Today was definitely a packed day and a late night so I am going to comment on a couple of things and then call it a day.  I hope to put the next podcast together tomorrow night after I arrive in Jeddah on the western coast of Saudi Arabia.

We started in a private school, and I will put that experience together with my experiences in other schools in the next day or two.  Then we attended a discussion session with the Majlis Al Shura, the major representative and advisement body to the royal government.  Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, but there is recognition that consensus among a broad group of experts is important to the stable and effective governance of the nation.  This council or Majlis is where representatives of various regions and employment backgrounds can discuss important issues within the Kingdom.  These officials are selected based upon achievements in their fields and then form committees to match their strengths.  We had an excellent visit with the Secretary General and other members.  We discussed the impact of the media on perceptions between nations and how bridges need to be made between cultures to prevent false assumptions from being made.  When asked what the biggest issues faced by their nation were, the first mentioned involved their unbelievable growth rate, the huge numbers of young people, and the challenges this growth presents in developing education and employment opportunities.

Questions to consider...
1.  What are the major differences between our government and the Saudi government?
2.  Why is the rapid growth rate such a great concern in the Kingdom?  What challenges can such growth have on a society?

I'm going to keep things brief for today.  Hopefully, tomorrow I will be up and running in Jeddah and get another podcast out to you.  Masalama!


# - Kevin Witte - 2/22/06; 5:00:35 PM -
Enclosure: -