Circumspect

Now that I have finally completed my personal statement for a graduate program, I think I can do this post on how to write a good personal statement, without feeling tinges of guilt (at not finishing mine). It's application season, and more often than not, recruiters require a personal statement. Whether its for graduate school or for an internship or job (they call those cover letters, but essentially, it's a personal statement, albeit a more technical/reserved one). So, this post will be based mainly on my own experience with writing personal statements, and also from reviewing and editing those of friends, colleagues etc. I hope you find it helpful, and if you have any other tidbits or questions, please feel free to leave a comment.

Here goes:

What's a personal statement?
In my opinion, a personal statement is exactly what it says it is. A personal statement. Some people think they need to be very removed and technical in their personal statements, but that's begging the point. When you're asked for a personal statement, give exactly that: a statement of who you are as a person. Of course, in this case, you won't be going into detail about your favorite food or music, when you last went on a date, or took your siblings out, no, none of that. Unless. Unless it ties into what you're applying for. In that case, those personal details will help whoever is reviewing your application get a sense of who you are as a person. In that case, you definitely want to add those nuances.

Paying Attention To Context...and Doing Your Research
Personal statements can go many ways. What sets two personal statements apart, is the context. Are you applying to a graduate program in the sciences? Or maybe it's in finance? Is the program you're applying for looking for specific skills or expertise? Are they seeking more "minority" students, for instance? These are some of the questions that will help you determine what context your personal statement should be in. The only way you'll have a sense of the context, is when you do your research. More often than not, institutions tell you what they are looking for; on their website, in the application, in a brochure etc. They know what they want, now it's up to you to convince them that you're exactly that. Check their website out. Read about the program you're applying for. Read everything if you can. Yes, read about what courses you'll be taking, what the classroom structure is like, who the professors might be, etc. And while you're doing that, look out for things you identify with.

For instance, a program might say that they're looking to recruit more minority students from Africa or Asia. If you've lived in either of these areas, that's a point in your favor that you should try to at least touch upon. When looking at the course modules, think about classes you've taken in the past that might be related. Never taken an international trade or biological science class before? That doesn't need to go against you. These things form part of daily life. Talk about your experience at a local Ghanaian market or your fascination for how frogs croak at night. Learn to draw on your passion, your personal experiences, and your surroundings. That's what will make your personal statement...well..yours.

The Introduction (And, most likely, the deal-breaker)
Many interviewers will tell you that they make their decision about a candidate within the first 30seconds to 1 minute of meeting them. When it comes to the personal statement, the 30 seconds to 1 minute time frame is your introduction. Your introduction will determine whether the person potentially holding your fate in their hands will read on, or put your statement away. Different people fashion their introductions differently, but I always advocate telling your 'personal story' in the introduction. Why? Because it increases the chances of you being recognised and remembered as a person; as Adjoa, Kofi, Fatimata, Chioma or whoever you are. Once you share your personal story, you transition from being just another candidate, to being a person who shared their story. And that's important, because guess what? That's what the personal statement is about!

In my opinion, the key element of the introduction should be your passion. What makes your heart race? What gets you up at 7am in the morning? What would you undoubtedly say is your own? That's what you want to communicate in your intro. Of course, it should be related to the opportunity you're pursuing in some way, and if it isn't in a direct sense, find and highlight the linkages. (If you're applying for a graduate or job opportunity that doesn't link to your passion in someway, then you should probably take some time to brainstorm why you're pursuing that opportunity in the first place.)


For example: I'm passionate about economic development and information access. So my intro normally talks about how my fascination for development came about, and I tie that into the fact that my interest was so strong, I actually dedicated four years of my life to studying and learning about that field of study at college.


Your Experience - How you've prepared and what you can bring to the table
After putting a human face to the title "candidate" with your intro, you proceed to tell a bit about your life story -- specifically, your academic or career story. Which opportunities have you taken in the past? Why did you take them? How do you think they have prepared you for pursuing this new opportunity. Whether its a cover letter or a college application, recruiters want to see (read) you make the connections between your past life and this future opportunity. Sure, some of the connections might speak for themselves or seem obvious, but you need to spell it out. This is really important because it shows that you have taken the time to research and think about how this new opportunity is a great aspect of your academic or career path.  Initially, I neglected to state these connections because I thought it was apparent. But one of my really good friends from college, Ukwori (shoutouts babe!) sat me down and told me "State the connections.It might be obvious, but they want to hear it from you!" And boy, has that made a world of difference ever since.

For instance: You had the opportunity to participate in a science student lab on nanotechnology, so you talk about the fact that you were one of a selected few who got to do this, at so-so and so institution with so-so and so renowned scientist. That's all beautiful and dandy, and although its obvious you have some lab experience, you need to state the connection with your new pursuit. Saying something like "My experience at the lab increased my interest in nano-technology and gave me an opportunity to work with lab equipment - both in teams and alone. This will not only enable me to work in the Chemical lab course modules offered by the "so so and so" program, but will also make me an active team player when the need arises." could make a world of difference.

Sucking Up (Ahooshing) Time: Why that particular opportunity?
People like to talk about themselves. That's a fact. From the store owner down the street to the president of a prestigious organization, everyone. The only thing that tops talking about oneself, is hearing other people talk about you. Particularly if its full of praise and applause. At some point in your personal statement, you're gonna have to do some major sucking up and ahooshing. But hold your horses. I don't mean "Your organization/program is the best organization/program in the entire world, and that's why I want to be with you!" Umm, that's a tad over the top. For one thing, you're not yet a part of the program/organization, so technically, you cannot tell that they're the best. Secondly, you haven't sampled all the similar programs/organizations out there, so you can't conclusively say that either.

Here's the thing.You tell them what they want to hear. Yes, exactly that. It's not about being pretentious or anything of the sort. It's about having done your research, and figuring out that's where you want to be. Most organizations/programs will tell you what they think makes them stand apart. It's your job to reiterate those facts and link it to yourself. Read a program/organization's mission statement or values. Check to see what successes they have garnered lately. Look at what elements of their organization/program they pride themselves on. Those are the things you use for your major suck-up mission.

For Example: An international studies program states on its website that they have a strong focus on language integration in courses, and also pair their students up with sector organizations in order to give them professional experience. Here's what you could say: " I am excited about your Master in International Affairs program, because of its language integration and professional experience elements. I believe that these elements will not only help me improve my language skills and put me in touch with industry professionals, but will also help me achieve my goal of being a competitive player on the international scene. With a Masters in International Affairs from so-so and so univeristy, I will be adequately prepared for succeeding in the dynamic and challenging international sector." Get it? You essentially told them they're the only ones who can make you successful!

Conclusion - Stating the highlights of your personal statement, and reiterating your interest
Many people don't pay attention to the conclusion of their personal statement, but it is just as important as the other parts of your statement. Some recruiters (who get hundreds or thousands of applications) read the introduction and if they like what they see, they skip to the conclusion. Why? Because they don't have that much time, and expect your conclusion to summarize the key points in your statement. So that's what you should give them. If you don't say anything at all, you should most definitely communicate your passion, what you hope to gain from the program, and where you see yourself after the program. This doesn't have to be an entire essay on its own. It can be something as simple as:

"I believe the so so and so program will enable me to channel my passion for so so and so in a constructive manner. In addition to building upon the skills and expertise I already have, it will serve as a learning experience that will introduce me to (mention some of the key things you will be learning), and help make me achieve my dream of promoting sustainable economic change in Ghana."

Other Things To Look Out For
Tenses: As much as possible, try to make sure your grammar is on point. One of the key things I notice from reviewing people's statements is that they use multiple tenses. This gets very confusing for the reader and can ruin your chances of making a good impression. If you start with the present tense, stay consistent with it. Of course, if you're narrrating past events, you'll use the past tense, but don't jump between tenses unless it makes absolute sense.

Spelling: Make sure you're spelling accurately. You can spell check your statement to ensure you're spelling things right, but aside that, you also need to be aware of which language you're using. If you're applying to a school in the U.K. for instance, and you're based in the U.S. either find out which variation of the English language they would like, or use their official language: U.K. Also, watch out for the punctuation marks. A comma in the wrong place can lend an entirely new meaning to a sentence.

Word Limits: Make sure you adhere to the word limit, and any other instructions for that matter. If you go beyond the limit, edit until you meet it. It could simply mean reducing the number of examples you give, or checking to make sure you're not repeating yourself.

Proofread, Get a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and even 5th opinion: Proofread, proofread, proofread! That's what a lot of recruiters advocate. Make sure you look over your personal statement at least three times. And then look it over three times again, reading backwards (meaning, start from the last sentence and read up). You'll be more likely to catch silly mistakes that way.

Also, get a second opinion. If you can get up to 5 opinions, do so. No matter how good of a writer you might be. Why? Because everyone has a particular writing style that might sound fine to the writer, but is a bit awkward with the reader. In this case, you want to tailor the statement to the reader. Also, everyone has what I call "comfort words" and tend to use them frequently. Mine for instance (at least when I speak) is definitely (I used it twice in this single blog!). Make sure you're not repeating the same word(s) too many times, and especially not back to back! It just sounds awkward. Here's an example:

" I am excited about your Master in International Affairs program, because of its language integration and professional experience elements. I believe that these elements will not only help me to improve my language skills and put me in touch with industry professionals, but will also help me assist me in achieving my goal of being a competitive player on the international scene. With a Masters in International Affairs from so-so and so univeristy, I will be adequately prepared for succeeding in the dynamic and challenging international sector." -- In this case, synonyms are your best friend!

So get those opinions and have them edit and proofread for you. Once you get the feedback, please, please be open to the suggestions. You don't absolutely have to apply them, but take them into consideration, and ask for an explanation if necessary. After you're done editing, look over the statement a couple of times, and if you feel good about it (its important to feel optimistic about it, else it's not finished. This is your very own showcase!), send it along.

Make sure you address it to the right person/organization/program!: This is probably the worst mistake you could commit. Going through the trouble of writing an entire personal statement, sending it out, and then, finding out that in paragraph 3 line 2, you said " I'm excited about Colombia University's so so and so program" instead of "Harvard University's so so and so program". Organizations and graduate programs know they have competition out there. They don't need you to rub it in. So don't! lol.

Aight, I hope this was helpful. As I said, if you have comments, other tips, and suggestions, please comment on this article or email them to me and I'll share em. Happy personal statement writing, and all the best!

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Photo Source: http://teriberi.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/hello-my-name-is.jpg

Happy Thanksgiving and Eid Mubarak to everyone!!! This weekend has been a power packed one: a deep well of thanksgiving that has surely overflown its boundaries. And of course, such a special weekend can't go unnoticed!!! I think it's really special that two holidays set aside for reminding ourselves of how lucky and blessed we each are, were commemorated back-to-back! And in addition to the turkeys and lambs, I hope we all took a moment or two to be thankful for something.

In that spirit, I'd like to say thanks to all of you who follow Circumspect (publicly or under an invisible cloak), comment on my posts, make suggestions, or simply email me. I cannot express how much I appreciate you guys for joining in the Circumspect experience, and I'm learning as much (if not more) as you are (I hope). It's crazy cos I never anticipated that this blogging experience would grow as large as it has. And sometimes, its all very overwhelming.

At moments when I've felt like I cannot go on, or it's taking up a lot of my time, or I should take a break, I get a message of encouragement from one of you lovely people, and I'm reminded that Circumspect is making an impact. Not only in the quest for increased information access, but also on me as an individual. So thanks a bunch for the feedback, comment, criticisms, suggestions, recognition, all that fun stuff. And as always, if there's more where those came from, bring them along! Merci a tout le monde! It's been an honor serving y'all, and I look forward to even more of such opportunities! Keep your eyes peeled, 'cos Circumspect has more coming your way!

Best,
Jemila

P.S. I got the opportunity to interview one of the most amazing and exceptional leaders of our time, Harriet Fulbright. She inspires me, and I hope she inspires you too! Enjoy!! >> http://devex.com/articles/for-harriet-fulbright-education-s-end-goal-is-peace

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Photo Source: http://images.zwani.com/graphics/thank_you/images/de4.jpg

Anyone who knows me, knows how big I am on information access. Yesterday I covered an Oxfam/FP event at the Newseum - the latest addition to D.C.'s museums, and the most interactive. My editor told me what a big deal it was, but I didn't get it. Until I got there! The place is massive, with interactive screens for learning about the most important news in human history, the progression of media through the ages etc. I was soo giddy with excitement, I couldn't decide what to look at first. For those of you in D.C., def head up to the Newseum! It's amaaaazing!

Information Access & Documentation
I eventually did a quick run through of the entire place, and I loved every bit of it. It made me appreciate information access even more, and I'm even more impassioned to help improve information access in Ghana and Africa as a whole. We need to document our histories, it holds the key to understanding (or trying to) humanity better. We need more movies on historic, progressive African leaders and societies, instead of just the cliches. It's great that they did a movie on Iddi Amin, so we understand how failed states and leaders come about, but seriously? Why not start with Nkrumah, Senghor and the others?

Furthermore, it made me realize the fact that history is always in the making. That's right, every second of every minute, of every hour of every day. Right this moment, history is being made!

A Question of Ethics
Some of the interactive features that the Newseum (i love the name!) has included a couple of games to test one's knowledge of journalism -- and as it turns out, ethics. It's crazy how ethics is a big part of journalism. For instance:

>>"If your friend or family member begged you not to report his drunk-driving escapade in the newspaper, would you remove that news piece from your paper?" - The "right" answer is No. [Journalism shouldn't be compromised by family and friends. If it's relevant to a story piece, you go for it. The whole thing about the independence of the media.]

>>"At the high school prom, students fell ill after consuming punch that was apparently mixed with soap. The principal says there isn't a health scare. Would you report the story?" The correct answer is Yes. Public Safety should be priority. It's a journalist's duty to inform. [Also comes down to not allowing people in positions of "power" to compromise the media. The media helps make democracy possible by helping reduce corruption and promoting transparency and accountability.]

Then there was this other section with regards to photo journalism. For some reason, I found those questions harder to answer. Maybe because it's easier to retract a news statement by publishing a correction, but harder to take away the imprint of an image from people's minds? I don't know. Anyways, here are some of the questions:

>> "Would pretend to be mentally insane in order to report on conditions in mental hospitals.?"

>> "Would you sneak a camera into a death chamber and take a photo of an execution by legal order (death sentence) being carried out?"


Perhaps the most poignant one had to do with famine in Sudan. A starved child crawls to a UN food base and a hungry vulture is slowly pursuing the child. Would you take the photo or pick up the child?

I hesitated in answering that question. Questions like that have no right or wrong answer. It comes down to personal decision-making and ethics. Some of the thoughts that ran through my head while thinking about the question:

 If I take the photo, what will happen to the child? I would have missed a chance to help at least one of the possible famine victims. On the other hand, if I don't take the photo and save the child instead, then what about the millions of other children in similar situations? If the photo doesn't get published, how will they even get more food aid, much less have a chance of survival? I didn't come to a definite answer. What would you guys do???

Here's what some people (general public + journalists) said they'd do, and here's what happened with the journalist who actually took the photo.

Dear You-Know-Yourself,

Last week I went to an event for the Charter of Compassion launch, and it made me think about a couple of things, particularly with regards to the golden rule: treating others like you would like to be treated. One particular statement resonated with me intensely: "Many people don't want to be compassionate, they'd rather be right." Karen Armstrong's words. And boy, was she right on the money. The first person I thought of after she said that, was you. And with super-sonic speed my mind replayed everything that had happened-- at least from my point of view -- and that had led us to this point. And as incredulous as it might be, now, the whats, whys and hows don't even matter that much. The bottom line at this point is that it happened.

And so what? That's what I asked myself. So, am I going to tell myself that I'm not really holding a grudge, yet hesitate to say those three words that could probably make a world of difference even if they don't rectify the situation? I don't know. Do we ever know? But when I think about it, if saying those words to you is as hard as it is, what hope do we have for forgiving injustices committed against humanity? Pause . And in the same vein, how do we expect other people to overlook our follies? Another Pause. We never quite know some of these things, do we? Not unless...dare I say it...not unless we try? That sounds more like a question than a statement. It does, doesn't it?

Well, maybe I have the benefit of confused hormones and mellow music to help along my sensitive mode...or maybe I'm finally doing what I should have done a while ago and saved us both a lot of time and energy. But then again, maybe I'm tryna save my conscience from the guilt that sometimes pulls at its fringes, I don't know. What I do know is that this is a hard process, and that its taken A LOT of effort to go ahead with this, and put it out there. It's taken even more effort to leave this unedited and to ignore the fact that others (aside you) might figure all of this out, and judge me. And maybe tomorrow when my chemical levels are back to normal, and I have punk rock playing instead, I'll consider this a terrible terrible mistake. Who cares? I'm trying not to.

I miss you. A lot. I wish it never ended the way it did, and I wish I'd put my pride away and apologized for how it went down. Truth is, I've been bashing myself about it because it didn't feel right, yet I went along with it because I wanted to hurt you as much as you hurt me. I wanted to make sure you'd never forget. But now, neither can I. Ironic huh? And to think we're not even talking? It almost seems impossible. But it's not. It's real. Sometimes I want to reach out, but I don't. Because I'm afraid you'll reject me or try to hurt me again in order to make sense of what you are going through. And sometimes I think that maybe it's better this way. Us not talking. But you know me, it's never that simple. I wish we would at least talk or that I could say sorry. Even though in my mind, you should be saying sorry to me instead, and you probably don't deserve it. That's my ego talking. I know many times before you did just that. Said sorry. For us. And maybe right now, there's no us. But you're still important to me regardless. So although I can't whisper this to your face, I. am. sorry. I hope that when the chance actually presents itself, I'll be able to say it. Because ultimately, it's only a matter of time. But in the meantime, this will have to do. Take care of yourself.

Affectionately,
J

On Oct. 29, I received a forward from a friend talking about a supposed miracle in Egypt broadcast by CBS. Curious, I read the message. By the time I was done, I was fuming. Doing a quick google search, I failed to find the so-called CBS video. Maybe they took it off? I don't know. What I do know though, is that the kind of negative information spread online about Islam and Muslims is what makes Islamaphobia so rampant these days.

I have come to the conclusion that it's not God's word that sucks, but man's interpretation of it. Consequently, I've resolved to study the Qu'ran myself, and make my own deductions instead of going by heresay. A couple of days after, two things happened.

First, I came across a verse in the Qu'ran which outrightly condemns mistreatment of women and children, and specifically decries the burying of children alive (which the supposed CBS video is said to have portrayed) from Surah Al-An-am (Chapter: The Cattle):

139. And they say: "What is in the bellies of such and such cattle (milk or foetus) is for our males alone, and forbidden to our females (girls and women), but if it is born dead, then all have shares therin." He will punish them for their attribution (of such false orders to Allah). Verily, He is All-Wise, All-Knower.


140. Indeed lost are they who have killed their children, from folly, without knowledge, and have forbidden that which Allah has provided for them, inventing a lie against Allah. They have indeed gone astray and were not guided. [Translation from this Online Qu'ran]



Karen Armstrong & her TED wish: The Charter of Compassion:

Second, I received an email from the TED conference series (which I have featured many times on this site) about a new initiative being launched called the Charter of Compassion based on the Golden Rule  (Treat others the way you want to be treated) and inter-faith dialogue. It seemed interesting. Another couple of days passed, and there was an invitation to sign up for a film screening of the Unity Production Foundation's Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think . Guess what? It turns out that film screening is part of the launch for the Charter of Compassion -- which was thought up by Karen Armstrong, a religious thinker and author, and one of TED's speakers and prize winners. Talk about coming full circle huh?


The Charter of Compassion is a global initiative aimed at promoting understanding and inter-faith dialogue. According to Armstrong, the one thing that she has found to be universal with all religions is compassion. One thing she said that resounded with me is this: "Many people don't want to be compassionate, they'd rather be right." When I think about it, I know I'm definitely guilty. Anyways, here's an insert of her TED video so you get a sense of who Karen Armstrong is.




Gallup Poll & UPF's Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think
I think the timing for the film screening couldn't have been better, especially with the recent Fort Hood incident. Many people have their doubts about Islam and Muslims, and justifiably so. Following the Sept. 11 attacks, Gallup- a leading polling organization - decided to conduct a survey of what Muslims think about Islam, the West, terrorism, gender equality etc. Their premise was this: Everyone was talking about Sept. 11th, from politicians, to terrorist organizations, and individuals affected by the attacks. Everyone, except the one billion Muslims of the world, that is. So, Gallup sent researchers out to 35 predominantly Muslim countries to interview people. UPF found out about the Gallup poll and decided to produce the film documenting the results of the poll. Here are some of the key findings:

*Respect for Muslims: Only 15% of Muslims are Arabs, and the majority of Muslims are not in the Middle East as is the perception. They're in South East Asia (particularly Indonesia and Malaysia). And, get this, the U.S. has the second largest concentration of Muslims. On the issue of respect, the majority of Muslim countries said that the Western world doesn't respect the Muslim world. 84% Palestinians, 80% Egyptians. Interestingly, the majority of Americans (54%) also agreed that Western world doesn't respect Muslim world.

*Media Misrepresentation: US Media misrepresents Islam and Muslims by focusing on a "tiny fringe minority". Media content analysis shows that 57% of the people portraying Islam in the U.S. are militants. These 'militants' only make up 1% of the world's actual Muslim population. Giving them such media space pushes the stereotype that Muslims are violent people. Add the fact that most Americans didn't know anything about Muslims and Islam before 9-11, and the situation just gets worse.

*Gender Equality: The main areas of divergence between Muslim societies and western societies is in the role of women and gender equality. What do Muslim women think about themselves?The majority of muslim women believe that women should have equal rights and access to jobs they are qualified for: 96% in Lebanon and  92% in Malaysia. In Lebanon, Malaysia and Sudan, there's little difference between men and women's views on the issue: 74% of men in Saudi Arabia believed  muslim women should get jobs they are qualified for. In Iran and Egypt, there's a larger difference, but even then, the majority of men believe women should have equal access to jobs, services etc. [To find out my views on being a Muslim woman, check out my guest feature on Girl, It's Not Just You.]

*Hijab: Has been used as a symbol for women's oppression for years. But educated Muslim women  view the hijab differently: believes it takes the emphasis away from their exterior and focuses it on their interior, on their minds and hearts. So that dispels the notion that Muslim women wear the hijab because they don't know their rights or are not educated enough. Why do women wear the hijab? The majority of Muslim women who wear it do so because they believe its a religious mandate.

*Sharia/Islamic Law: People associate Sharia Law with fear. Muslims view Sharia law differently; "as the rule of law defined in Islamic concepts" and "protections that God guarantees as human dignity for each individual that no government is allowed to take away". The negative stereotype concerning Sharia has to do with man's interpretation of the Qu'ran. Many muslims are taking a second look at Sharia and using it to fight for gender justice. In Pakistan, women used Sharia law (the Qu'ran) to prove that it wasn't right to kill a woman who'd been subjected to rape.

*Awareness of Islam and Muslims: In 2002, Gallup asked Americans how much they knew about Muslims. 54% said they didn't no anything or very little. In 2007, the same question was asked (when there was increased portrayal of Islam in the media under the topic of terrorism) and there was a jump in the number of people who (still) didn't know much about Islam and Muslims --57%. Essentially, the media only talks about muslims and Islam in the context of terrorism. By doing this, they are not only ostracizing Muslims, but also erasing any chance of non-Muslims understanding who Muslims really are and what they stand for. BTW, Islam means "peace" in Arabic. That should count for something, shouldn't it?

*9/11 and Terrorism: The majority of Muslims consider the attacks completely unjustified (about 50%), some thought it was somewhat justified (somewhat justified), and 7% considered the attacks completely justified and had unfavorable views of the US. According to the poll the "politically radical" 7% couldn't support their views with a verse from the Qu'ran, and instead sounded like revolutionaries. These radicals -who've been used as a stereotype for who Muslims are - really aren't that different from other "terrorists" in human history. Essentially, these terrorists are revolutionaries who try to upturn governments in their own countries and who are marginalized (ignored) in their own societies, and want media attention. They use religion as a platform for achieving their goals since they know that's what will get them attention. Ultimately, they probably care less about what the world thinks, and are more concerned with what their governments are doing.What they are doing is not ordained by Islam. Results found that majority of muslims aren't involved in acts of violence, and condemn the few who do because they believe that terrorism is against their faith. 


*U.S. Policy: There's the notion that Muslims are against democracy, but the poll showed that the majority of Muslims were for freedom of speech and other democratic ideals. Muslims greatly admire democracy, but most feel that the U.S. is not pursuing its push for democracy in Muslim/Arab countries in the same way as it is in other parts of the world. Policy is the driving factor for how Muslims view the West, not so much culture and religion. Egypt views France more favorably than it does the US and UK. The most interesting country to contrast the US with is Canada since they are so similar. 67% of Kuwaitis view the US unfavorably while only 3% of Kuwaitis view Canada unfavorably. The difference? Foreign policy, especially with the oil issue. "It's very clear that its not our culture, but our perceived foreign policies." The majority of Muslims think the invasion of Iraq did more harm than good.

There were some other stuff, but all in all, it was very insightful, and I'd recommend watching it. You can check the Unity Productions Foundation to order a DVD (free) and host a viewing etc. They also have a couple of other videos on Islam. It's important to learn about each others' religion and not settle for all this propaganda and what-not. Personally, I have many non-Muslim friends, and we get along just fine. I respect their religious views, and they respect mine. We don't have to agree on everything (it would be against our very nature as humans anyway), but we should try to inculcate a culture of tolerance in our societies. Remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others what you would have others do unto you!

To watch the launch of the Charter for Compassion and hear Karen Armstrong's speech (starts at 13:40), please see the video below:



Here's the trailer for the film. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the issue. Peace!

Hi All,

I've gotten quite a number of requests to do a blog on how to write a good personal statement, and I would like to get a sense of what other people out there think. Kindly take a moment to fill this quick survey, and forward on to other individuals who are working on applications or might be interested. Thanks!

Click Here to take survey