Breaking Through

Today, I sat in the back of Ayca's little gold ride.  I love the autos here, there are built small, petro is expensive here.  Aprrox $7/gal
Ayca is from Turkey.  She has freckles! 
She is very kind.  She is also a graduate student, preparing her thesis for her PhD.  Most of all the students I met were PhD.  And they are all unique.
The class we had today was filled with a mix of students from several different parts of the world.  They were a great class eager to learn.  Watching Steven lay the foundations of Peace Journalism at this level~ 

This is what peace journalism is all about.  Not just peace journalism; but learning the world and all it's people.  Ayca (pronounced I-cha) having freckles, I wouldn't had thought people here would have had freckles but guess what they do.  And how bout the girl with the head wrap?  Her name is Elnaz, and the headwrap, they call it a ḥijāb.  She is from Iran.  She is also a doctoral student.  In the car we were talking about cultural ideas, IE what you may think about when you think of a nation.  Would you think most women from Iran are educated?  And free to do so?  She doesn't even have to wear the hijab.  It's her choice.

Now look at us.  Aren't we awesome?  Elnaz, Ayca and Sarah.
Iran, Turkey and USA...and they will soon be doctors!!  I have to grad first.  Then master, then find my thesis... (I told Dr. A I would most likely find it on my grocery list)
Anyways.  My point is this.  The only way to break through these misconceptions of culture is to do it.  Get out there, meet new people, visit the world and BREAK THROUGH.  Don't believe everything you hear and do not fear the unknown.  There is a whole wide world begging to teach us if we only dare let it.  So many people need to open their eyes, use their minds, and practice PJ. 
The only way to teach peace journalism is to teach peace journalism.  I am so glad [we] came here.  Today was a big day.  We met the rector, which is like the head of EMU which a very, very nice school with lots of nice marble and glass.  Yeah~Park doesn't have much on that, but that's ok.

These people are smart, well spoken, kind.  There is no wonder peace journalism had it's start here.  They were the first to start teaching it.  Dr. Suleyman is from Turkey; and because so he cannot cross into south Cyprus without complications.  It's their loss.  Greek-Cypriots are not as lenient.  But like Prof. Dr. Abdullah Y. ÖZTOPRAK says when we met him, "That's why you are here, peace journalists."  Tomorrow we cross.