TOGETHER
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Dear readers,
Here is the topic of our new issue: Together.
I wonder if there is anything in this world more difficult than trying to stay together - to coexist.
As language students, we are probably the ones who are most familiar with all these struggles. In the role of mediators, we are often suspended between different cultures which means we are well aware of the difficulties involved in attempting to adapt and accept otherness.
In our increasingly globalized world despite our inherent connection where we live connected through ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi, events, such as Brexit, the Catalonia’s referendum, the Italian secessionists’ movements, the refurbishment of populisms and of extreme right-wing parties in Europe, show us how disconnected we actually are. In particular, we – Europeans – who dreamed of a future of union and peace, after the horrors of the two World Wars, who wanted to create a big union following the footsteps of what it was the biggest democratic nation in the world, the United States of America, we are now totally disenchanted.
Sometimes, Whorf and Sapir seem to have been right: different languages create different worlds, separated by deep chasms. These separate people not only through the means of nations’ borders, but extending throughout the nations themselves. These chasms also have different names, such as “gender”, “ethnicity”, etc. We create these abysses when we define “minorities” against the “norm”. Abridging these chasms is a long and difficult process, even for mediators like us. Even if learning new languages open you up to new worlds, achieving a deep understanding and acceptance of these worlds is still a great challenge. Immersing yourself in a different culture is not only fun, sometimes it might also hurt. Immersing yourself in a different culture not only opens your eyes to the world but also to yourself.
Insieme – together: what initially appears to be an easy topic, is far from it. For this reason, dear readers, I would warn you that reading this issue might sometimes be controversial, and that, sometimes, it will require those skills of mediation and interpretation that even we, as language students, are still struggling to achieve. In any case, there is one thing I am sure of: no matter how difficult the journey will be, discovering a new world has always been and continue to be a worthy thing to do.
I hope you enjoy this issue!
Best Wishes, Sara x