old event report transcribed: USSR and Nationalism

Back in October I attended a talk about the Nationalism in the post-soviet states of the former USSR. The globalism is fairly apparent since in Europe many nations are faced with this on a daily basis. And it seems to be for the most part ignored in this country in favor of what are seen as bigger problems in the Middle East. This talk focused on thhe way Russia took advantage of the situation in Georgia, when Georgia took with it two other rather separate ethnic groups. After this the Georgians failed to treat the other groups with an appropriate level of respect. Russia took this opportunity to support to the other two ethnic groups, Ossetia and Abkhazia. They became separate and independent to a degree with the help of the larger nation, asserting its power even as it was no longer the Soviet Union. But as recently as last year Georgia decided that they were not happy with this state of affairs. However once again Russia was not pleased with this idea,and is once again in support of the smaller groups resisting the ethnic authority of Georgia. And since then we have the state of affairs we have today.

In any number of places we can have similar events take place, ethnicity is often the way that politics are decided. Even in a non-hostile situation, like Asia, ethnocentricity reigns supreme. It creates a security blanket for the people of a nation, especially in times of hardship like the current global economic crisis. Some of the greatest wars in history have been fought on the idea that one group of people is better than another, that white is better than black for example. Ethnocentricity seems to bring out the worst in peoples all over the world. And as a world culture it is in our best interest to take head of this, so we can correct the mistakes of the past.

Event: Japanese Cooking Night

I attended and took part in a Japanese Culture Club food night. During the evening we made a few varieties of Japanese food as well as watching films in Japanese and sharing cultural experiences. This was an opportunity for those who knew Japanese recipes to share the knowledge and for other students to have a chance to taste them. Also a member of the faculty came, who was interested in sharing her experiences and those of her son who lived in Japan. While cooking we were able to discuss culture, as well as the unique experiences of a foreigner living in Japan. This took into account the different world view prevalent in Japan, and being an outsider in a culture that prides itself on its group unity. There is of course a need to be a in a group within the country that and outsider cannot quite resolve, because they are always an outsider. In particular I cooked a dish called Okonomiyaki, which has no real Western equivalent. Overall it was a good experience, and its global aspects were clear to see as we, a group of Americans shared the culutral food of a island all the way around the world. It was plain to see the challenges of migration in our discussion about living abroad and the challanges of doing so in a non-Western thinking culture. Good food and good discussion were had by all. Also some of the movies on had a historical context.