Anne Fox :: Blog :: Good ideas

I was very taken by the initiative of Michelle Hvid who organised a mass dining out for so-called New Danes to meet with old Danes, earlier in the year and she will shortly be featuring in the Absolutely Intercultural podcast.

Then I noticed that I had missed almost a whole TV series on Danish TV chronicling the efforts of a journalist to find out how to achieve peace in the Middle East. Fortunately the series is available on the internet at the TV channel website and anyone can  access all eight episodes of 'Ouafa's Peace Mission'. Click on 'Se alle programmer' for access to all 8 programmes (though I can't get episode 4 to play). Even if you don't speak Danish it is worth seeing some of the episodes since there are many interviews in English in the Middlle East. I must say that I naively expected a solution or at least some pointers for individual action but what we got was nevertheless very interesting and thought provoking such as an examination of the role of the media in creating stereotypes and the potential for art to bring people together. There were also some interesting examinations of identity starting with the fact that the Danish presenter is herself of Moroccan origin. But we also met Christian Palestinians and an Israeli villager where Muslims, Jews and Christians live peacably side by side. The villager, who was Muslim, explained how he was adamant that his Jewish friends should never bring their dogs inside his house since that is very much against his cultural upbringing.

Having seen as many of the programmes as I could I then tried to find out more about the presenter. On her website it proclaimed that she was a qualified Kaos Pilot. When I investigated I discovered that this is an institution right on my doorstep which offers project management and business training with a social conscience which sounds like a great idea to me. On reading further I discovered that this was probably the place where I first used the Internet in 1994. I had wandered into this place having walked past it countless times on my way to and from Danish classes. When I needed background information for some of the European countries I was describing in a book that was the place I went to, to log onto the famous CIA website. I recall that there was quite a buzz to the place though I was never exactly sure what they did or why they were there.

I must admit that 12 years later I found it difficult to understand the philosophy behind the Kaos Pilots and I found it difficult to follow the thread of Ouafa Rian's TV series but always there is this feeling that they are a 'good thing'.