E Pluribus Unum

It’s no challenge trying to find an American flag and seal in the U.S. State Department. Almost every place you look, you can find our nation’s beautiful seal decorated with these powerful words, “E Pluribus Unum” meaning Out of Many One.

But the reason I went to the State Department was not just to admire the flags and phrases, but to attend a conference,  The Secretary’s Global Diaspora Forum.  As an Iranian American, I was interested to hear from Hillary Clinton about how diaspora communities like mine fit into the diverse American tapestry.

Kris Balderston opened the conference and noted that nowadays the meaning of our nation’s motto has become more and more relavent and in todays words into a similar concept that we are one nation united under the Precepts of what it means to be Americans, working together towards common goals. No matter what country of origin, ethnicity, religion, or gender American citizens belong to, they are all striving towards the same things whether it is education, freedom, or peace. The purpose of this conference is to recognize and connect all the different Diasporas in the United States and provide them with a road map to the future full of success and achievement of common goals. Additionally, the conference encourages building bridges from the Diasporas in the U.S. to their countries of origin, via people to people interactions.

Did you know that over the past 45 years, the number of people living outside  of their county of origin has almost tripled from 76 million to 215 million? How about the fact that the global Diaspora has sent over 351 billion dollars to their families in developing countries which is more than the US government spends on foreign aid? Or how about the fact that the U.S. has the largest global Diaspora members of any country, with 60 million first- or second- generation Americans?  Diaspora communities are very important in our country. Hundreds of thousands of people immigrate to the United States in pursuit of happiness, a better life, and freedom.

Once Balderston had established this context, it was time for the keynote speaker, U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.  “We all believe Diaspora communities have enormous potential to solve issues in their countries of origin,” Clinton said. I believe that there is only so much the government can do to try and fix relationships between countries or resolve problems within other countries, but there is so much more the empathetic Diaspora members can do whether they are Latino-American, Chinese-American, Irish-American, or even Iranian-American.

Though I learned a lot and enjoyed the conference, I was disappointed by the fact that, the lack of the Iranian-American Diaspora’s presence was conspicuously absent at this conference, though there were a few individuals in attendance. Due to the broad and indiscriminate sanctions in place that restrict just about any cooperation or transaction with Iran, many of the lessons preached at the conference were simply not applicable to the Iranian-American community.

However, Ms. Clinton’s speech, while not directed to the Iranian Diaspora per say, could still be applied to Iranian Americans who are working towards greater unity, mentorship, networking. As well as participating in the greatest democracy in the world by voting, the votes would hopefully affect the broad sanction policy that limits even simple interactions like people to people exchanges.

One story shared by Secretary Clinton that really hit home was about her recent trip to Ireland. She said she sat down with two Irish women who had never spoken, not because of their location or another reason, but Solely because of their religious beliefs. One was Protestant and the other was Catholic. When asked what they were most afraid of, their answers were quite surprising. One answered saying she was afraid her husband would go to work and not make it back home. The other woman said she was afraid that her son would not make it back alive from school each morning. Their concerns were the same. Ms. Clinton said, “There has to be a way to reach across the divide of history together and unite them knowing their husbands, sons, daughters, and loved ones would make it home safely.”

Although this is taking place in Ireland, it can apply to a lot of things near and dear to our hearts even more broadly in the Middle East or even throughout the world. It doesn’t matter if we live in Washington DC, Dublin, or even Tehran, we are “wasting the great gift god has given us,” according to Ms. Clinton, by arguing and fighting over topics and issues that are not that important at this point in time.

Instead, as Tara Shoeshine, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs said wisely, “It is the people to people connections, heritage, and feeling very warm and positive towards another cultures that last beyond layers of time.”

Zurich, Switzerland and Lichtenstein

A couple days ago, we arrived in Zurich, Switzerland, the land of tax paradises and clean orderly society. The “never-been-bombed” city was obviously the most civilized and organized place out of all of the other countries. Citizens are happy with their government and say they have a good democracy. They have a good democracy but only about 25%-45% of the population actually votes in regular elections. Or maybe it is because, if they are so satisfied, then why would they go to the polls? They’re happy if things stay just the way they are! The country has three parts: the German part, where we stayed, the French part, and the Italian part. They are all VERY different according to the locals. Not only are their languages different, they also have very distinctive cultures. The Germans are the most punctual, while the Italians are not according to the locals. We also went on a short tour of Lichtenstein, Switzerland’s small neighbor. The miniature country is most known for being a tax haven for people all over the world. A tax haven is a country or jurisdiction that “is the existence of a composite tax structure established deliberately to take advantage of, and exploit, a worldwide demand for opportunities to engage in tax avoidance,” according to The Economist. Something I didn’t know at all was that Lichtenstein is the 2^nd richest county in terms of per capita. No wonder they are rich, the entire population is composed of 56 thousand people and has millions of investors in the private banks. Because of this, the country brings in a lot of money. It is also a kingdom with a very old royal family, which is where the name of the county is derived. Back in Zurich, we visited another modern art museum and then wrapped up the trip over a lovely dinner.

Each of us went over special times that took place during the trip and mommy and I concluded that we really enjoyed hanging out on Bonhofstrasse (awesome shopping street) and Ari and daddy had a lot of fun in Tivoli gardens in Copenhagen. Not to mention our mutual fun times, like all the beaches, art, sad history and happy moments that we all shared! Bye Bye for now! Happy Summer!

Copenhagen, Denmark

Our next stop is Copenhagen, Denmark! Luckily, it was not raining like the past couple places, instead it was warm and sunny. The further we go west, the more "European" I feel like the cities become. Copenhagen is modern, lively and not one bathroom in the airport was without a line. Outside the airport, it was also a very happening place, where new beautifully designed buildings, old churches and town halls decorated the metropolitan city. The whole city seemed to be under construction, with the new metro system being designed, a lot of streets are closed off, but not the pedestrian street. ;) The street was filled with almost all of my favorite stores and cute cafes. Though, it was really weird because the stores closed either at 3 or 5 pm and most were closed on Sunday. We also got to visit some really cool modern art museums with pretty unique exhibits like one by Nahn Vo called "We the People". It was a huge pavilion filled with separated parts of the statue of liberty. There was also an exhibit in another museums about the Nordic countries and how they are similar in some ways and unite through design. Since I had visited all of the Nordic Counties on my trip, it was very interesting to compare their cultures and styles. Overall I had a great time in the Nordic countries and am SO looking forward to the last place, Zurich!

Oslo, Norway

Oslo, Norway is the next stop! Norway is not part of E.U. and has refused entrance twice. They say the reason is that they have been under the rule of Denmark for over 400 years and then Swedes and Nazis, so they don’t want to give their independence up to Brussels too.  Although they are not part of the EU, they still have close ties with most of Europe and especially the other Nordic countries. Some Nordics from different countries can even understand each other’s dialects. The Norwegians say the Danes speak the same language but with a potato in their mouth. As for their politics, their education is totally free as well as their health care. When we asked our guide whether the taxes were high, he said they weren’t “low” J. As a schoolteacher, he says he pays as high as 35% taxes. They seem to negotiate their taxes like the Swiss and some rich pay no taxes at all.

Norway is known for its naval history and especially the Viking age that took place around 800-1050. Vikings traveled all over Europe and plundered, traded and conquered all they could acquire. Vikings are also the direct ancestors of Norwegians, Swedes and Danes. One of their customs was to pack everything in the burial like Egyptians to sail to the next world including food, jewels, and decorations. The Viking era came to an end when Christianity spread through Europe. We also visited the Fram museum where we learned about Norwegian explorers that went to both the north and south poles. Amundsen took his men to the South Pole and brought all of them back, but during his journey, he had to eat his dogs that carried him there. Compared to Robert Falcon Scott, who took tractors and horses on his expedition to the South pole, Amundsen was the first person who successfully went to the South pole. Fridtjof Nansen, on the other hand, was not just an explorer; he also got a Nobel peace prize and basically started cross-country skiing when he skied across Greenland! After the museum, we went to VIgeland Park. It is a masterpiece created by Gustav Vigeland that took basically his whole life. With almost 600 sculptures all made by him and with the help of only three helpers, the part is decorated with statures depicting the different stages and parts of life. Although it was pouring rain, it was a really beautiful place and I got soaking wet! The Nobel peace center was also a great experience because I got to see a very powerful exhibit about Afghanistan and the soldiers and people on both sides of the war. On the flipside, we got to see a gorgeous work of art, which is the Opera House! It looks like an iceburg melting into the sea. You can even climb up onto the roof! The skandivavian cities are really such amazing places full of design!

Finland

My next stop is Finland! Just like Estonia, I felt a vibe. It was a true European city. With a population of only 5 million and an area on par with Germany, the country is hardy populated.  The small population allows the county to make decisions and implement them with greater ease. I caught myself thinking why the US can’t be like this... but it is important not to forget that the US has much larger population and it is impossible to have free education, healthcare, and many more services they offer in Finland. But Finland also has a lot of advantages. Unlike all of the other countries we visited, Finland has been independent since 1917.  The Swedes or Russians had always ruled Finland in the past. Neighbored by both, it was hard to be independent and break free. During the Russian rule, Alexander the First promised them autonomy, the ability to use their own language, and freedom of religion. This was really so unlike any other ruler of the time

and definitely good for the Fins since their language had been repressed during the Swedish rule. This idea of a nation within a nation gave Fins the ability to progress even though they were still under another country’s rule. But towards the end of the Russian rule things were not the same and times got worse. Soon enough the Fins wanted independence and broke away from Russia. Finland took advantage of the Russian revolution and became independent. Some Fins say that Lenin let them go because he had friends and connections in Finland and on top of that his hands were already tied because of the revolution happing in Russia. The threat of Russia came back during World War II. Finland was never part of the Soviet Union but it did have a couple problems with it. To start, they both felt like Finland was too close to the iron curtain and St. Petersburg (Leningrad at the time). Before the war, Finland had 15 percent more territory. But during the winter war from 1939-1940, the Soviets took the finish territory that they wanted. Then later, Finland allied with German Nazis against soviets. Not because they agreed with Nazi ideology, but because they wanted to resist the Soviet threat. After the war they had to pay 250 million dollars in war reparations to the Soviets because they lost. But they were never under them again. Enough with the history! I was also pretty shocked by the extremely high prices. We ordered water at a café and it was about $13! Apparently the average wage is $3,000 per month and the taxes start at 20% can go up to 55%. Everything is included in the taxes, even charity. A funny quote that locals say is “A poor person can't afford to buy cheaply,” it means that it is better to invest in something than buying cheap things over and over again. Another interesting fact was that in 1907, Finland was the second country to give women the right to vote in Europe and also the first to allow them to be in parliament. On the religious front, the country is largely Lutheran. The difference between Catholics and Protestants in Finland (according to our Protestant guide) are: Protestants accept gays, don't worship saints, do not follow the pope, the priest can marry and ladies can be ordained, they also recognize divorces and are not obliged to go to church. These differences don’t necessarily apply to all protestant denominations around the world. Overall, Helsinki was a great city and I look forward to Oslo!

Talinn, Estonia

Yesterday we arrived in Tallinn, Estonia! It definitely had a different vibe than all the other eastern European counties. It was more modern, civilized, and seemed better off, both economically and socially. While in the car to the beautiful old town, we learned about some of Estonia’s history. Estonia has a long history of occupation by multiple European countries, though the German and Russian influence seemed to be most stark. In the 13th century, the Pope organized a special crusade where Germans came and converted the Estonians to Christianity. The Germans transformed the county into a feudal system where there were landlords, the rich German families, and serfs, the locals who were forced to work for them. Through many wars the high power might have changed but the local power always stayed with the German landlords, this resulted in a two-tiered system. The Germans and Russians wielded a lot of influence on the Estonian nation for years, but in 1918 they created a new republic and became independent. Although this nation only lasted 22 years, it had a flourishing economy. In 1940 the Soviets came followed by the Nazis in 1941-44 and then again by the soviets until 1991. The Estonian people didn’t believe in communism but they knew they had to behave. The Estonians had a little window to the world through the Finland TV tower that was in the south so it could reach the northern Estonian homes. The Baltic States were also shown off to the other communist countries as an example of successful people under their regime. Although they did not have it as bad as some other countries, their flag was banned and even the three colors it displayed, blue, white, and black used in unison (whether on clothing, paintings, etc.) was outlawed. As Nordic people, they claim when working towards their independence, they did a lot of calculating and did not take big risks. Although it took longer to gain independence, they took one idea at a time and eventually ended up where they are today.  The Lithuanians on the other hand, who were emotional, took their ideas and implemented them way too fast. That’s why nowadays you can see the harsh difference of success between the two counties. Estonia, taking the more cautious route by taking the process slow and evaluation each step of the way, eventually they got their independence in 1991 though their “Singing Revolution”. This is where they had a huge choir festival and approached independence in a peaceful way and in the end nobody died. Nowadays, Estonia has a Center-right Coalition government but the political structure itself is composed of 10 political parties with the four major ones in the parliament. The country has a population of 1.3 million people with a negative population growth, and the government supports those families who have children and even let the mother leave work for a year and a half, still being paid her old salary. The country has one of the top educational systems in the world with 33 establishments for higher education. Estonia definitely had a buzz to it that I did not since in any of the other places. I think it is because of their attitude on going about things but also not to mention they were never taken over by the Romans, Mongols, Turks, or Hapsburgs! I wish we could have stayed there longer!  P.S. Our food, hotel, driver, and guide were AMAZING!!

Kiev, Ukraine

Currently, I am on the plane departing from Kiev, Ukraine on our way to Krakow, Poland. Kiev, known for its beautiful women with bottle blonde hair offered more than just human beauty but also architectural jewels within the city walls. To get some background on the country, we did some research. We learned that not only was Ukraine apart of Russia for most of the 1900s, but that Russia is still a very big part of their everyday lives. Most citizens speak Russian on a daily basis and even as their primary language. Also, Russia is their number one trading partner so it is a very important part of their economy.

As for Kiev, it is the capital and largest city in Ukraine, and is also co-hosting the Euro Cup soccer games. The city is also pretty close to the location where Chernobyl, the site of one of the most disastrous nuclear accidents of the twentieth century. There was 100 times more radiation released through the Chernobyl accident than that released by the atom bombs dropped in Japan. We visited a museum that explained exactly what happened and the effects of the accident. Apparently, the accident happened because when they were building the power plant they wanted it to be more efficient so they left out some parts that seemed unimportant but resulted in the self-destruction of the of the power plant, hundreds of deaths, and radiation for hundreds and thousands of years. The Chernobyl disaster was the worst nuclear incident in Europe and although there is no way to know how many people were affected, we do know that the deaths and deformities originating from this accident will continue for many years .

We also got a chance to walk around the old town and see the medieval churches and buildings. A lot of them were redesigned many times over the years so we could see the different styles like baroque, and the original frescos. It was pretty cool to see the different architectural styles all in one building. My personal favorite was St. Andrew’s Orthodox Cathedral. It had a beautiful pale blue exterior with domes plated with gold leaf.

Also in the city, we got to visit a very cool store called Sarahunt, that was filled with highly edited fashion, catered mostly to young rich Ukrainian women who were very tall and thin. It was fit with a café and four floors of both men and women’s fashion and beauty. It was a nice oasis to the days of sightseeing. All in all I learned a lot about Ukrainian history.