Madalyn Becker (center, in Red Sox cap), 2011 grad of Franklin High School, is in Morocco on trip to strengthen American-Muslim relations through volunteer service. Milford Daily News
“Morocco is a beautiful country…I hope (this trip) will inspire people to make that extra effort to have a better understanding of the Muslim World and travel to new places and see the human side of things.”
–20-year-old Madalyn Becker, U. of Delaware junior of Franklin, MA,
is in Morocco on America’s Unofficial Ambassadors program
Milford Daily News, by Matt Tota/Daily News staff (Franklin, Massachusetts, July 14, 2013) — Two weeks ago, Madalyn Becker arrived in Morocco, a mountain-strewn country of 33 million on the northwest corner of Africa, with a lofty goal: soften opinions of American culture and return home with real stories from a Muslim nation.
Becker, a 20-year-old Franklin native whose longest venture out of the states was a week-long London getaway, accepted the mission completely cognizant of the simmering history of hostility between the U.S. and Muslim world.
The University of Delaware junior is on the trip as part of the America’s Unofficial Ambassadors initiative, a program that aims to better American-Muslim relations through volunteer service.
In Newark, Del., she majors in international studies with a focus on the Middle East. And it was during one of her classes that she heard AUA founder Ben Orbach expunge on the merits of his program.
Before that, though, Becker viewed these issues through a different lens. “In terms of my own experience I know that before I started my studies at (the University of Delaware), I knew relativity nothing about Islam or Muslim cultures,” she wrote in a lengthy response to emailed questions. “What I knew was mostly from the media, which largely focuses on negative connotations. I think that this is not uncommon among a lot of Americans.
“This is not to say people are actively seeking to only see the bad in other people, but it takes some conscious effort to have an educated and understanding perspective.”
College, as it often does for America’s youth, prompted her to rethink many of her prior misconceptions about Muslims. Still, beyond the lectures, she yearned for first-hand knowledge. “I think that even as a student who specializes in the area of international relations, there is often a gap between what we read and write and discuss in class and the reality of how people interact and view one another,” she wrote. “I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to sort of fill in those gaps and cultivate a stronger foundation for my studies.”
Stefan Cornibert, an AUA program coordinator, said there are seven other likeminded volunteers in Morocco, six in Indonesia and four in Zanzibar.
“What makes our program unique is it fits into the larger international relations issue between the U.S. and the Muslim world,” Corniber said. “Everybody can play a role in improving this sort of strained relationship that’s existed for a while.”
Becker teaches French at this school in a small herding village.
Back in Morocco, where Arabic is the main language, Becker has been teaching French to children in a remote herding village. When not leading language classes, she takes classes at Al Akhawayn University, located about 43 miles from the country’s third largest city, Fez.
“Morocco is a beautiful country, and I was immediately in love with the sharp contrast it holds to the industrialized and commercialized landscape I am used to,” she said of her home until Aug. 7.
During her first week in the country, Becker was concerned about the communication barrier she would face; she speaks only a little French and no Arabic.
“But I have found that my French has gotten me surprisingly far, and I have been able to use a little of the Dirija Arabic that I am learning here at the university,” she said.
One morning last week, Becker said she saw more cracks form in that wall. Her Arabic class at the university started lessons on the alphabet, which for her was “exciting and empowering.”
As a citizen ambassador, she said it has been most rewarding to represent American culture and “fight stereotypes on both sides.”
Now, Becker is eager to return to Franklin and teach some of her friends and family about Morocco and its people.
“I think a lot of them might be shocked to learn how much they have in common with the people of Morocco,” she said. “I hope that maybe it will inspire people to make that extra effort to have a better understanding of the Muslim World and to travel to new places and see the human side of things.”
