Associate Dean Linda Wagener Continues Report on Journey from Bosnia to China
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07/21/08
Linda Wagener, associate dean of Fuller’s School of Psychology, continues her series of journal reports from a six-week journey along the “Silk Road,” an ancient east-west trading route taking her through Bosnia, Jordan, Turkey, and China. As she meets young people along the way, Dr. Wagener—along with a traveling group that includes two School of Psychology students—seeks to better understand what it takes for youth to survive and even thrive in today’s world.
Journal Report #5:
An evening in Istanbul, Turkey
I am not sure I can remember another city that is as beautiful as Istanbul on a summer night under a crescent moon. Grand mosques with their minarets reaching to heaven outline the city and reflect the shimmering Bosporus. In this booming city, the young people are out in full force—walking the streets, shopping, drinking tea, smoking nagile in the outdoor cafes, and dancing until morning in the many clubs and music venues. It’s hard to imagine that Istanbul could follow the path of Iran, and revert to a political system dominated by fundamentalist Islamic practices. Until recently, for example, women were not allowed to wear head scarves at some of the major universities in the city.
Last evening I took a walk through one of the ghettos of Istanbul with Haris, a young scholar and talented musician who is doing his PhD on the history of the Greek Orthodox citizens of Istanbul. The neighborhood where he lives was once a thriving middle-class Greek community. The buildings which still stand have beautiful architectural “bones” though they are often in shambles. The neighborhood tumbles down the hill from one of the premier shopping districts and favorite “hangouts” for young Istanbulis. Musicians, artists, and intellectuals frequent the cafes in the alleys that fan out from the main thoroughfare which is closed to all but foot traffic.
Descending from the hilltop, the neighborhood rapidly declines in socioeconomic and social status. Haris explained that he loves this neighborhood because it represents the “real Turkey.” Families who have left the rural areas from all parts of Turkey have moved here. They have brought their local customs and live in ways that 
interestingly blend rural and urban life. Sheep live in the basements, and we saw raw wool hanging to dry next to the lines of laundry that criss-crossed the streets from the floors above. At the very bottom of the hill live the Kurds and Roma, the most marginalized of people groups.
Children were everywhere in the streets. Haris explained that most of them work and literacy is a significant problem, particularly for women from the rural areas of Turkey and marginalized social groups. He warned us to hold tight to our bags and wallets as theft is an ever-present problem, especially from the kids who thronged about us as we walked. I asked Haris what he thought the future held for these young people. He explained that there are plans for redevelopment of the neighborhood. The beautiful old buildings will be razed and hotels are scheduled to be built. The people who live here will be moved to facilities outside of Istanbul. He called them “concentration camps” not in the sense of genocide, but in the sense that they will be concentrated in a single area and isolated from Istanbul.
Haris explained his deep love for Istanbul and particularly for this neighborhood. Walking through the streets, I could easily understand that in this place he felt immersed in the complexities of what it means to be fully human. Neighbors greeted him warmly, kids asked him to speak in Turkish so that they could understand what we were saying, grannies teased him. The energy, warmth, and opportunities for connection with others whose experiences are radically different from our own was compelling.
It has been a daily occurrence on this trip along the Asia Silk Road to be grateful for the diversity of cultures we have encountered. In each place we have met remarkable young people who have transcended the boundaries of national identity and found their place among new people. They have loved the cultures and traditions they have encountered and have assimilated them into their own. Haris spent his early years in Greece, was educated at Oxford, and now is at home in Turkey. Despite the historic enmity between the Greeks and the Turks, he has felt comfortable and welcomed in this place. He has multiple identities, languages, and communities. At the same time, we have seen a parallel process in some places of increasing tension between ethnic groups. Here, in this neighborhood, the relations between the Kurds and Roma, for example, are increasingly hostile and even violent at times.
I can’t help but wonder, what are the influences on young people that lead to one path versus the other? The capacity for empathy, personal relationships with those who are your traditional adversaries, education (particularly with a robust and multi-perspective view of history), and 
a religious and philosophical worldview that emphasizes forgiveness, love, care for the vulnerable, and an opportunity to make a difference all seem to play important roles.
Later that night we were invited to listen to gypsy musicians playing in an attic above the streets of the city. The crowd was mostly young, multi-ethnic, lively and friendly, appreciative of the talent of the musicians and enjoying dancing to the emotive and lively music. Surely this is one hint of the Kingdom that is coming in which all peoples and nations will celebrate those who have lived as the “least of these” on earth.