During my youth, the idea of moving from Lebanon was unthinkable. Then I began to realise I might have to go, like my grandfather, uncles and others who left for America, Egypt, Australia, Cuba.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the author's transition from a fixed mindset about his homeland to an acceptance of the possibility of leaving for a better future.
Amin Maalouf's quote captures the profound shift in perspective that can occur over time as one confronts the realities of their situation. Initially, the thought of leaving one's country seems unimaginable, grounded in a sense of belonging and identity. However, as circumstances change or hardships arise, one may have to consider leaving in search of opportunities, just as previous generations of family members did. This illustrates the universal theme of migration and the complexities of identity when faced with such significant life changes.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a discussion on migration experiences in a community meeting.
The identity cannot be compartmentalized; it cannot be split in halves or thirds, nor have any clearly defined set of boundaries. I do not have several identities, I only have one, made of all the elements that have shaped its unique proportions.
We are not just visitors on this planet, it belongs to us just as we belong to her, its past is ours, so is its future.
What makes me myself rather than anyone else is the very fact that I am poised between two countries, two or three languages, and several cultural traditions. It is precisely this that defines my identity. Would I exist more authentically if I cut off a part of myself
Let your tears roll tonight, but tomorrow you will start the battle again. What defeats us, always, is just our own sorrow.
A life spent writing has taught me to be wary of words. Those that seem clearest are often the most treacherous.
People sometimes imagine that just because they have access to so many newspapers, radio and TV channels, they will get an infinity of different opinions. Then they discover that things are just the opposite: the power of these loudspeakers only amplifies the opinion prevalent at a certain time, to the point where it covers any other opinion.
Gender equality will only be reached if we are able to empower women.
We lived many lives in those whirling campaigns, never sparing ourselves; yet when we achieved, and the new world dawned, the old men came out again and took our victory to re-make in the likeness of the former world they knew.
Overcoming complacency is crucial at the start of any change process, and it often requires a little bit of surprise, something that grabs attention at more than an intellectual level. You need to surprise people with something that disturbs their view that everything is perfect.
At the beginning of the 60's our country called the foreign workers to come to Germany and now they live in our country. We kidded ourselves a while, we said: 'They won't stay, sometime they will be gone.' But this isn't reality.
I see the energy of young people as a real force for positive change.
Get very clear about the kind of world we would like and then start living that way.
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