Goals of this module
The purpose of this website is to serve students who are partially through their time abroad. When participating in a high-intensity experience such as going abroad, it may not occur to you to just take a break.
Thich Nhat Hanh, the founder of Engaged Buddhism, drops some knowledge:
Thich Nhat Hanh, the founder of Engaged Buddhism, drops some knowledge:
Often we tell ourselves, "Don't just sit there, do something!" But when we practice awareness, we discover something unusual. We discover that the opposite may be more helpful: "Don't just do something, sit there!" We must learn to stop from time to time in order to see clearly. At first, "stopping" may look like a kind of resistance to modern life, but it is not. It is not just a reaction; it is a way of life. Humankind's survival depends on our ability to stop rushing. "Stopping" is not only to stop the negative, but to allow positive healing to take place. That is the purpose of our practice--not to avoid life, but to experience and demonstrate that happiness in life is possible now and also in the future.
This website provides a space for you to pause your daily life and reflect. There is strength in choosing to remain engaged and present in your host culture through thoughtful reflection. Rather than momentarily escaping your host culture by surfing Facebook, use this site as an anchor for critical thought.
The goals of this module include:
1.) An understanding of intercultural contact and methods for engaging with others effectively
2.) Familiarity with literature on the role of privilege, consumerism, tourism, and humanitarianism in global engagement
3.) Thoughtful analysis of both the host culture and the home culture through reflective exercises
1.) An understanding of intercultural contact and methods for engaging with others effectively
2.) Familiarity with literature on the role of privilege, consumerism, tourism, and humanitarianism in global engagement
3.) Thoughtful analysis of both the host culture and the home culture through reflective exercises