Immigrants and diplomats are often in the unique situation of being outsider-insiders. Immigrants, however assimilated, will inevitably have a different perspective born of an earlier life and upbringing. Diplomats try hard to understand their country of posting, but invariably something will happen to make them realise they’ll never quite figure it out. It’s always interesting to know how the ‘outsider’ sees a society, even if there are internal emotional truths that they, however connected, cannot grasp. It’s a fascinating, but sometimes frustrating, straddling of experiences and cultures.
Panelists : Elizabeth Flock, Jonathan Gill Harris, Nader Fekri
Chair : Anish Trivedi