. I revel selfishly in these little
anywhere in the world, as long as there are people with space in their
linguistic souvenirs, as if Portuguese is something that I, as opposed
hearts. For me, these were community leaders who fought to keep
to the many others around me, can be exclusive with. My love for the
their neighborhoods alive. Mentors who taught me that the best way
language is so great that it led me to find a job in a churrascaria (a
to know a country is by showing kindness. Family members who
traditional Brazilian barbecue restaurant), where, four days a week, I
treated me as if I were genuinely a part of their bloodline, cooked
spend hours conversing in the nasal, lilting voice I created while living
my favorite Bahian foods and made me feel like I’d never left my real
abroad. To my surprise, I discover that I am better understood and
family to begin with.
appreciated in a language that isn’t mine. Maybe this is my attempt to dilute the gravity of my difference: if I adopt another identity, my loss of another would matter less. Or perhaps I just really miss the excitement of my nine months abroad. Most definitely, however, I find a deep consolation in the place, language and culture that makes Brazil what it is, and I often wonder if this is how people feel when they think about home. I believe that there are qualities in each of us that can only be realized in different contexts. I discovered that Brazil brought out a version of myself that inspires me most. To this day, I miss the candor 6
with which I greeted strangers on the street and told them about
THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
Thanks to them, I speak Portuguese with a smile and listen more deeply than I do in other languages. I miss not only Brazil, but who I was when I was there. What does it mean to be from a certain place? Are there rules that define where we can and cannot belong? Is the ‘mother tongue’ always the language that best expresses our thoughts? These are questions that I’m sure impact many lives beyond my own. For some, the idea of home comes easily: these are the friends
whose weekends were spent at their grandparents’, and whose
Portuguese, and from there joke around with my fellow staff in an
mastery of their native tongue always leaves me with a melancholic
odd mix of the three languages.
sort of envy. For others, home is not on a map, but is the map. Their
At first, I found the question offensive: I thought it was a
identity is peppered across various geographies and cultures that
backhand way of customers asking me to justify why I was so unlike
emphasize the unique traits of their personhood.
them. I was especially upset when Korean customers asked the
There is a huge privilege that comes with the capacity to identify with the latter type—to be able to travel, after all, is a gift.
question after I’d just explained the menu in my mother tongue. Of course, there are some customers who are insensitive, or even
Yet the fortune of travel often brings with it an eternal kind of what
rude, about my ambiguous identity. These people speak to me in a
the Portuguese-speaking world call saudade: the simultaneous
parodied garble of Spanish and English, even when I tell them I can
sadness and joy of missing something that no longer is, but finding
perfectly understand their Korean, and stop short of informing them
consolation in that it once was.
that no, Brazilians don’t speak Spanish. Yet when a customer asks
Saudade is what a traveler feels on a voyage away from home. Saudade is often what one feels when they think of home. So perhaps, when one reserves a space in their heart to remember a reality
politely with a genuine curiosity, I have a default answer that has come naturally over the past two months. If he or she is Brazilian, I often respond: “Eu sou da Coreia, mas
they once inhabited, they are essentially building themselves a place
cresci em Hong Kong e morava no Brasil por um ano.” (I’m from
of belonging, a place to return to, a place they could call home.
Korea, but I grew up in Hong Kong and spent a year in Brazil.)
“Where are you from?” is a question I receive daily at work.
The ‘but’ still remains, but not without reason—I still don’t feel like I ‘belong’ anywhere in the conventional sense. Unlike before, however, it upsets me a little less. Besides, as long as Brazil has made its way
I explain the menu in Korean or English, depending on who the
into the definition of who I am, I think my response is pretty accurate,
customer is. I then communicate the order to the kitchen in
and brings me a little closer to home.
JIMIN KANG is a freshman at Princeton University. During the 2016-2017 academic year, she spent nine months in Bahia as part of Dragons
Princeton Bridge Year Brazil program . PHOTOS (Page 4) An oil-painter holds up a painting featuring the seven members of our Bridge Year group. (Page 5) A shot of Candeal, my
adopted neighborhood, from my window. (Left) A capoeira roda outside the Brazilian Association of Capoeira Angola in Pelourinho, Salvador. (This Page) A mandala we drew by the ocean to welcome the new year.
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Lepcha: Children of the Snowy Peak WORDS SHARON SITLING IMAGE LILY ZIRLIN
O
ne enters the remote North-Eastern States of India through the Siliguri corridor, a narrow stretch of land no more than fifteen miles wide in parts that connect the sprawling semi-autonomous northeastern region to the rest of the Indian Subcontinent. One typically
approaches from the lowlands of the Gangetic Plains, where the bustling streets are filled with cows, goats, dogs and pedestrians. But upon nearing the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal and Sikkim, the crowd of humans thins, the air cools, and the sweat on one’s brow begins to evaporate. The straight roads rise suddenly and become winding switchbacks chasing the contours of the River Teesta. With the nearing monsoon, the river remains half shrouded in white fog, enveloping the dark, lush, green canopy. Veiled in mist, the mountain’s presence seems even more surreal. But even in this obscured light, one can tell the river has weakened. Once the River Teesta was as magnificent as the mountains, changing color with every season and reaching the most beautiful
way, qualifying the environmental impact of hydroelectric power
emerald green hue during the height of winter. Nowadays, the elders
projects on the Teesta is unfathomable to the Lepcha, who believe
and the mountains are the only witnesses to what it used to be, a
that everything in nature has a spirit. Their belief system leads them
result of human ingenuity and intervention. The recent introduction
to consider individual rocks and the value or respect given to each.
of hydroelectric power projects in Sikkim has already deeply
Later on during the course, an elder asked: “If one bores tunnels
impacted both the environment and the most fundamental ways
through entire mountains in order to divert the natural course of
in which local people live. The eco-cultural effects hide a deeper
the river, or digs canyons to build dams, how can one think that
spiritual consequences. The Teesta is sacred to the Lepcha people,
destruction won’t have an impact?”
a prominent indigenous tribe who inhabit Sikkim. To them, although
The Himalayan range is geologically young and prone to
dams have begun choking the river, the Teesta still exudes grace,
violent earthquakes, which makes construction in Sikkim unstable.
beauty and an ethereal spirituality that elevates its status to ‘The
Nevertheless, several dams already span the River Teesta, and many
Divine,’ ‘the Mother’ and ‘The Giver.’
more underway. As devastating as this is for the Lepcha, the proposal
The Lepcha believe their people originated within these valleys.
to build dams in Dzongu, an officially protected reserve designated
They call themselves ‘Mutanchi Rong Kup Rum Kup,’ which translates
as their ancestral homeland, was the last straw. Various groups
as ‘Children of the Snowy Peak and Children of God.’ The Lepcha are
banded together to form a resistance movement. They initiated a
nature worshippers, whose religion blends animism and shamanism
‘relay hunger strike,’ where groups of protesters took turns fasting
and is called bongthingism, or Munism. The tribe shares an inextricable
over long periods of time. The movement was meant to embody
relationship with nature as evidenced by their vocabulary, which con-
satyagraha, the spirit of non-violence and civil disobedience, or
tains one of the richest collections of names for local flora and fauna
“loyalty to the truth.” The strike lasted two and a half years in total,
recorded anywhere, and reveals a vast knowledge of naturopathy as
with participants fasting for two or three months at a time. Perhaps
well as holy texts. By some estimates, there are only 40,000 Lepcha
most encouraging was that the resistance was led mainly by villagers
remaining in Sikkim; their language is quickly disappearing and they
and the younger generations.
are fighting to preserve their lands and what is left of their culture. Sikkim’s two main rivers, the Teesta and Rangeet, play a vital role
One activist we spoke with commented that it was love for the land that had inspired him to take part in the protest. The movement helped
in Lepcha culture and cosmography. It is believed among the Lepcha
communicate to a larger audience the Lepcha people’s appeal to save
that after they die their souls are carried by these rivers to the heart
their land and heritage. And as the movement progressed, protesters
of Mount Kanchendzonga (Kanchenjunga), the mother deity and third
found a transformation happening within themselves as well. “I found
highest peak on earth. The mountains and rivers of Sikkim inhabit a
that I wasn’t fighting just for my community or a specific region,”
sacred place in Lepcha hearts; they not only provide sustenance, they
the activist later recounted. “I was motivated by the notion that the
play an essential role in birth, marriage and death rituals as well. The
movement could actually be an inspiration for all nations of the world.
Lepcha are also renowned for their rich collection of folktales, which
I hoped that it would encourage people to start questioning their
serve to entertain and educate the younger generations about the
relationship with the environment.” Although they faced opposition
importance of nature and their relationship to the mountains. They
and overcame “many hurdles,” the protesters discovered that when
believe that if children are introduced to these ideas at a young age, it
one is on the right path immense strength lies in reserve.
will help bring their hearts closer to their natural surroundings. On our recent Sikkim summer course, students found themselves
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allow or encourage them to think in those terms. In much the same
The Lepcha are no strangers to natural disasters. But the earthquakes and landslides that have become increasingly common
face-to-face with this philosophy. They were approached by a
in recent memory seem like omens: The Lepcha believe they are not
Lepcha shaman, who asked the group: “Do you ask permission from
alone in this fight; Nature is fighting alongside them. Some view the
a rock when you remove it or break it?” Our students answered,
post-damming misfortunes merely as random calamities, but the
obviously, “No.” Their reason was that the modern world doesn’t
Lepcha believe the Nature deities, known as rong, are thundering
THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
THE TRIBE SHARES AN INEXTRICABLE RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR VOCABULARY, WHICH CONTAINS ONE OF THE RICHEST COLLECTIONS OF NAMES FOR LOCAL FLORA AND FAUNA RECORDED ANYWHERE... their disapproval. Nowadays, most of the protesters from the villages
In hearing these words of caution, we felt directly responsible for
have gone back home to their fields. The struggle continues as
the safety of others. I did not throw my apple or garlic peel in the fire-
they build strength on their farms. To the Lepcha, land is not only a
pit, instead I quietly shoved them in my worn-out, oversized Columbia
means to bring food to the table, but an entity with which one shares
jacket. It struck me that in this day and age, where we associate
a deeper spiritual connection. It becomes important, absolutely
myths and old wives’ tales with superstition, we may also be tempted
necessary, in fact, to be connected to the land itself if one wishes to
to revive the art of storytelling and folktales because something
continue fighting for it.
about the mystery makes sense. In this way, mysticism gives birth to
On our recent Sikkim summer course, we hiked up to the village of Tshoka at around 15,000 feet and spent the night in cabins, gathered by the woodstove. As we nibbled on snacks and absorbed
the sacred, which nurtures love and respect for nature. As the shaman reminded us: “Anything can be sacred, if you choose it to be.” The Lepcha continue to fight for their cultural preservation. Their
the heat, an elder reminded us not to throw our fruit peels or trash
language has rapidly been replaced by other languages with stronger
into the fire. He didn’t say this thinking about environmentalism or
influences and growing populations since the 1970s. This led one
knowing that plastic fumes can be toxic. He offered the instruction
Lepcha historian, A.R. Foning, to write a book entitled My Vanishing
out of reverence to the mountain gods, believing that it might
Tribe in which he argues that when an ethnic group loses their
displease them. His face bronzed by the Himalayan sun and lines of
language, art and culture, their essence of identity is also erased. I
wisdom engraved on his brow, he said: “You don’t want to displease
don’t know if this is true. We live in a world in which a story from one
the mountain deities; people are out there trekking and it would be
corner of the world doesn’t need to live and die where it was born. It
risky for them.”
can be carried across the shores.
SHARON SITLING leads Dragons programs in Nepal and Sikkim and throughout the eastern Himalaya. After living in the US for a decade, she
returned home to Sikkim in Northeast India to work on sustainable agriculture projects. She currently works with the Mayal Lyang Lepcha Development Board in Kalimpong conducting surveys in remote villages and providing medical assistance to villagers in need.
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Madagascar: A Home Away from Home WORDS & IMAGES STEVEN GU
W
henever I thought about sharing my Madagascar with people, I was always struck by the urge to present them with the best of the best. So I showed them images of lemurs, canyons, rock forests, and baobab trees. Almost twenty days after I came back home,
however, I realized that these pictures were not what my Madagascar was about. My six weeks of travel were in many ways closer to the ground. My time was less about those iconic Malagasy national parks and eco-resorts, and more the average Malagasy life. It was in this spirit that I chose these photos and specific memories, recalling the Madagascar that became a home away from home. Thank you to Madagascar, and to those who shared it with me.
PHOTOS (This Page) My host father and his brother’s family who are farmers in Morondava. Behind them rise Baobab trees, one of the most
iconic symbols of Madagascar. (Top Right) Sitting on top of our camp, watching the earth forming beneath our feet. (Bottom Right) We spent three hours preparing for our march in the Baobab festival, learning how to wear traditional Lamba and getting our faces painted. TIANYUE GU (STEVEN) is a Chinese national and a student at Sonoma Academy. His creative energy is focused on spreading cultural awareness
and promoting world peace. He has produced 14 short films and is currently conducting research on rural farmers in Eastern Africa. Steven wants to become a marketer for global non-profits with the aim of bringing together people from different countries, races, religions, and ethnicities. 10 THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
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Between the Lens & Me WORDS & IMAGES CRYSTAL LIU
I was hesitant to bring my camera with me to Senegal. I suppose I approached photography with more of a moralist’s stance than a scientist’s, and I felt some intuitive distrust of images and imagemaking as it related to my educational experience. I worried about the fraught relationship between subject and photographer. I didn’t want to reproduce clichés and reduce people to flat, aesthetic purposes. At the same time, I wanted to remember what I would experience, and the fear of forgetting eventually overcame other qualms about the medium. I brought my camera, and I am both glad and regretful that I did. I learned something every time I felt conflicted about looking through the lens. Sharing photos helped me connect people across vast cultural and linguistic divides. And perhaps most gratifying, I found a way to use photography to celebrate and cherish the individuals and communities that I came to love. Still, I wonder what would have happened if I’d left my camera behind. How would I have engaged differently with the people around me? How would I remember my experiences differently now? The photos I’ve chosen for this piece do not obviously belong together. They are not connected by any event or story, nor are they broadly representative of my experiences in Senegal. But they do mean something to me. To my mind, photography, if it imparts any understanding at all, can only do so truthfully when it reveals something about the photographer. CRYSTAL LIU participated in the 2014-15 Princeton Bridge Year
Senegal program. She is currently studying philosophy at Princeton where she writes for The Nassau Weekly and is the co-president of Ellipses Slam Poetry.
PHOTOS (Top Left) A young girl shopping at a market in the
neighborhood of Medina, in Dakar. She is examining tomatoes, with piles of manioc and lettuce behind her. (Bottom Left) An alley on Gorée Island, which was a major slave trading port until the 1770s. I’m drawn to this photo because of how the greenery frames the shot. I feel like I might be looking backwards or forwards into time. (Top Right) This photo was taken in Medina, near downtown Dakar. Bamba Feep means, “Bamba everywhere.” Cheikh Amadou Bamba founded the Mouride Brotherhood in Senegal. His name and image are everywhere, as the graffiti demonstrates. (Bottom Right) I took this photo on a whim and only later noticed that the colors in the women’s clothes were almost perfectly reflected in the graffiti on the wall behind them. A lucky shot, and now a favorite. 12
THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
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The view beyond the village of Dene, a religious community founded by our Bridge Year instructor’s father. My friend Lauren sits with her homestay sister, Yacine.
A wedding that my homestay family and I attended. My homestay dad is sitting in the middle, wearing a turquoise boubou and a green cap. My sisters were with me on the rooftop. We were taking selfies.
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THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
My first stop while exploring different neighborhoods in Dakar was Ngor, a commune close to Yoff. Ngor and Yoff were once fishing villages located near the shore with houses built close together, forming narrow passages and alleyways. I passed this courtyard walking back from the water.
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Milton in Jordan: Transcending Limitations of the Classroom WORDS JOSHUA EMMOTT
THROUGH THE EYES OF AN EDUCATOR
O
ne of the challenges teaching Middle East history to high school students is how to immerse them in a foreign culture, especially one they only know through the media depictions of war in Iraq and Syria or terrorist attacks in Europe. In our classroom at Milton Academy
Massachusetts I have struggled to use texts, videos and Skype interviews with people in the region to move beyond a superficial understanding of culture, gender, religion and how modern day Middle Eastern societies work. Having lived and traveled in the Middle East, I am able to bring personal anecdotes to our studies. But I have felt that even though my students can converse intelligently about the politics and history of the region, they still leave my class feeling that Islam and Muslim culture are opaque and impenetrable topics that they do not really understand, and so they are left with little understanding of the diverse voices that are active and vibrant in the region. This frustration and inability to provide students with a holistic
to think about how the elderly are treated in the United States versus
to connect my classroom to the Middle East. This is how I found
the Jordanian approach of having your elders move into your house
myself in Madaba, Jordan in March 2016 with nine other American
when they become too frail to live on their own.
teachers learning about experiential education for the first time.
After tea was poured—a sweet, sugary, aromatic mint tea that
Having been a Peace Corps volunteer in Jordan and having traveled
is the mainstay of all social interactions in Jordan—we all gathered
extensively in the region, I thought I knew everything there was to
around the family table while Khaloud shared her life story with us.
know about Jordan, only to discover that I was quite mistaken.
Khaloud’s father arranged for Khaloud to be married to a Saudi man
In March 2017, I returned to Jordan with eight of my Milton
twenty years her senior when she was a young teenager. After her
Academy students for a ten-day cultural immersion into Jordanian
second child, Khaloud resolved that she was going to challenge the
society. None of my students had traveled to the Middle East before
patriarchal structure of Saudi Arabia and run away to Jordan to get
and one of them had never left the United States. From the moment
divorced, as there exists no such option to escape an oppressive
we stepped out of the Queen Alia Airport into the hot desert air until
marriage for a woman in Saudi Arabia. Khaloud then shared her story
our return home ten days later, all of our assumptions about what
of building a new life in Jordan, and how difficult it is to be a divorced
Jordan represented, who we were, and what it meant to be a citizen
woman in a society where marriage is the norm. This powerful and
of the world were constantly being challenged, tested and affirmed.
personal experience of sitting in Khaloud’s apartment with her family
Our Dragons partnership course was deliberately designed to
as she shared her life story raised more questions than answers. After
take everyone out of their comfort zone and provide time for each
two hours listening intently to Khaloud’s story, the students paid
member of the group to process at their own pace. In Amman, my
respects to the family and we departed. We regrouped at Al Jadal
students would gather every night on the rooftop terrace of our
café in Amman to digest and process Khaloud’s journey and better
hotel to passionately discuss and debate for hours the impact of
understand what this revealed about the role of women in Jordanian
the Syrian refugee crisis on the stability of Jordan; what it means
society.
to be Jordanian; the role of Islam in Jordanian society; whether
The power of our Dragon’s course in Jordan was that we never
the tribal structure is a force for regime stability or an obstacle to
knew where the conversation was going to take us. Our visit to Al
democratic reform; and how to understand the role of women in
Jadal was meant to be a fun break from the heady discussions of
Jordan. Questions abound in the moment, but for some, our ten days
the morning and an opportunity to learn the debkhe (traditional
in Jordan also resulted in an overwhelming encounter with ‘the world’
Jordanian dance). For over an hour, our group tried to follow the lead
that left them still processing the experience weeks after we had
of our female instructor as we attempted to replicate the debkhe,
returned to Milton.
which looks like a simple line dance, yet is deceptively complicated.
To start our exploration of Jordanian culture and gender, our
16
role of elderly family members in their lives. We were all challenged
understanding of the Middle East led me to explore alternative ways
After an hour of going right instead of left, we took a break to have
group was invited to lunch by a remarkable woman named Khaloud.
a traditional Jordanian dinner cooked by Syrian refugee women
The students and I spent an entire afternoon in Khaloud’s apartment
working with an NGO associated with Al Jadal. After dinner the
with her two college-aged children and her elderly parents. Over
owner of Al Jadal sat down for tea and explained how his café was
the course of an hours-long feast, the students practiced their
opened after the Arab Spring as a forum to debate the future of
recently-acquired Arabic language skills; learned what it was like
Jordanian politics and society. During our discussions, one of my
to be a young women studying science at a Jordanian college; and
students asked the owner of the café to explain an aside that he had
from Khaloud’s father, what it is like to be a Palestinian who lived in
made about the role of Islam in Jordanian society. Our discussion of
Saudi Arabia and now resided with his divorced daughter in Amman,
politics suddenly took a turn and we found ourselves challenged to
Jordan. In our discussions over a mountain of kebabs, bread and
think about what the role of religion should be in society. Moreover,
grilled vegetables, the students shared their family stories and the
we were challenged to consider our individual role in creating a more
THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
equitable society. When should one engage in political protest or
their host families, and that there were other students who were
support the status quo? Is democracy the best form of government?
completely overwhelmed, questioning whether they could spend
This unexpected turn in our dinner discussion led to another
another day in ad-Disah. The two female students in our group were
late night on the rooftop of our hotel as my students developed a
struggling with the gender roles and how to reconcile their personal
reading list of books they planned to read post-trip in order to better
views with communal norms of ad-Disah.
understand what was possible if one wanted to create a better world. From Amman, we crammed into a small Jordanian bus and
On day two of our homestay there was a wedding in the village, which created a lot of excitement among the students. Jordanian
STEPPING OUT OF OUR SMALL BUS INTO THE DARKNESS AND SILENCE OF THE DESERT, SURROUNDED BY THE STONE CLIFF FORMATIONS OF WADI RUM, MY GROUP FELL SILENT AND NEARLY PARALYZED IN AWE OF THE LUNAR-LIKE SURROUNDING WHERE WE WOULD BE SPENDING THE NIGHT. traveled south to Wadi Rum and our four-day homestay in the desert
weddings are multi-day affairs where men and women celebrate in
town of ad-Disah. This was the first time we had left Amman and trav-
separate locations. For the men, the weddings are all-day affairs in
eled into rural, conservative Jordan. After four hours driving passed
which they sit under long tents and drink rounds of tea and discuss
flat sandy expanses, highway rest stops, and small settlements with
family and politics for hours on end. For my students, sitting for hours
twenty houses surrounded by endless brown landscape we passed
with a limited ability to speak Arabic, and having to politely drink
through ad-Disah in the dark and arrived at Salah’s Bedouin camp
dozens of cups of sugary tea, not understanding what the hundreds
at the entrance to Wadi Rum. Stepping out of our small bus into the
of men in the tent were discussing, turned into an endurance contest
darkness and silence of the desert, surrounded by the stone cliff
and a real challenge to embrace a way of life that moves at a glacial
formations of Wadi Rum, my group fell silent and nearly paralyzed
pace compared to Milton. During one of our many discussions under
in awe of the lunar-like surrounding where we would be spending
the tent, the students observed that all of the younger men in ad-
the night. Sitting on the floor of the Bedouin tent we were treated
Disah had cellphones and spent hours upon hours transfixed by the
to a traditional feast. As we ate, we again engaged in a discussion
screens. This ultimately led the students to start discussing the role
with our host Salah, this time on the role of tourism in Jordan and its
that cellphones played in their own lives, and how the absence of a
impact on traditional Bedouin societies like that of ad-Disah, where
cellphone in Jordan had made them rethink the role that technology
each of us would live with a host family for the following four days.
plays in their lives back at Milton. Transference, in a way, had begun.
As we ate breakfast at Salah’s camp, the group was noticeably
Our last night in Jordan was a magical evening spent out in the
quiet and visibly nervous about the prospect of living alone with an
middle of Wadi Rum sitting in a circle under the stars discussing ways
unknown family in an unknown place. During our debrief before the
in which we could bring our experience in Jordan back to Milton. As
homestay it was clear that everyone was very apprehensive about how
it turned out, one of the female students in our group, Mollie, spent
they would spend four days with a family that did not speak English:
her final month of school volunteering at a local mosque helping with
How would they know what to do? How would they know what the
Ramadan preparations and furthering her understanding of Islam.
cultural cues were? What if someone made a cultural faux pas?
One of the six boys in our group, Matt, returned to Jordan this past
Our two Dragons leaders, Cate Brown and Elley Cannon explained
summer to teach English at a local school in Zarqa in far eastern
how the homestay would work and patiently answered everyone’s
Jordan. The rest of the students have all expressed a sincere desire to
questions. When the clock struck 10AM we all piled into the back of
pursue Arabic and Middle East History this fall as they start college.
a pickup truck and headed into ad-Disah to drop the students off at
The most fulfilling part of this experience for me was during our
their new home for the next four days. The truck ride into ad-Disah
final night in Jordan, as I sat under a blanket of stars in Wadi Rum
was the quietest I have ever seen my students.
listening to each member of the group articulate the ways in which he
After a night in our homestays, we all congregated in the diwan
or she had been challenged on this course and the ways in which they
(living room) of my host family’s house and debriefed our first
had grown both as a person and in their understanding of Jordan.
twenty-four hours in ad-Disah. Two of the boys arrived in traditional
Back at Milton, in our final month of the course, I took immense
Bedouin dress as their host families had taken them shopping in
satisfaction in listening to the eight students who went to Jordan
town. The two girls in our group were dressed in traditional Bedouin
help their peers to better understand the cultural complexity of the
dress of head scarves and long robes as within this conservative
kingdom. My goal is to bring my entire Middle East History class to
society the female dress code is prerequisite for an immersive
Jordan every March. The impact of this trip on their understanding
homestay experience. Right away it was clear that some of the
of local culture and society proved that experiential education is not
students were having a great time and were forming bonds with
only measurable, it is transformative.
JOSHUA EMMOTT was a participant on Dragons 2016 Jordan Educator course. Following the Educator Course, Joshua helped formalize the first
Dragons-Milton Partnership Course in Jordan the spring of 2017. He and his students are headed back to Jordan with Dragons again in 2018. Joshua first traveled to Jordan in 1997 as a member of Peace Corps. Later, he and his wife Anne started a business importing olive oil soap from Syria and carpets and jewelry from Yemen and Pakistan. Since 2003, Josh has lived and taught Middle East History at Milton Academy.
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17
Milton in Jordan: Discovering the Middle East WORDS & IMAGES MATTHEW MAGANN
THROUGH THE EYES OF A STUDENT “ISN’T IT DANGEROUS?” That’s the main question I heard when I told people I was traveling to Jordan. By and large, the West’s conception of the Middle East centers around terror, and mentioning the region calls to mind the horrors of September 11th and Islamic State. That isn’t the picture I got in Jordan. Fear never crossed my mind as I walked through the bustling alleyways of Amman. A mixture of people, shops and traffic filled the streets of the capital city, whose
naturally. Or, as I suspect, the welcoming culture I experienced in Jordan extends to everyone, regardless of language or nation. Although the Middle East may not fit the violent stereotypes of
electronics vendors and cafés melded together with ancient souks
the West, it has undoubtedly suffered through some of the worst
and Roman ruins. I witnessed a dynamic and rapidly changing society,
atrocities of modern times. Jordan, despite its own stability, has
albeit one deeply impacted by regional events. Massive, repeated
had to deal with the impacts of the conflicts surrounding it. Most of
inflows of refugees have heavily taxed Jordan’s limited natural
the population is not native Jordanian. A majority have Palestinian
resources. Despite that, it remains a stable and vibrant nation, one of
ancestry, and the recent conflict in Syria has brought in nearly 1.5
the most successful in the Middle East.
million new refugees. A massive influx of Palestinians arrived in the
I spent ten days this past March in Jordan as part of a Dragons
wake of the 1948 war, and with some obstacles, Jordan has managed
Partnership program with my high school, Milton Academy. We flew
to successfully integrate them into society. The current Queen Rania
into Amman, where we stayed for a few days before driving down
of Jordan is Palestinian-Jordanian, for example. Unlike neighboring
to ad-Disah, a Bedouin village in the southern deserts near Saudi
Lebanon, Palestinian refugees and their descendants can adopt
Arabia. Although I had studied the Middle East both in class and
Jordanian citizenship. Issues still exist surrounding Palestinian-
VISITING JORDAN AND SPEAKING WITH BOTH REFUGEES AND THOSE HELPING THEM GAVE ME A BETTER GRASP OF THE PROBLEM. IT ALSO HUMANIZED THE CRISIS FOR ME. independently, I had never left the Western world before and little
Jordanians, but considering the sheer number of people involved,
prepared me for the experience I had in Jordan. I saw scars borne
Jordan has had remarkable success in integrating refugees.
of the conflict and turmoil that continues to plague the region, but
challenge. I met with multiple NGO workers helping the Jordanian
previously experienced.
government to handle Syrian refugees. The refugees have created
As a tall, white, blue-eyed American, I clearly stood out on the
tension within Jordan, which accepted them on the premise that
streets of Amman. So I quickly learned that in Jordan nearly everyone
they would return to Syria at the close of the conflict. Unfortunately,
bids you welcome. Whether alone or with our student group, people
the current situation does not lend itself to any sort of peaceful
would spontaneously call out “Hello!” in English or “Ahlaan wa
resolution. The tide of the war seems to have turned in Assad’s
sahlaan!” (welcome) in Arabic. In possession of only the name of a
favor. While some refugees would contemplate returning to a state
restaurant and the Jordanian Arabic term wa’in (where), I managed
under his rule, for those refugees who had any involvement with the
to navigate through the labyrinth of Amman’s streets, each person
opposition return could mean death. The mass migration of Syrians
I asked immediately pointing out the next few turns like a personal
has put a strain on Jordan’s social services, and many Jordanians
guide.
dislike the prospect of permanently settling refugees in Jordan.
I spent the most time immersed in Jordanian culture while
Although the government welcomes material aid, relief agencies
staying with a Bedouin host family. They spoke little English, and
often come up against opposition when they try to integrate refugees
I no Arabic, yet I felt immediately welcomed into their home. The
into society.
children in my family weren’t quite sure why I didn’t understand
Like many others, I had read about the crisis in the Mediterranean
Arabic, but they took me around the village, introducing me to their
and the controversies surrounding Syrian refugees, but the issue still
friends and cousins and inviting me to play soccer. For a region so
seemed distant and detached from my experience. Visiting Jordan
often stigmatized as hostile and violent towards the West, I found
and speaking with both refugees and those helping them gave me
Jordan unusually friendly and welcoming. I certainly met Jordanians
a better grasp of the problem. It also humanized the crisis for me.
who held political disagreements with America, but I never felt those
These people were not faceless, helpless masses nor were they
tensions shifted onto me as an individual. Perhaps in a region where
fanatical Islamists determined to bring down America. They were
states are often artificial and leaders frequently lack the popular
people not very different from myself.
mandate, separating the individual from the nation comes more 18
In recent years, the Syrian refugee crisis has presented a new
I also found an audacity and an authenticity unlike anything I had
THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
I met one man who had been a lawyer in Deraa, a rebel-occupied
PHOTO Abu Hussein, the mayor of the
village of ad-Disah, recalls nomadic life before the founding of the village.
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19 
20 THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
I SPOKE WITH A WOMAN WHO HAD FLED AN ABUSIVE ARRANGED MARRIAGE... I MET ONE YOUNG MAN WHO DID NOT BELIEVE IN GOD, PUTTING HIS SOCIAL STANDING AND EVEN HIS LIFE IN DANGER IN ORDER TO STAND FOR WHAT HE BELIEVED IN... I SAW ACTS OF COURAGE, LIKE THE YOUNG BEDOUIN FATHER WHO BOTTLE-FED HIS BABY SON, CUTTING AGAINST TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES. city in southern Syria and the scene of intense fighting. His life had
in other cultures as divorced from our own reality, as not our issue.
not been that different from my own. He studied at the university
Spending time in Jordan broke down those barriers of culture and
and lived a comfortable life with his family. Then one day his home
geography, revealing to me how fundamentally familiar and how
was bombed by Assad’s forces and he was forced to flee across the
fundamentally human the seemingly distant Arab world is.
border to Jordan, where he now lives as a refugee, separated from
I still haven’t quite processed my time in Jordan. It’s been eight
his wife and children. Despite that, he volunteers his time helping less
months now, but I still think about my time there. I’m now beginning
fortunate Syrians adapt to life in Jordan. His audacity in continuing
college, and I’ve decided to study Arabic this year. I hope to return
to advocate for refugees was not unusual. I spoke with a woman
back to Jordan, perhaps this summer, to build on the experience I
who had fled an abusive arranged marriage, risking her life to do
had. Something about the streets of Amman, with their traffic and
so. I met one young man who did not believe in god, putting his
little DVD stands and restaurants and car horns and the smell of
social standing and even his life in danger in order to stand for what
tobacco and the long nights spent up on rooftop balconies talking
he believed in. Even on a small level, I saw acts of courage, like the
through meaning and purpose and direction, impacted me deeply. My
young Bedouin father who bottle-fed his baby son, cutting against
time in Jordan drastically changed the way I think, and it continues to
traditional gender roles. We often rationalize the suffering of those
challenge me, both as an individual and as a citizen of the planet.
MATTHEW MAGANN attended a 2016 Dragons Partnership program with Milton Academy in Jordan. Originally from the Boston area, he current-
ly studies at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he is a writer for The Dartmouth and an active member of the Dartmouth Outing Club. He also works at the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory in Milton, MA, has volunteered at a number of archaeological digs, and has recently begun work at a Dartmouth ice core lab. PHOTOS (Top Left) A portrait of Jordan’s King Abdullah, an ubiquitous sight throughout the country. (Bottom Left) Herds of sheep coexist with
upscale apartments and embassies in Jebel Amman, a neighborhood of the capital. (This Page) The streets of Amman.
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21
The Beat of a Different Drum: An Interview With a Berber Poet WORDS MOHAMMED ARGUINE IMAGES SHINO YOSHEN
Y
ears ago, when I was approached to lead Dragons first summer course in Morocco, I found myself considering who should join us on our trek in the High Atlas mountains. I contacted five local guides, all of whom were very fit and had years of experience. Among them
was a man named Ben M’barek, and from all I had heard, I was hoping he would accept the invitation. I was looking for one of the guides to provide more than just loading his mule from one campsite to another, setting up tents, and serving food. I was hoping to find someone who would reflect the cultural traditions, ethnic diversity, and character of Morocco—someone who would embody the spirit of our mission and our values.
THE EARLY LIFE OF BEN M’BAREK
Ben M’barek never went to school, nor did any of his eight kids.
Ben M’barek was born in the village of Boutaghrar, a tiny hamlet at
He considered school a luxury reserved for fortunate families, so
the northern edge of the Valley of Roses, on October 1948. His father
when he was young he worked in the fields like his mother and found
was one of the first men in the village to immigrate to France in the
side jobs on construction crews. Later on, he worked on and off as a
late 1940s, and he ultimately married 15 women and fathered 33
sheep herder for fourteen years and found it to be more to his liking.
children, leaving Ben to live with his mother.
Long days of solitude on the mountain slopes appealed to his restless
M’barek’s mother, Touda Hmad Ait El Qaseh, was as committed to her children as she was connected to nature. As a single mother, she
nature. He would come back home tired and reflective, but brimming with his love for poetry and local music.
would leave home early in the morning to help wealthy families from the village and neighbors in their fields—anyone who needed help
BEN M’BAREK AS AN ARTIST
collecting grass for their animals and irrigating their crops—for a few
Ben M’barek first discovered his passion for poetry and music at the
vegetables in return. On the best days, she would return home with a
age of seven. He found no greater joy than attending weddings in
cone of sugar for the family. Ben M’barek never forgot the sacrifices
the village, particularly because he was allowed to perform ahidous,
his mother made and, as she grew older, he insisted that she live
a traditional Berber folk dance from Morocco’s Middle and High
with him and his family. She lived with her son until 2008 when she
Atlas Mountains. Ahidous is, in fact, the only dance or musical style
passed, having lost her sight three years earlier.
performed at village weddings across the region. People sit in a
22 THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
PHOTOS (Left) Ben M’Barek in yellow shirt with Mohammed Arguine in red shirt. (This Page) Mohammed Arguine.
large square—women on one side and men on another—leaving the
for the best folk dancers to perform for King Hassan II. Ben M’barek
center of the square open like a dance floor for anyone who wants
was chosen as a member of a group of eight men and women and
to perform. Male drummers sit in rows singing while women repeat
told to prepare them for the event. He entertained the king and his
the lyrics, and there is a master of ceremony to manage the floor and
retinue throughout the week and the performances were very well
organize the groups who wish to perform.
received. Afterwards, M’Barek became even more respected among
It was during celebrations like these that Ben M’barek’s skills in poetry, dancing and drumming found a stage. Even at a young age,
local authorities and they began requesting him for more events. Ben M’barek’s life changed dramatically, and he soon found
his remarkable range made him a complete artist in the eyes of many
himself performing at large gatherings and weddings across
and he started to attract the attention of people in the village. He
Ouarzazate province. Invitations started flowing in from other places,
had a very lively imagination that enabled him to excel in a number
much further away, some even from non-Berber speaking regions like
of genres—from romance, religion and humor to history and social
Casablanca, Marrakesh and Tangier. Although audiences could not
criticism. Before long, word of his talent had spread across the region
have understood his lyrics or comprehended more than a few words
and it was said that any wedding Ben M’barek attended was likely to
of his language, they were nevertheless drawn to the authenticity and
be a great success and attract hundreds of people.
traditional movements of his dances. During these concerts, he would
In time, Ben M’barek became one of the most famous ahidous performers in the region of Imgoun. He and his band started to receive special invitations to weddings and local gatherings, where
instruct his band to play handmade drums and ask that performers respect a traditional dress code that reflected their Berber identity. In 2009, after the death of his best friend and companion of
they became known by local authorities, who then invited them to
over three decades, Ben M’barek decided to retire from ahidous.
perform at national concerts and religious celebrations. These would
His friend’s name was Ahmed ou Daoud and, next to Ben M’barek,
mark the first time M’barek accepted compensation for his music;
he was considered the second best drummer in the region. Some
until then he had typically refused money because he considered
even considered him more talented in the genres of love and
adihous a performance emanating from the pureness of his heart.
romance. Neither Ben nor Ahmed ever showed any inclination
Music and poetry were what kept him alive and young.
toward competition; on the contrary, they performed together
In 1986, Hassan II, King of Morocco, made a trip to the remote
in a harmonious way that was noted and respected by everyone.
southeast of the country and passed through Kelaat M’Gouna, the
Whenever they performed together, the event would attract masses
Valley of Roses, and Ben M’barek’s home. His visit was a major event
of people. Ahmed ou Daoud’s death left Ben M’barek in such despair
in the region. Local authorities went from village to village searching
that he did not perform for over a year. And it took considerable
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23
persuasion from supporters before he agreed to perform again.
some people who leave Morocco for Europe or the United States
When he returned, he made changes to the group and brought
deal with homesickness and being absent from their loved ones.
in new performers, incorporating several young male and female dancers. He also decided to be more organized, and Ben began
BEN M’BAREK AND HIS DRAGONS LOVE STORY
acting as their manager.
Dragons first Morocco course in 2007 included a five-day trek starting in Tabant in the Azilal region and to Boutaghrar, my small
BEN M’BAREK AS A MOUNTAIN GUIDE
village at the very northern opening of the Valley of Roses winding
Boutaghrar, Ben M’barek’s village, is a picturesque canyon-oasis
around 4,071 meter M’goun, the third tallest mountain in Morocco.
situated at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains, where a maze
Upon the finalizing the itinerary, I called Ben M’barek hoping he
of herders’ paths lead up toward the higher peaks. Working as a
would be available to accompany us on Dragons’ first trek in the
trekking guide was a source of income for some in the community,
High Atlas.
but at the time Ben M’barek had never considered doing such a job.
“You’re the first person from Boutaghrar to bring a group of
He was blessed with knowledge of the mountain trails and a pleasant
tourists and they aren’t even French!” he said. “I have other offers but
personality, but he never attended school nor did he speak any
since you reached out to me personally, and we are from the same
language other than Tamazight, the ancient language of the Berber.
village, I will be happy to go with you. I danced at your mother’s
Until then, he had spent his days working in the fields, herding
wedding and I know your family very well, so we’ll not talk about
and performing poetry and ahidous in the evenings. He wasn’t a
compensation. My team and I will help the first international guide
mountain guide.
from Boutaghrar!”
Ben M’barek was approached by a friend who was preparing to
Over the years, Ben M’Barek has become one of the most
take a group of French hikers on a week-long trek through the High
experienced guides in the region. He knows the paths and water
Atlas Mountains. Ben M’barek did not know all the little hamlets nor
springs and nomadic herders. He is also a committed educator. He
had he memorized the winding paths or best places to camp, but
has taught Dragons students Berber folk dances. He has taught them
he knew the way and the trip was a life-changing experience. He felt
poetry. He has shared the essence of his imagination with great love,
appreciated by the tourists, physically challenged, at peace out in
energy and ambition and became an integral part of the Dragons
nature and, on a deeper level, he enjoyed the curiosity of the hikers
experience in Morocco. From 2007 through 2010, he led trips
and their interest to learn more about him.
with unfailing energy, ingenuity and affection. And when Dragons
Every day after hours of trekking, Ben M’barek would take out his drum, sit on a rock and start playing whatever came to mind. He never thought his songs would attract the attention of tourists who
reopened the Morocco summer course in 2017, Ben M’barek was ready to come back and join us again. After discussing the idea of interviewing him for an article
didn’t understand a word of the Tamazight language. But they asked
in Dragons newsletter, Ben M’barek opened his heart and house
him what the lyrics meant and to teach them how to dance. With the
to me, and introduced me to his family with same generosity he
help of one of the main guides, Ben M’barek explained the themes of
has always offered. It was a great honor to be welcomed into his
his poetry. The guide explained that M’Barek was singing about his
modest home and meet his wonderful family. As lunch was being
love for the High Atlas Mountains and that he hoped not to see what
prepared, Ben M’barek introduced me to his wife, Zahra Alili, who
might be hiding behind them. The oxygen of his life, its meaning,
is around 65 years old. He told me that leading Dragons trips has
flows down from the peak of the highest mountain to his soul
helped him build a better house, buy new furniture and feed his
through the drops of rain and flakes of snow—pure and white as his
children and grandchildren. His family feels indebted to Dragons
heart, and imbued with love for this region, which to him is heaven
for their better life. But I assured him that it is Dragons, and myself,
on earth. He also sang about his mother and how he missed her on
who are indebted to M’Barek for wisdom and hospitality he has
the days when he was away from the mountains. He wondered how
provided us.
24 THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
BEN M’BAREK’S POETRY
PARENTS (MOTHER) AND THEIR ROLE AND IMPORTANCE IN HIS LIFE A yighfinou aya wa madash urnji? Oh my head, what did I do to you? Kigh aari kigh Iberian I went into the mountains and walked the long road Samhi ya Rebbi j mmanu Oh Allah, God, forgive me for what I did to my mother Ari tbabba allij nkhater She carried me on her back until I got older
LOVE, ROMANCE Allah A lhamm iwer yadi tneqat I swear, I won’t be concerned any more Zin wenna mi ychtab att yiwin The beauty goes to the one who deserves it A tisijnut rezmid iwmalu Oh, cloud give me some shade Kigh abrid istegh uzal hifi I walked the road and it gets so hot and sunny A tizzizwa han luz ifsa yam Oh bees, the almond tree is blossoming for you A la mattrit alili hat iherrayam Why go to the bitter flowers, go to the sweet beautiful ones Ishqa beddu n zzin ichqa It is so hard to separate with your lover Wakha aghi zzay wagga, llan isdwan Even if it is a heavy burden and there is a way to rest Wakha kigh abrid hat ibaadagh Even if I’m walking on the road, I know it is very far A madden madawn illan g wayd righ Oh people, what do you want from my love
MOHAMED ARGUINE is a longtime Dragons instructor having worked the first Morocco summer course in 2007. After moving to the US where
he received his Master’s from Brandeis in Sustainable International Development, he worked for the Peace Corps and then the United Nations Development Program both in New York City and globally. Mohamed recently led Dragons inaugural Madagascar semester program.
WWW.WHERETHEREBEDRAGONS.COM
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A LU M NI S POT LIGHT CHRIS TEMPLE Andes & Amazon Semester ‘07 Chris
Temple
embarked
on
his
RYAN COOPER Peru Summer ‘09
GARLAND MASON Guatemala Summer ‘05
latest
adventure to inspire action around the Syrian refugee crisis. His award-winning film Salam Neighbor gives a raw and relatable glimpse into everyday life in a Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, as well as a better understanding of the people most affected by the crisis. Watch it on Netflix.
GREG SHAPIRO Andes & Amazon Semester ‘11 12 Hours in Havana: Build your perfect day in Cuba is the debut travel guide by Dragons Alumnus Greg Shapiro. The book came from an organic desire to give travelers and tourists a relatable user-friendly entry point into the city. Find the guide at: www.12HoursinHavana.com
ESPOIR DELMAIN West Africa Semester ‘16 Espoir is currently attending Dickinson College as a Public Service Fellow. She’s making a podcast using the language she learned in Senegal and was recently
Inspired by our Dragons instructors, who volunteered with Peace Corps, we are both
published on the Concordia Language
serving as food security volunteers with Peace Corps Nepal. We recently took a trek to
Villages WorldView Blog for an article she
Langtang National Park in Nepal (pictured) and were reminded of the values instilled in
wrote about her time in West Africa.
us during our trip as we ventured off the tourist track to drink tea with yak herders.
NEW PROGRAMS IN 2018 SUMMER: COLOMBIA & BHUTAN
SEMESTER: PATAGONIA & PERU
DRAGONS EDUCATOR SERIES
It’s not every year that Dragons runs
Dragons is excited to announce a new
Designed and staffed specifically for
summer courses in new program areas. So
Patagonia and Peru semester in partnership
teachers, administrators and experiential
it is with great pride and excitement that we
with the High Mountain Institute. The
educators, Dragons is offering professional
officially introduce Bhutan: Happiness in the
Andean-focused program will feature
development programs to deepen and
Himalaya and Colombia: Stories of Peace &
homestays, language immersion, rock
enhance your work in the classroom. For
Resistance to our 2018 summer offerings.
climbing and outdoor leadership curriculum.
more information and to see a full listing of
Check out our new catalog for details or
More information available at:
our Educator Programs in Nicaragua, Nepal,
view a full listing of all student programs at:
wheretherebedragons.com/program/south-
China and more, visit us at:
wheretherebedragons.com/students
america-andes-leadership-semester
wheretherebedragons.com/educators
26 THE MAP’S EDGE Winter 2018
WHAT’S NEW AT W H E R E T H E R E B E D R AG O N S .CO M
GLOBAL SPEAKER SERIES Did you know you can bring a Dragons
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DRAGONS BLOG
If you haven’t already heard, we’ve created a new blog packed with resources for all past, present and future Dragons participants! Updated weekly with community announcements, recommended media, featured yaks, instagram highlights and more resources we’re thrilled to share with you! /news
instructor right into your home or classroom for engaging conversations on critical global issues? Topics include: The Forces Behind Migration from Central America; Introduction to Islam; Good Intentions with Complicated Outcomes; and more. We call it our Global Speaker Series and it’s free! More details at
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DRAGONS IS NOW A B-CORP
wheretherebedragons.com/engage/gss
Certified Benefit Corporations aim to meet higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. The evaluation process provides tangible ways for businesses like Dragons to improve and more closely align with their values. To learn more, go to: /news/dragons-is-now-a-benefit-corporation-b-corp
DRAGONS INSTRUCTORS ARE IN YOUR AREA Meeting a Dragons instructor is often the best way to learn more about our program
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opportunities. We place a premium on
OUR NEW COMMUNITY GRANT FUND
human connection, both at home and in
In an effort to support and give back to our inspiring global partners, we’ve
the field, by sending instructors across the
created a new Community Grant Fund. To apply for a grant in support of a
country each year to meet with prospective
community initiative or organization, go to:
students and their families. If you would like
/news/dragons_community_grant_fund
to learn what it means to go “Where There Be Dragons,” invite us over.
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Email: info@wheretherebedragons.com
WANT TO BE A DRAGONS INSTRUCTOR?
Phone: 303.413.0822
We’re currently accepting instructor applications for 2018. If you have regional fluency in a country where we work and experience in a relevant field (education, development work, service learning, etc.) fill out an online application at: /engage/employment-opportunities
ALUMNI-HOSTED INFORMATION SESSIONS Alumni-hosted presentations bring our
UPDATED YAK BOARD
summer, Gap Year, and college study
There’s no better way to understand (or re-experience) a Dragons program
abroad programs to life from the student
than a visit to the Yak Board. Our freshly re-designed forum features intimate,
perspective. Sessions for this winter and
first-hand perspectives through stories, reflections, essays and images shared
spring have been organized in Connecticut,
directly from the field. www.yak.wheretherebedragons.com
New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Virginia, California, and Colorado. To get on the invitation list for one of these gatherings, call or email the office.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND
Email: info@wheretherebedragons.com Phone: 303.413.0822
@ W H E R E T H E R E B E D R AG O N S Don’t forget to tag your reunions, inspired projects, international photos, and travel reflections with #wheretherebedragons on social media. We’re always watching and looking for news of your continued adventures!
10% OFF ALL PROGRAMS FOR ALUMNI Ready for another Dragons experience? Did you know we also offer College Study Abroad Courses, adventures for Adult travelers, and professional development programs for Educators? All Alumni receive 10% OFF future programs by mentioning you’re alumni during the application process.
WWW.WHERETHEREBEDRAGONS.COM
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3200 Carbon Place #102 Boulder, CO 80301 TEL: 800.982.9203 -OR- 303.413.0822
WATCH
LIKE
LOVE
www.wheretherebedragons.com/videos facebook.com/WhereThereBeDragons instagram.com/WhereThereBeDragons
MEANINGFUL ADVENTURES FOR ADULT TRAVELERS 2018/19 OFFERINGS: Cambodia | Guatemala | Nepal | North India | Peru | Senegal
A rich, challenging, inspiring, warm and wonderful experience. I feel transformed in body, mind and spirit by the Dragons’ way of traveling. I will recommend this trip highly, and look forward to being part of another Dragons Adult trip in the future.
—
CHERYL DODWELL NEPAL: ASHRAMS & ARTISANS, SEPTEMBER 2017
VISIT WWW.WHERETHEREBEDRAGONS.COM/ADULTS OR CONTACT MEGAN@WHERETHEREBEDRAGONS.COM