So...what is "50 Convos/50 Countries" all about?
FAQ:
Q. What is it?
A. My quest to have 50 conversations with 50 people from different countries.
Q. Why?
A. Why not? The idea is to put faces with cultures, and break stereotypes. Can't travel? The internet will bring cultural understanding TO you.
Q. What inspired the project?
A. 2 things:
1. This Inc.com article - I participated in the "50 Coffees" experiment last year, and personally - it changed my life. Having different perspective helped me get to know my true self, learn from others, and quit my 9-5 job to launch my company.
2. This spring, while speaking at the Carlson Center to the International Humphrey Fellows...things snapped into perspective. The questions these students from around the world were asking me about branding and social media, were unlike any I'd encountered here in the states. They talked about fighting regimes, fearing for their safety, etc... It really brought home the fact that I am ignorant, and do not know a lot about other countries. With technology at our fingertips, why not change this and apply the "50 Coffees" concept, to getting to know the world?
Q. How does it work?
A. The goal is to speak with 50 different people all from different countries. The plan is to record these conversations via skype or some other video chat, so others can watch the archive versions.
Q. What about privacy?
A. I understand that some countries do not encourage citizens to speak openly about the culture of the country. If this is a concern, I am more than happy to allow someone to shoot the video from the neck down or to only use their first name. The last thing I want it to put someone in danger.
CONVERSATION #1 - Turkey (Hamza from Istanbul)
Hamza and I met via Periscope. He is a 25-year-old student, and aspiring pilot. Our conversation focused a lot about the Muslim faith, and misconceptions in Western culture. Topics: the big misunderstandings about Muslims in Western Culture (USA/movies/media), how Muslims feel about groups like Al Qaida and ISIS, and the importance of knowing that the treatment of women isn't based upon being Muslim or not - Hamza had a wonderful point that this is a cultural interpretation, based on country to country. (Did you know Turkey has had a female President/Prime Minister?)