The
main objective of the Fulbright Scholarship is to increase mutual understanding
between the people of the United States and other countries through the
exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. This objective is worth pursuing
because it does not only give the opportunity to the Fulbrighter to learn for
his own development but also to enrich the host institution. It is true that
the Fulbright Scholarship has a life changing and a profound influence on my professional
and personal endeavor, but in this article, I focus on another dimensions where
the Fulbright Program offers you a platform to become an ambassador of your
country as well as its culture. I am a Fulbright Research Scholar from Togo in
the U.S.
In
Togo, we learn about the World history and geography. Right from middle school,
all the students are supposed to know the names of almost all the countries
from the five continents and their capital cities. So, generally speaking, almost
everybody with college level can give at least the continent from which all the
countries in the world come from. I have therefore always thought that this is
the case in other countries.
When
I came to the U.S. as a Fulbright Research Scholar, I have noticed that many
people know almost nothing about Togo. They don’t even know that a country in
the world is called Togo. I was at the Social Security Office to have my SSN.
Even though the officer was having my passport, he could not find out what the
country was because he had never heard of it from his life. He even admitted
it. I was at the Bank to open an account and the banker could not figure out
the country from which I am from. I had to tell her with some geographical
indications before she could understand. I was at the Department of Public
Safety to have my ID and faced the same problem. The first officer that
attended to me had all the troubles identifying the country I was coming from
and the second officer too had the same problems. I have lived similar
situations on many occasions.
With
this situation of total ignorance about Togo, I have become willingly or
unwillingly an ambassador of my country wherever I find myself in the U.S. I
have been invited to give talks about my country and about my experience as a
professor in Togo. I was invited as guest speaker during meetings and classes:
Sigma Tau Delta, Honors College, Anthropology class, Dia De los Muertos 2014
(Department of Modern languages) etc. I talked to individual professors and
students about Togo and culture. I also talked about the University of Lomé in
Togo and the educational system in Togo.
Many
people including government officials, bankers, faculty, staff, students,
neighbors etc. had the opportunity to learn about the existence of a country
named Togo in the world. They have also learnt about its culture and society. I
have many professors and students who have expressed the desire of coming to
Togo especially to have an exchange program.
The Fulbright program
has therefore been an opportunity given to me to become an ambassador of Togo
in my host university and in other States I have visited during my stay in the
U.S. With the Fulbright Program, I have been able to bring Togo down to people in
the U.S. who would not probably otherwise have the opportunity to know about
Togo. Usually, being an ambassador has political implications, but with the
Fulbright Program, you can easily become an ambassador of your country wherever
you are. In this 21st century and in the ever more globalized world,
where everybody is exposed to other cultures, there is a need to know other
countries and cultures. This will help accept, embrace and value diversity in
order to accept the “Other” and henceforth limit prejudices and seek peace in
the world.
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