"Turkey time!"

The other day, I had the opportunity to meet with the Irish Ambassador to the United States at a very quiet dinner function. The first thing he asked me was "what do you do?" and when I told him that I was a college professor teaching International Business he asked, "is there much interest in Europe?" to which I replied "Yes, there is because the instructor is "Euro-centric". This comment gave him a chuckle but it is, in fact, true. I am Eurocentric- it's my heritage and it's what I feel comfortable with. I grew up on the "Southside" of Chicago where everyone looked like me and had a similar story to tell. We were all Christian, predominantly Catholic, whose parents and grandparents had immigrated earlier in the 20th century. They came from Ireland, Poland, Germany, Italy and Spain. It was rare to find someone who was not Christian- I think I could count them on one hand. So, what's this little trip down memory lane have to do with anything? Well, today I'm getting ready to embark on a great new adventure to a completely different part of the world. A part that I know very little about except on the surface, they're not like me. I'm going to Turkey- a great emerging economy that has a an interesting past and a fabulous future. A country that situated mostly in Asia but there is a part of it in Europe. In fact, one of the two most important cities, Istanbul straddles Europe and Asia. I am sure that there is some symbolism there. A country that while 98% of the population is Muslim, has a secular government. A country that is trying to join the European Union, and encountering resistance from the E.U. Many believe the less than enthusiastic acceptance of Turkey is because of the difference in religion. The current E.U. states, all of them Christian- many of them Catholic, are dragging their feet on giving final approval to Turkey. And the worst kept secret as to why they are dragging their feet, I stated it before "they're not like me". Silly? Yes, it is but humans are not always rational. This particular trip I'm not traveling alone as I usually do. I'm tagging along on this trip with the Political Science department to gain a better understanding. Yes, an understanding of the politics but also many other pieces as well. We will be visiting with many political leaders along with university professors and business people. The trip is being coordinated through a foundation that is focused on bringing the three Abrahamic religions to create a dialog where we can find a mutual understanding. It has been my experience that the more we get to know one another, the more it becomes apparent that we have more in common than different. As I get ready to go on this trip, I'm reminded of a conversation that I had with a wise coworker many years ago. She said "I'm biased but I'm working to get over that". I agree with her, we all have biases whether based on religion, ethnicity, race or gender. I'm hoping that on my trip that I can start to better understand the Turkish point of view and become more open because of it.