Rice University student Marc Sabbagh, second from left, with some of the friends he made while attending classes at the American University of Beirut.
Before I left for my summer study program at the American University of Beirut (AUB), my American friends had a lot of questions for me: “Are you worried?” “Isn’t it dangerous?” “Where exactly is Lebanon?”
The concern was valid, since Lebanon, which shares borders with Syria and Israel, continues to be in a volatile region. Even as I boarded the plane for Lebanon in June, the tensions next door in Syria were boiling over. But each week, as my trip went on and I would post new pictures online of my Lebanese family and new friends, the comments changed. “Lebanon seems so beautiful!” “Take me when you go next time!” “The AUB campus and scenery look amazing!”
Yes, I immersed myself in Lebanese history and supply and demand curves for economics as part of my university studies, but luckily, studying rarely takes precedence over the experience of being abroad. I also was able to visit the places of worship for Christians, Druze and Muslims, and feel a deeper connection with my family roots and my grandparents. An amazing group of students took me to their villages, homes and other sites I would never have seen otherwise. I even went on a class field trip to the north of Lebanon to see ancient monasteries and caves hidden in the Qadisha valley.
Living in Lebanon expanded on my experience as a member of the Public Diplomacy and Global Policymaking program at the Baker Institute, which took Rice students to the American University in Cairo, Egypt, during the summer of 2010. In Cairo, we discussed issues relevant to students from both the United States and Egypt, including public diplomacy, interfaith dialogue, social lives and the media. This upcoming spring, the program will take another group of Rice students to Doha, Qatar, for a new exchange. My summer in Beirut provided a similar opportunity to engage with and learn from another culture.
When I arrived at AUB, I had to point out to other students where Texas and Houston were on a U.S. map. I had to distinguish Rice, the last name of the founder of my university, from the Arabic word for rice, “ruz.” I revealed that instead of cats wandering across AUB’s campus, Rice had squirrels. I also had to sort out bickering among my friends over the correct way to pronounce some English words, meanwhile making the word “y’all” popular. I spoke of neighborhoods, restaurants, music, and campus life — cultural differences that seemed so trivial to me but were fascinating to my newfound friends.
My American friends were surprised by the absence of strife despite the historical upheavals in the region. Most Lebanese seemed accustomed to their politics and the unpredictability that comes with it. They were also resilient. The possibility of sectarian violence and tumultuous politics did not seem to prevent them from going out, visiting others, and carrying on with their daily lives.
What I realized was that cultural diplomacy was a two-way street. I had a foot in two worlds, places I perceived to be on opposite sides of the spectrum, and I was able through my experience to teach people on both sides who were definitely knowledgeable and informed but still had limited first-hand encounters with the other side. I had the understanding of two cultures, both of which had differences, similarities and their own individual flaws.
By the end of the summer, I decided that Lebanon was a beautiful mess — a conclusion reached not from studying, but just from experiencing life abroad. So what about the studying half of “study abroad?” Well, I’ll say this. In my Lebanese history class, we discussed Pope Leo X’s words on Mount Lebanon. He called it “a rose among thorns.” Although he was speaking in a different context and to a different situation, I believe those words still apply to the country of Lebanon today, where I see progress and potential for a diverse country where modernity and conservatism, eastern and western values, and Islam and Christianity can find ways to coexist.
Marc Sabbagh is a Rice University senior studying political science and history. He is an intern with the office of Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian.