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Metro Plus
On a cultural mission
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The Group Study Exchange Programme organised every year by Rotary International is a step towards promoting global understanding and relations.
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MARIA JOSE Ferreira, Geraldo Morais, Adriano Oliveira, Sue Foley... are part of the team from Alaska and Brazil, who are now in Chennai on a Rotary International Group Study Exchange (GSE) Programme.
Every year, the Rotary International sponsors and coordinates the visits of such GSE teams, comprising young men and women, to foreign countries. Members of these teams belong to diverse racial and linguistic backgrounds and professions. It's a unique educational activity that promotes international understanding through organised travel and person-to-person contact.
The team members stay in a foreign country for four to six weeks to study the culture of that country, forge friendship and exchange ideas.
Unlike the conventional cultural exchange programmes arranged by universities and governments, in the GSE, the team members do not stay in hostels but in the homes of Rotarians. Thus, personally experience an alien lifestyle and culture.
The GSE teams from Alaska and Brazil arrived in Chennai a few weeks ago and during their stay will visit various factories, government offices, banks, schools, colleges, museums, monuments and parks. Each member will also spend five days meeting people from his/her own profession in the city. They will be delivering lectures on various aspects of their country.
Most of them are visiting an Asian country for the first time. Some of the members confessed that they thought India is only about mud roads, bullock carts and snake charmers. But were quite surprised by the technological advancements and modern living.
Rachel Fedewa from Alaska has become fond of wearing a sari, while Adriano from Brazil loves to eat sambar.
The teams will return with lots of gifts, photographs and warm memories. In the present strife-torn time, cultural exchange programmes are essential to bring people closer and develop better understanding.
S.SURESH
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