Knots in my Stomach!: Introduction and the Initial Travel Hype

Greetings Fellow Humyns BEings!

I am Reuben Faloughi, a fifth year doctoral candidate studying psychology at the University of Missouri (UM). I recently defended my dissertation and will move to Gainesville, Florida at the end of Summer 2018 to finish my doctoral training at the University of Florida as a psychology intern.

Before graduate school, I had the opportunity to play Division I football at the University of Georgia (UGA) during my four years in undergraduate. During each of these milestones, I have wanted to travel abroad, especially since my family is Nigerian and many of my siblings have returned to 'the motherland' to visit. However, given my commitment to athletics and academic work during college and graduate school travel was nearly impossible...until NOW!

After committing to the trip in Fall 2017, I have maintained steady excitement about this journey. Now, I feel (excitement) knots in my stomach as I await the 18-hour journey to what I believe will be a life altering learning experience.

You might be wondering how I made it to this point?

In August 2015, I was invited to participate in Drew Kahn's drama-based education workshop, a 3-day workshop held in the University of Missouri's College of Education. The workshop aimed to help myself and 12 other participants (including faculty, staff, students; see photo below) develop skills to use our personal and collective stories as tools for community building, identity exploration, and conflict resolution. At the time, I remember walking into the workshop with plenty of (righteous) anger and frustration considering my experiences with individual and institutional racism at the University. However, by the time the workshop ended, I had a renewed sense of the deep interconnectedness between each of us, also referred to as "our shared humanity." Immediately following the workshop, I would begin using the techniques and language learned in the workshop during the Fall 2015 student movement at the UM, speaking engagements, therapy, and within classroom settings.

I am honored to join Drew and 11 fellow 'villagers' as a representative of the Anne Frank Project and the United States of America (yes, the good, the bad, and the ugly) during our journey to Rwanda. During our trip, we plan to engage in collaborative learning with our hosts, specifically by engaging teachers in drama-based education training, performing an original play, learning about Rwandan culture, and the reconciliation process that has continued since the genocide of the Tutsi people in 1994. (If you do not know about this genocide, you should check out the documentary Ghosts of Rwanda: https://youtu.be/VJAuyIRfYIM )

My goal with this blog is to detail my learning and internal processes during our journey in Rwanda. I plan to make this blog interactive so that you and others can join in the learning process.

If you have ideas for content, questions, or comments, please feel free to leave feedback below or contact me at www.ReubenFaloughi.com .

Reuben

Fall 2015 Mizzou 'Village'