Learning about others at Maryland Day
In-person events have been closed for quite some time on campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over this period there was a rise in the discussion surrounding social justice movements and interest in World Events. With the magnifying glass focused on the problems across the world, people became more passionate about fighting inequality and for World Peace.
Maryland Day was the first time that I’ve seen our campus so full of life. It was my first time working at the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace that I could have face-to-face discussions about what we do. It was amazing seeing the interest that people had in our research themes and events. With many of our lectures being held over Zoom, I hadn’t had the chance to put names and faces behind the students and faculty who are passionate about the same cause as we are.
With the pandemic taking up so much of our life the last few years and with the positive change that was occurring during it there was some hate and fear growing still. With the fear of the virus increasing the fear of travel so did the fear of people from other countries. No longer were people getting to make friends across the world and learning to appreciate different rich cultures. Instead, travel bans were put in place and the virus was pinned on a geographic region and the people who lived there. With the fear and hate growing and the blame being put on a scapegoat, the idea of world peace and the need to learn and love others became even more important.
On this Maryland Day, we had a giant World Map with pins and tags readily available. We asked those who passed by to tag a place they have traveled and how that changed their perspective or what they learned while they were there. We had over 200 people pin the map! This generated conversation about their past travels and experiences, what they loved about other cultures and countries, and where they hoped to go next. Instead of conversations about fears and stereotypes people talked about love and appreciation. I believe people enjoyed being reminded of the days when they could roam the streets of a foreign country and engage in local customs and events. It was amazing to hear of some of the places people have been to and the stories they had of their time there.
Answering the question of “How Has Travel Changed Your Perspective”, there were a few pins in particular that really stood out to me. The one that really stuck with me says “I have a greater and deeper appreciation for people's stories. You never know who someone is or what they’ve been through. Culture is beautiful.”
This really resonated with me because it reaches the core of what we represent at the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace. We are educating on the things different cultures have been through and fought for in order to further promote peace, understanding, and appreciation for everyone.
Maryland Day made me enjoy my work here at the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace even more. It allowed me to talk about the work that we do and see others' faces of excitement when they learned about our events and what we stand for. I enjoyed reading the pins of people’s travels and seeing how they connect to our mission. As the pandemic hopefully continues improving, I am excited to further facilitate relationships between our program and the people across campus. I look forward to learning more about the people at the University of Maryland and the causes that they find important.
About the Author
Meredith Friedland is a junior at the University of Maryland majoring in marketing and minoring in technology entrepreneurship. Meredith is the Social Media and Marketing intern at the Bahá’í Chair for Worlde Peace. After college, she hopes to travel the world and learn more about different countries and cultures. Meredith wants to combiner her interest in business with her passion for helping others.