“The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by then-Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Approximately 294,000 “Fulbrighters,” 111,000 from the United States and 183,000 from other countries, have participated in the Program since its inception more than sixty years ago. The Fulbright Program awards approximately 7,500 new grants annually.
Currently, the Fulbright Program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.”
But what, really, was his motivation in proposing legislation to create what has now evolved into such an extensive array of grants that enable scholars and students to experience life abroad? Though I admit I haven’t done any in-depth research on this question, I do think two of his widely quoted sentiments reveal his intent:
“The rapprochement of peoples is only possible when differences of culture and outlook are respected and appreciated rather than feared and condemned, when the common bond of human dignity is recognized as the essential bond for a peaceful world.”
(Photo of Senator Fulbright receiving the Medal of Freedom in 1995.)“International education exchange is the most significant current project designed to continue the process of humanizing mankind to the point, we would hope, that nations can learn to live in peace.”
To me, these quotes imply that Senator Fulbright believed that face-to-face interaction between Americans and people from other countries would build familiarity, understanding, and friendship and, from there, promote peace. In this time of global economic trials, on-going unrest in the Middle East, US engagement in wars in various stages, and vastly reduced American tourism abroad (except perhaps to Europe) post-9/11, it seems that international exchange programs like Fulbright once again can play a critical role in bringing peoples from different cultures together at a grass-roots level.
Many of the students I taught at Ubaya had never before seen an American in the flesh. Sure they can watch “Heroes,” NBA basketball, and a full slate of violent American movies on cable TV. They can eat at least five different kinds of American fast food and buy Jonas Brothers CDs at the mall or on-line. A few of them have relatives or friends who have traveled or moved to North America. But none of the students I met, and few of the Ubaya staff or faculty members, had ever visited the US. I keenly felt the responsibility of being an ambassador for my native country and, as part of that role, learning about and adhering to cultural behaviors and expectations.
The students were eager to claim their country’s part in forming the leader of the powerful Western nation I call home. “When will President Obama visit us here in Indonesia?” they asked me, “He’s a Menteng boy!” (Menteng is a neighborhood in Jakarta where President Obama lived for a few years when he was a child.) I wished I had an answer for them, but simply relied on Secretary Clinton’s response to similar questions during her visit to Jakarta:
“I have already been asked over and over again: When is he coming? Now, I know a little bit about the difficulties of being a president," the former first lady said to laughter from the audience. "The president has to cope with all kinds of pressures and hardships and challenges, so for a president, knowing he could go somewhere in the world where he is so loved as he is loved in Indonesia, he may just want to wait until he really needs that visit," she said to more laughter. (Reuters, 2/18/2009)
Well, I certainly don’t know whether or when President Obama will visit Indonesia again. I don’t even know whether or when I will return to Indonesia. But I hope that I will and I hope even more that I advanced Senator Fulbright’s agenda during my month in Surabaya.
I do know that my comprehension of Islam, environmental issues in developing countries, the challenges faced by a nation with 17,000 islands and a massive population, and my own strengths and shortcomings have all been deepened. I also know that I could not have achieved this broadening of my perspective on my own. And because of that, I am genuinely grateful to Senator Fulbright for his vision.
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