Violence&Terrorism
While most countries in the world have less
street crime and personal violence than is potentially present inurban and suburban America, public political demonstrations are not
uncommon in some cities and countries abroad. Do NOT participate orgo to observe these demonstrations as your hosts may not appreciate
that you, a foreign visitor, are publicly opposing their politicalor social system.
Violence and terrorism are now clear realities
of the twenty-first century, and are not likely to diminishsignificantly. Nevertheless, there are certain rather obvious
precautions that students abroad can take:
- Do your homework, listen and heed the counsel you are
given.
- Keep a low profile and try not to make yourself conspicuous
by dress, speech, or behavior, in ways that might identify you as atarget or uniquely foreign. This includes: wearing college or
university insignia clothing or heavily patriotic Americanclothing, wearing baseball caps or U.S. sports teams’shirts
or jackets.
- Do not draw attention to yourself either through expensive
dress, personal accessories (cameras, radios, sunglasses, etc.) orcareless behavior.
- Avoid crowds, protest groups, or other potentially volatile
situations. Keep abreast of local news. Read local newspapers,magazines, etc. and speak with local officials to learn about any
potential civil unrest. If there should be any political unrest,
do not get involved .
- When in large cities and other popular tourist destinations,
avoid or spend as little time as possible in potential target areasfor terrorist activities, especially places frequented by
Americans: bars, discos, and U.S. fast food restaurants; branchesof American banks; American churches; and American consulates or
embassies.
- Try not to engage in conversations about contentious
political issues with host nationals.
- Be wary of unexpected packages and stay clear of unattended
luggage or parcels in airports, train stations, or other areas ofuncontrolled public access.
- Report to the responsible authority any suspicious persons
loitering around residence or instructional facilities, orfollowing you; keep your residence area locked; use common sense in
divulging information to strangers about your study program andyour fellow students.
- If you haven’t already done so, please register with
the nearest Embassy or Consulate of your home country.Additionally, if you travel to countries beyond your internship
siteand expect to be there for more than a week, register upon
arrival at a consulate or embassy of your home country havingjurisdiction over the location.
- Make sure that IAESTE or your host employer always knows
where and how to contact you in an emergency (make sure thatsomeone always knows where you are!).
- Develop a plan with your family for regular telephone or
e-mail contact, so that in times of heightened political tension,you will be able to communicate with your parents directly about
your safety.
Cultural sensitivity
We all want to be culturally sensitive, to get
along, to be respectful, to fit in, to not offend. In training,cultural sensitivity is emphasized and highly valued. It can be the
doorway through which a college student studying or working abroadgains entry to and acceptance with the community abroad.
It is very important that the cultural
sensitivity training provided never requires that you submit tobehaviors that invade your personal boundaries and that feel unsafe
or even uncomfortable to you. If it feels inappropriate or makesyou uneasy, get yourself out of the situation. Never sacrifice
yourself or your sense of safety for the sake of culturalsensitivity.
