Pakistani Educational Leadership Institute

Since the beginning of this Institute — and perhaps even during the planning stages beforehand — i have thought that there were never enough hours in the day, or enough energy in me to carry me through to the end. But…apparently…i was wrong, because tomorrow we load up the bus for the last time, and trek to Boston to see our participants off. It leaves me with very strong, and mixed, feelings.

the 4th of July and the following days were surreal. I — middle class, white, male, New Hampshireite, self-styled liberal, and decently educated was faced with a set of challenges completely beyond my experience. I woke up the morning of the 5th in a panic, <b> convinced</b> that i had made a mistake and was not up to the challenge of being the advisor to these fifteen dedicated, dynamic, and amazing individuals. They asked me questions i didnt know answers to, threw the carefully laid plans into disarray, and began <b> my</b> education long before they sat in their first PSU classroom.

Over the successive days, i fell into a rythm of early mornings, meals and the sound of Urdu — foreign to my ears — became a constant from conversations in the dorm, to singing on the busses as we went places, to the air planes we boarded to the United States capitals. I will miss this rythem as the 2007 participants go their seperate ways.

3 Participants return to Kashmir, another group to the Punjab, and the Sindh. They take with them memories, educational tools, more pictures than anyone should <b>ever</b> take on a three week trip, and more handbags then anyone could ever want. I hope they also take with them a greater understanding of America and remember us here at Plymouth.

to Rehan and Yasir - talking into the early hours of the night and good humor about the crazyness that they enured. Mubasher for his wit. Zahoor and Raja for insight. Sadaf for endless humor, Saima and (little)Faiza for their honest friendship, Sarwat who took pictures everywhere and was terrified of the laundry mat. Afshan, Shanaz, Azmat– a finer chorus i have never heard. Abida and her warm smile, Samia for an hour-long lesson in english on a long bus ride, and to (big)Faiza - who has more grace than i have ever seen in another human being — thank you for coming, thank you for being open to the experiences at PSU, and for sharing with me (and us) a new view on the world far outside anything i have learned before.

To Team Pakistan - Blake for starting every morning with a “hey gang!” Lora who kept us all on track, Liane, Lisa and Tammy for doing back flips to keep everything organized and underbudget. Kim and John for a crazy, hectic, and hysterical time in D.C. and from the bottom of my heart Sarah — who let me go crazy, and shared this wonderful experience as well. Adam, a member of the team, even if he was spared the planning meetings (but not from being pulled from his cab and run around washington with us) he keeps us pushing forward to be bigger and better.

From the outside, this may seem more like a personal reflection — year book like notes, but it is representative of what has been developed here at Plymouth State. From organized chaos (because, really, 3 weeks and everything we’ve done in that time is crazy) has come a thing of beauty–an international community dedicated to the betterment of nations and people, and the promotion of a global understanding that goes beyond races or faiths. I well and truely believe that if every person participated in an event like this Institute — the world would be a better place.

But as they cant — i am confident that the fifteen participants from the Institute, and the horde that is Team Pakistan will take these experiences and make things better in everything we do.

T-minus 24 hours and counting. Boston here we come!

-Sean Robinson