Stories vs a list of hard cold facts? Language of anger/blame vs inspiration/possibility? Is ter...

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Stories vs a list of hard cold facts? Language of anger/blame vs inspiration/possibility? Is terminology important for what you want to say and how you want to convince the other? What do you think about Arab political rhetoric? How should we be talking to each other and the world to achieve the change we aspire for?

Posted by Nadine on 09.11.2008

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Posted by razano on 09.11.2008

For starters we can't keep playing the victim card. Loose the terminology of blame, conspiracy, arab people's dreamy nationalism. We are neighbours that share language and culture. Lets focus on culture and ways to show the world what and who we are. We have to spread our focus, not make it just about Palestine and Iraq, where all arab politicians keep us stuck at. We have to take ownership of our destiny as people, tell stories for sure. We need to read more, learn more, build more, speak loud, make more art, more films, more videos, write books, invent things, blog, teach be active players everywhere we can at home and abroad. It's a long road but we have to start somewhere.

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Posted by Duha on 10.11.2008

Definitely the Arab rhetoric needs to change. The problem we have, at least as I see it, is that we think we are talking to "ourselves", and since we are people of emotions and they appeal to us and affect us on many levels, we think the world shoul buy our story. But the world isn't "us".

So it's Communication 101 if I may, know you're target audience and what is your message. Which is another problem actually, what are we trying to tell the world? What is our message? I personally cannot figure it out.

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Posted by Nadine on 10.11.2008

Ur very right Shalabieh. In case you haven't already read it, this piece by Nermeen Murad today is important and relevant to what you're saying.

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Posted by Shalabieh on 10.11.2008

Arab rhetoric needs to change... needs to be less emotinal and needs to eb more objective and realitstic. We need to focus on teh changes we can make and get them done instead of continously getting hung up on the same points and not being able to move forward.

Facts and stories shoudl be used as a combination. You need the facts to make your argument and the stories to win the people... but they have to be balanced and there has to be space for opposing sides to raise their voices too...

I personally tune out the politcal speak because I dont think they are making constructive arguments or presenting anything new. Just look at hte slogans durning the parlimentary elections here as an example!

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