Via email, USA

On the occasion of the completion of the 2007 Sharqiya Expedition, I send you my warmest congratulations, on a successful expedition, and on everything Connecting Cultures is doing to bring together young people from across the Arab world and beyond. The British Embassy in Riyadh, and the British Council here, look forward to working with Connecting Cultures as you develop your links with Saudi Arabia in the months and years ahead.

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO
HM Ambassador, Riyadh

With our son safely back home, we want to express our gratitude for all
your efforts to make this trip possible. This was such a GREAT experience for Ben! I hope he now has a different perspective on life. We admire your courage, taking on the responsibility of looking after these sheltered, pampered, Saudi boys. I appreciated following the day to day news via "Connecting Cultures". It was a comfort, knowing everyone was safe. Thank you so much for creating such a memorable trip for our son!

Warm Regards, Mr. and Mrs. Saleh Al-Shamekh, Riyadh

The similarities between our cultures were highlighted throughout, as the discussion we had proved, for example, the most important things in our lives were basically the same despite our different backgrounds and cultures.

Zaeem Ansari – Pakistan

The best part has been those moments around the camp fire getting to know about my colleagues and their different cultures and countries.

Harub Ahmed Alshealy, Oman

I have learned that patience, time, friendliness, understanding and respect are important when communicating with other cultures.

Sean Cowell – Britain

I have learnt that I am capable of more than I thought. I have found out what my capabilities are, and the whole experience of sharing this adventure with other people has been of benefit to my body and mind, and has taught me the value of teamwork.

Sultan Al Qahtani, King Faisal School Riyadh

With working alongside people from other cultures I have learned that there are more similarities between cultures than differences. In addition, each culture has its own character and therefore has different ideas and thoughts, which has created a more diverse and lively atmosphere.

Zaeem Ansari – Pakistan

There is no difference when working alongside a person who is from the same culture as you or different. Throughout we could communicate easily despite the different cultures present. Once home, I’ll try to express what I have learnt to make the world a better place.

Waleed Gadri – Saudi Arabia

I have learned a lot of different things, such as that language and religion doesn’t make a problem in the communication and understanding between different cultures, so the world can be a small village, with safety….

Qusai Al-Zu’bi, Jordan

This experience gave me a big opportunity, and I learn not to judge any culture from the media, but from the face to face meeting and how to deal with any nationality or religion and to respect everyone and their different religion.

Ra’ed Abu Yassen, Jordan

If anyone goes with Connecting Cultures they will learn a lot about themselves, about how to be patient, and about other people. I am now aware of and like nature more than before and can make good relationships with British people who often had the wrong information about my country.

Abdullah Al Shalhoub, King Faisal School, Riyadh

We proved for the whole world that in spite of the different cultures we worked together for a week like one soul and like we were all brothers that came from one house.

Ra’ed Abu Yassen, Jordan

In the past I was not sure how to approach someone from another culture or nation. I focused on the differences and was worried of offending them. Now I focus on what we have in common and realize that most people are willing to talk about their religion and culture.

Sean Cowell – Britain

My experiences and lessons learnt on this expedition could be incorporated into the simplest of conversations with friends and family. Also i am expected to give a formal presentation at school in which will access a wider range of individuals, I hope they absorb what I have to say.

Jesse Lee, Fiji Islands

I am so happy because of this event, I will talk about this idea in the Jordan Youth Parliament and the same way to different Jordanian youth committees, and I will talk with all my friends in different parts of the city, and in addition to my friends in different countries so I will clear the use of this event although to clear the connection between east and the west cultures.

Ra’ed Abu Yassen, Jordan

I definitely think that connecting cultures promotes understanding between young people. I have learned a lot because I have been forced to interact with people from cultures and religions whom I would not have the opportunity to meet normally. It removes distractions and prompts different people to sit down and talk about themselves.

Sean Cowell – Britain

It’s incredibly effective. By bringing people together on a physical challenge we undergo the same experiences which have given us a common task to communicate about. Much understanding of other cultures is an understanding to daily life and this can only be achieved if you briefly share daily life together.

Simeon Koole – Britain

The fact that 18 people became a big happy ‘family’ in less than 5 days is amazing.

Waleed Gadri – Saudi Arabia

Connecting Cultures is an excellent way of promoting communication and understanding between cultures because it allows you to gain in depth knowledge and understanding and also gives a lot of time to understand any misconceptions of other cultures. Going out into the wilderness is an effective way to make us communicate as there are no distractions or anything to influence individual views, such as the media.

Zaeem Ansari – Pakistan

In connecting cultures each person gets get to know other people not from the same country which leads to friendships and to improve the ideas and to erase the bad ideas between those people.

Imad khalfan khamees al-hilali, Oman

A ‘chat’ on the internet is remote and distant. There is no way it can compare to living and working with someone in a difficult environment where bonds you build are so strong and genuine.

James Danvers, Great Britain

The effect of meeting face to face has a positive effect to transfer the culture in the right way so you can feel the honesty between the people not like the internet which gives you the incorrect picture about the cultures sometimes it’s clear but sometimes it’s not. You get to know the person and his habits and attitude in a honest way not like the internet because sometimes the internet gives you wrong information and superficial.

Ra’ed Abu Yassen, Jordan