Features

WASHINGTON — The next time you come across a rat darting furtively for cover, consider this: It might just want to have a playful game of hide-and-seek.

A group of neuroscientists in Germany spent several weeks hanging out with rodents in a small room filled with boxes, finding the animals were surprisingly adept at the cross-cultural childhood game — even though they weren’t given food treats as a reward.

Instead, the rats appeared to genuinely enjoy both finding their sneaky human companions and being caught by them, as shown by their joyful leaps (what the Germans called “freudensprung”) and ultrasonic giggles that previous work has found is a sign of happiness.

The researchers’ paper was published in the influential journal Science on Thursday, and beyond the cuteness factor (or creepiness, depending on one’s perspective), it offers new insight into play behaviour, an important evolutionary trait among mammals.

“When you work a lot with rats over the years, you see how intelligent these animals are and how social,” co-author Konstantin Hartmann from the Humboldt University of Berlin, where the other members of the team are also based, told AFP.

“But it was still very surprising to us to see how well they did,” he said.

Working with adolescent male rats in a room of 30 square metres, a scientist would either find a cardboard box to crouch behind in a hiding role, or give the rat a headstart to find cover while the scientist searched. 

Over a period of one to two weeks, the rats were taught that starting the game inside a closed box that was opened remotely meant they were seeking, while starting the game with the box open meant they were hiding.

They quickly developed advanced strategies, including re-visiting spots humans had previously hidden when they were seeking, and choosing to take cover in opaque rather than transparent boxes when they were hiding.

To help train them, the authors rewarded the rats not with food or water, which would invalidate the experiment, but with positive social interaction in the form of physical contact, explained Hartmann.

“They chase our hand, we tickle them from the side, it’s like a back and forth a little bit like how you play with small kittens or puppies,” he said.

The scientists suspect though that the rats were motivated not just by this interaction but that they also liked to play for the sake of play itself. 

The animals would let out high-pitched giggles three times above the human audible range and would execute so-called “joy jumps” during the game — both associated with feelings of happiness.

Once they were discovered, the rats often jumped away and “playfully rehid” at a new location, sometimes repeating the process several times — indicating they wanted to prolong the play session and delay the reward.

Ethics questions

Play is an important part of cognitive development for adolescent mammals, and rats make for ideal models to study brain activity in humans because of their evolutionary proximity to us, which is also why they are often used in the study of disease. 

Scientists are therefore keen to learn what parts of the brain’s prefrontal cortex that is linked to social behaviours, are involved — but because play is a free-flowing activity, it had been difficult to study.

The team therefore attached microwires to the rats’ heads that recorded their brain activity, allowing them to identify which individual neurons were linked to specific game events.

This in turn could be used for future study: for example, to look at neural development when play activities are restricted during adolescence. 

But the more we learn about rat and mice social behaviour, the more human-like they seem, raising difficult ethical questions about their use in medical trials and other experiments.

“I think, being aware of the cognitive abilities of an animal is really important,” said Hartmann, adding it was always important to judge the value of the expected outcome against the use of animals. 

“This type of research will also help other scientists to see in rats more than what you usually see when you just get the rat and use it for standard experiments, when you’re not aware of what these animals can do.”

PARIS — Shorter people are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study published on Tuesday. 

Each additional 10 centimetres in height translates into a 41 per cent smaller chance of contracting the disease in men and a 33 per cent smaller chance in women, according to the research in medical journal Diabetologia.

The greater health risk in shorter individuals is likely linked to higher liver fat content, and a larger number of risk factors for heart disease, stroke and diabetes, the authors speculated.

It has also been reported that insulin sensitivity and the functioning of special cells in the pancreas that secrete the hormone are better in taller people.

The study draws from a detailed medical survey of more than 16,600 women and nearly 11,000 men — aged 40 to 65 — in Potsdam, Germany from 1994 to 1998.

“These observations corroborate that height is a useful predictive marker for diabetes risk,” the authors concluded. 

People with diabetes have excessively high blood glucose, or blood sugar, which comes from food.

Some 420 million people around the world today suffer from diabetes, with the number expected to rise to 629 million by 2045, according to the International Diabetes Federation.

Currently, the disease is divided into two sub-types. 

With type-1 — generally diagnosed in childhood and accounting for about 10 per cent of cases — the body simply doesn’t make insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. 

For type-2, the body makes some insulin but not enough, which means glucose stays in the blood. 

This form of the disease correlates highly with obesity and can, over time, lead to blindness, kidney damage, heart disease or stroke. Acute cases may also require limb amputations.

NEW YORK — Fashion and technology have often gone hand in hand, improving supply chains and bringing the world’s runways to the masses, but at this week’s shows in New York, robotic designs took centre stage.

The dresses were conceived with the help of a kit designed by Anina Trepte, a former model and founder of the 360Fashion Network, who wants designers to integrate technology into their work even if they cannot code themselves.

“I am on a mission to encourage other women to get into tech,” Trepte told AFP.

On Trepte’s initiative, designers Clare Tattersall and Azrael Yang used the kits to conjure up six dresses unveiled in a Harlem church at a show organised by Melange, a movement promoting diversity in fashion and the art.

Tattersall, a Briton who lives in New York, created one dress with large futuristic flower petals that open and close mechanically on their own — the perfect eye-catching cocktail attire.

A second dress has a large silver hood that goes up and down with the click of a button.

The last is a fitting frock for the #MeToo era.

It features bits of metal appliqued to one shoulder, and when hidden motion sensors detect someone who is too close, the metal rattles and shakes.

Yang, who is based in Beijing, took her inspiration from the ocean and seaweed for her work, which gently undulate like waves, guided by sensors and environmental data.

“A phenomenal result,” Trepte said of the dresses.

‘Creative tool’

Trepte, a tall American-born German woman with red hair and big blue eyes, gave up the catwalks and moved to Beijing more than a decade ago to devote herself to fashion tech.

“All the designs and the tech on these clothes were made by women — and the men did the sewing, ha ha ha!” she said.

For Tattersall, the founder of New York-based fashion tech company ThunderLily, education is key.

“My goal is to get girls involved in math and technology, show them that technology is a creative tool,” she told AFP.

Tattersall teaches girls of all ages about wearable technology, which she sees could be especially important in the future in terms of improving our health and fitness.

The dresses were also shown at a separate exhibition in New York’s Union Square, along with some of Trepte’s own wearable tech — jewellery that lights up, wallets that charge cell phones and an “SOS” ring that sends a text and a GPS location to an emergency contact.

Also on display were kits to make gloves with LED lights or coats with heating, and even a robot that can prepare cocktails and is activated by wearable tech hidden in the sleeves of a jacket.

Special guest

There was a special guest at both the Harlem show and the subsequent exhibition — the humanoid robot Sophia, made by Hanson Robotics.

Her features and gestures are lifelike — right down to her eyelashes. The effect is unnerving.

At the Melange show in Harlem, she gave a speech about diversity. On the catwalk: models of all shapes and sizes, races and sexual orientations.

Rag & Bone joined the robotic fun in a different way — for its big return to New York Fashion Week after a three-year absence, it deployed a giant robotic arm to film its catwalk show.

The images were shown live to the public on giant LED screens.

The robotic arm — which was connected to sensors capturing the models’ movements — was almost a character in the show, according to Aaron Duffy, who directed the robot for the show.

It went from “kind of playful” to “pretty scary”, Duffy told Fast Company magazine. 

By Laura Bonilla Cal

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple on Tuesday played to its strengths with powerful new iPhone and iPad models able to serve as stages for its new game and television services.

The Silicon Valley titan added into the mix a new-generation Apple Watch that can tell when a place it getting too noisy or help point wearers in the right direction.

Here is what Apple will be releasing as the company strives to offset slumping iPhone sales:

Cameras and chips

Apple introduced three new iPhone models.

An iPhone 11 boasted upgrades including a dual-camera system; longer battery life, a muscular computer chip and better water resistance.

The iPhone 11 will be priced starting at $699 when it hits the market on September 20.

The phone’s camera has a new “ultra-wide” angle lens. Like the other new models, the iPhone is powered by an “A13 bionic” chip made in-house by Apple and infused with machine learning as well as high-performance graphics and processing capabilities.

Apple also introduced an iPhone 11 Pro and larger-screened iPhone 11 Pro Max that will have starting prices of $999 and $1,099 respectively when they are available on September 20.

The Pro line of iPhone has rich “super retina” OLED displays and a third camera on the back for professional quality photos and video, as well as a ramped-up zoom and editing software.

Apple played up an ability to use Pro iPhones for slow motion portrait snippets like selfies that it called “slofies”.

None of the iPhones was tailored for the 5G telecom networks starting to roll out.

iPad with a Pencil

Apple introduced a seventh-generation iPad with a 10.2-inch display priced at $329. It is set to be in stores starting September 30.

A “must-have” Apple Pencil integrated to work with the iPad touch screen can be used as a controller for creation or productivity. The iPad case is made entirely of recycled aluminum and will have a recently introduced operating system designed specifically for the tablet computers.

Watch time

The fifth-generation Apple Watch has a touch-screen face that is always on so the time and notifications are always viewable, while still being stingy on battery power. Previous generations had the smartwatch face go dark when arms dropped to save on power.

New software features include tracking ambient noise levels to safeguard people’s hearing; an ability for women to monitor menstrual cycles and a “compass” to keep users properly oriented.

Apple also invited Watch users to volunteer for three new health studies, though data collected will remain anonymous.

Apple Watch Series 5 had a starting price of $399 and was set to be available starting September 20. Apple also reduced the price of Apple Watch Series 3 to a starting price of $199.

TV and Games

Apple’s promised streaming television service — dubbed TV+ — will launch internationally on November 1.

The line-up of original shows will include “The Morning Show”, “Dickinson”, “See”, “For All Mankind” and “The Elephant Queen”.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook promised more content would be added as it is produced.

The service will be priced at $4.99 monthly, about half of what Netflix charges for access to its large catalogue of content, and is available for viewing using Apple devices or online at tv.apple.com.

Anyone who buys a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch or Mac computer will get a year of Apple TV+ thrown in free of charge.

Apple TV+ will arrive about two weeks before a new Disney+ streaming television service, which costs $2 more per month.

Apple will open its Arcade game service on September 19, also charging $4.99 monthly. Arcade will have more than 100 exclusive titles for play on Apple’s array of hardware.

GENEVA — Nearly 800,000 people commit suicide each year — more than those killed by war and homicide or breast cancer, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday, urging action to avert the tragedies.

In a fresh report, the UN health agency said that the global suicide rate had fallen somewhat between 2010 and 2016, but the number of deaths has remained stable because of a growing global population.

“Despite progress, one person still dies every 40 seconds from suicide,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement, insisting that “every death is a tragedy for family, friends and colleagues”. 

The global suicide rate in 2016 — the last year for which data was available — stood at 10.5 per 100,000 people.

But rates varied widely, with suicides in some countries as low as five per 100,000, while Guyana, which topped the scales, registered a rate of over 30 per 100,000.

Overall, the global suicide rate fell by nearly 10 per cent from 2010 to 2016, with the western Pacific showing declines of nearly 20 per cent and Southeast Asia registering a decline of only 4.2 per cent.

The Americas meanwhile was the only region that showed an uptick in suicides, with a six per cent hike over the six-year period.

“We know that in the region of the Americas, access to firearms and guns is an important means of suicide,” Alexandra Fleischmann of WHO’s mental health division, told reporters in Geneva in answer to a question.

The overall decline is explained by the fact that a number of countries — 38 in total — have put in place suicide prevention strategies, WHO said, stressing however that many more countries must follow suit.

‘Preventable’

“Suicides are preventable,” Tedros said, calling “on all countries to incorporate proven suicide prevention strategies into national programmes in a sustainable way”.

The most common methods of suicide are hanging, gunshots and — especially in rural areas — the ingestion of poisonous pesticides.

Most suicides happen in low- and middle-income countries, where most of the global population lives, but rates are higher in wealthier countries, the WHO report found.

After Guyana, Russia registered the world’s second-highest rate, with 26.5 suicides per 100,000 people.

Also figuring high on the list were Lithuania, Lesotho, Uganda, Sri Lanka, South Korea, India and Japan, as well as the United States, which registered 13.7 suicides per 100,000 people.

In almost every country, men are more likely than women to commit suicide.

Only in five countries — Bangladesh, China, Lesotho, Morocco, and Myanmar — do women commit suicide at a higher rate than men.

Young people are especially vulnerable: More than half of all those who commit suicide are under the age of 45.

And among 15-29-year-olds, suicide is in fact second only to road accidents as the leading cause of death.

The WHO said it was launching a one-month campaign starting on World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, including the launch of a resource booklet for filmmakers.

‘Vulnerable’

It will warn of the dangers of graphic descriptions or depictions of suicide, which have been shown to trigger copycat suicides among people struggling with mental health issues.

In July, Netflix said it had removed a graphic suicide scene from the first season of hit show “13 Reasons Why”, following concern from mental health experts who feared it glorified suicide. 

Two studies published in May found that suicides among US youths rose significantly in the months following the popular show’s release in 2017.

“The research has shown over many years... that there are people who imitate, who are vulnerable,” Fleischmann said.

The WHO report also said countries could make a significant dent in suicide numbers by limiting access to pesticides.

Pesticides are often so toxic that suicide attempts using them tend to succeed.

In Sri Lanka, regulations and bans on pesticides led to a 70 per cent fall in suicides between 1995 and 2015, resulting in 93,000 lives saved, the report said.

And in South Korea, a ban on the herbicide paraquat in 2011 and 2012 lead to the halving of suicides by pesticide poisoning between 2011 and 2013, it said.

LOS ANGELES — Proving again the lure of a good scare, the Stephen King-inspired film “IT Chapter Two” took in $91.1 million this weekend to top the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Monday.

That three-day total fell below the original “It”, with its frighteningly impressive $123 million opening in 2017. But the two films now rank as the top two horror openings ever, according to Variety.

“IT Chapter Two” stars Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Isaiah Mustafa and Bill Hader as the grown-up versions of the kids who battled the terrifying, shape-shifting clown Pennywise 27 years earlier — and now must do it again.

There were no other new releases in the top 10, and the box office lineup — in what has been a slow year for cinema — was little changed from last weekend.

Slipping one spot to second — and miles behind “IT Chapter Two” — was Lionsgate’s political thriller “Angel Has Fallen”, which earned $6 million. Gerard Butler stars as a Secret Service agent wrongly accused of attempting to kill the US president (Morgan Freeman).

In third, also down one spot, was Universal’s raunchy tween comedy “Good Boys”, at $5.5 million. 

Disney’s updated “The Lion King” also slipped one spot, to fourth, at $4.3 million.

In fifth place was Universal’s action film “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason Statham, taking in $3.8 million on its sixth weekend.

Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were “Overcomer” ($3.7 million), “Dora & the City of Lost Gold” ($2.3 million), “Ready or Not” ($2.3 million), “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” ($2.3 million) and “Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood” ($2.2 million).

Compact, manoeuvrable, generously spacious and frugally efficient, the Mercedes-Benz Citan was first introduced in 2012 as the German manufacturer’s gambit into the small and practical van segment, and in many markets as a versatile MPV passenger car.

Ideally suited for busy urban roads, the Citan is a versatile, economic and right-sized transport solution for small businesses and lightweight goods transportation that is easy to park and drive in narrow roads, utilitarian in execution and smooth, comfortable and reassuring for open roads, long distances and highways too.

Available through the official Mercedes-Benz dealership in Jordan in turbocharged petrol and diesel versions as a long wheelbase panel van, the Citan is, however, also built in a short standard wheelbase and extra-long wheelbase. Across the broader model range, the Citan is also available as long five-seater family MPV and extra-long Mixto version with five-seats and closed off cargo area. For larger families or businesses requiring a more economical and manageable multi-passenger solution than large van-based MPVs or thirsty road-hogging SUVs, is the Citan seven-seat extra long wheelbase version.

The French connection

Developed as part of a technology sharing or exchange program between Mercedes-Benz and the Renault-Nissan alliance with both partners providing either platforms or components to each other for specific models, the Mercedes-Benz Citan is similarly based on the popular Renault Kangoo.

Benefitting from the French manufacturer’s long expertise with light front-drive commercial van and passenger MPV, albeit with German input, the petrol-powered Citan 112 driven features a same small yet prodigiously torque-dense turbocharged direct injection 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine widely and reliably used by Renault under the Energy TCe 115 moniker. 

Built with iron-carbon friction-reducing cylinder wall lining and featuring a stop/start system to reduce fuel consumption in heavy traffic, the Citan 112’s smooth, quiet and frugal fuel-sipping engine develops 112BHP at 4,500rpm and 140lb/ft torque throughout a broad 2,000-4,000rom band, it is estimated to allow for 0-100km/h acceleration in around 11.5-seconds and a top speed in the region of 175km/h. Fuel efficiency is meanwhile rated at 6.1l/100km on the combined cycle, and proved very efficient in more real world urban driving conditions, and using a more relaxed driving style.

Mid-range muscle

Exploiting its generous, broad and flat mid-range torque band to climb steep inclines, carry heavy loads and overtake briskly and confidently, the Citan 112 can call up an additional 11lb/ft for 20-second bursts at full throttle kickdown. 

At its most efficient at the low boost end of it rev range, the Citan 112 becomes thirstier during high rpm and sustained high boost driving where it runs on a rich air/fuel mixture, as all turbocharged vehicles. That said, the Citan 112 was surprisingly responsive and brisk at high boost.

Welling up with a muscularly thrusting urge not expected of this size engine as revs rise, the Citan 112 proved versatile and flexible in mid-range and plentiful at top end, despite comparatively low-revving engine characteristics.

Driving the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox with a light clutch and accurate pick-up point, the Citan’s gear lever is meanwhile positioned high and near the steering wheel for easy reach and clicks through ratios with firm yet accurate movements. Front disc and rear drum brakes also provide good response and reassuring fade resistance.

Refined and manoeuvrable

Riding on MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension design to accommodate a near half-tonne payload, the Citan would be expected to ride with a more grounded feel when loaded. However, during test drive at various conditions, roads and speeds, it felt reassuringly stable and unexpectedly refined from outside noise, harshness and vibrations.

Fitted with comparatively slim and high profile 195/65R15 tyres, the Citan also comfortably and reliably absorbed lumps, bumps, cracks and other imperfections. Its tyres also provided better feel from its light steering than anticipated.

If slightly bouncy at the rear over some imperfections when unloaded, the Citan, however, feels settled on rebound and well-controls body lean through corners for a narrow and tall vehicle. Turning in tidy and with good front grip and reassuring road-holding on exiting a corner, it is quite agile for a van and can be hustled through winding routes with almost car-like pace and confidence. Easily placed on road and with good front and side sightlines, the Citan’s tall steering meanwhile gearing requires more input than a smaller and sportier car. 

Pleasantly practical

Easy to manoeuvre in tight confines, the practical Citan features a very tight 10.7-metre turning circle, generous 148mm ground clearance, wide sliding side loading door and double 180° swing angle rear doors to provide nearly unfettered access to its massive 3,100-litre cargo compartment.

Comfortable and spacious for two passengers, the Citan’s cabin features useful storage space above the sun visors, while driving position is well-adjustable. Easy to park, the Citan could benefit from bigger side mirrors to offset the bigger blind spot created by its side rear panels

A smarter looking vehicle inside than most vans, the Citan’s driver focused cabin features big wide-swinging doors, driver-oriented dashboard, round vents horizontal handle hand brake handle, pleasantly understated fabric upholstery and user-friendly layouts.

Plastics used are of tough hard-wearing quality, while equipment level is good, and includes standard A/C, remote central locking, electric windows, ABS brakes, electronic stability control, hill start assist, USB and Bluetooth-enabled sound system, heated mirrors and other safety and convenience features.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Engine: 1.2-litre, transverse, turbocharged 4-cylinders
• Bore x stroke: 72.2 x 73.2mm
• Compression ratio: 10:1
• Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC, variable timing, direct injection
• Gearbox: 6-speed manual, front-wheel-drive
• Final drive: 4.438:1
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 112 (114) [84] @4,500rpm
• Specific power: 94.5BHP/litre
• Power-to-weight: 85.3BHP/tonne
• Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 140 (190) @2,000-4,000rpm
• Specific torque: 159.4Nm/litre
• Torque-to-weight: 144Nm/tonne
• 0-100km/h: approximately 11.5-seconds (estimate)
• Top speed: 175km/h (estimate)
• Fuel consumption, urban/extra-urban/combined: 7.2-/5.4-/6.1-litres/100km
• CO2 emissions, combined: 140g/km
• Fuel capacity: 60-litres
• Length: 4,321mm
• Width: 1,829mm
• Height: 1,816mm
• Wheelbase: 2,697mm
• Tread, F/R: 1,519/1,533
• Kerb weight: approximately 1,320kg
• Gross weight: 1,810kg
• Load capacity: 490kg
• Cargo volume: 3,100-litres
• Cargo compartment, length/height/maximum width:    1,753/1,258/1,460mm
• Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts/torsion beam
• Steering: Electric-assisted power steering
• Turning circle: 10.7-metres
• Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs/drums
• Tyres: 195/65R15
• Price, JD15,500 (on-the-road, no insurance)

By Dr Tareq Rasheed

International Consultant and Trainer

One of the most important skills for leaders is public speaking as leadership is in part the art of influencing followers to achieve goals. Excellent influencers in all industries (business, engineering, politics and education) rely primarily on their ability to address followers to make the desired impact.

According to research, when classifying the highest ten types of fear, public speaking is ranked second after fear of death. So how can we get better at it? 

Public speaking is a communication skill, and anyone can learn how to master a skill. But first we have to apply the model of sustainable development for skills: the KASH Model (Knowledge, Skills, Attitude and Habit). 

The KASH Model

Knowledge represents the theoretical part of learning. But what is the point of knowledge without application? First we need to adopt the right attitude and then develop the skill to be able to transfer theory into practice. Finally, our habit involves applying the knowledge effectively and performing the skills. This all comes together with continuous application, assessment and feedback. 

The PAT tool to master public speaking

PAT represents Purpose, Attendees and Techniques: 

•Purpose: Is your event social or professional in nature? What are the main objectives? Your speech should address the theme of the occasion 

•Attendees: Who are the attendees – their age, position, gender, culture, their interest and why are they attending? Once you know your audience, the secret of influence is to target their circle or circles of interest 

•Techniques: Use suitable techniques pre-speaking, during and post-speaking to attract attention

Pre-speaking tips

•Know the location, ask about the setting, where you will stand, the room set-up (theatre, style, classroom, round tables, etc...). Do you need a microphone? Be comfortable with the lighting and ensure that your audience can see you from all directions

• Plan to arrive a few minutes ahead of schedule. Being late is a bad sign for public speakers, and coming too early may make the organisers uncomfortable as they are likely to be busy making final preparations 

• Dress according to the occasion: formal or semi-formal. For most speeches, formal dress is needed. I recommend men wear dark coloured suites and dark red ties, while women have more options, but cultural sensitivity should always be taken into consideration

Speech tips

• Start by welcoming the audience, referring to the occasion and using emotions to help deliver your message. Speak slowly but consistently, watch your tone of voice and vary the tune, raising your voice when you need to confirm or stress on a certain point and lowering your voice when you need to attract attention. Boring public speaking is when the voice tone is constant. There are three methods of speech delivery: 

• Using written speech and reading off a paper is the worst and most ineffective form of speech delivery as people lose interest quickly

• Having small index cards with just headings or key prompt words – this is helpful when the speech is lengthy and you need to remember the points in sequence

• Not using any notes is most effective, but you have to be well prepared and organised with a structure or sequence in mind. It’s also important not to lose focus, even with distractions and noise around Watch your body language carefully. I will address the techniques of effective body language in another article. However, an essential tip is to keep eye contact with your audience and use open hands (never close your hands).

Post-speaking tips

When you finish addressing your audience, allow some time for questions and discussion. You do not have to answer all questions, especially those that aren’t relevant to your topic. Take feedback and assess your delivery to learn from for your next public speaking engagement.

Public speaking helps a lot of influencers (politicians, business people, marketers, teachers and academicians) deliver their message and achieve their purpose. It’s a road towards success in personal and professional life. Once you learn and start to apply the techniques, you will gain and master the skills of public speaking.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

My Nakba: A Palestinian’s Odyssey of Love and Hope

Samir Toubassy

US: Olive Branch Press/Interlink, 2019

Pp. 188

In this well-written memoir, Samir Toubassy traces his life from his family’s hasty departure from Jaffa under the impact of Zionist attack when he was nine years old, to his education in Lebanon, and successful career in non-profits and business in Beirut, Saudi Arabia, London and the US.

The most impressive aspect of his narrative is his attitude towards the catastrophe that befell his family along with other Palestinians. Though he writes that “my experience of the Nakba has been a constant shadow… One lesson I’ve taken to heart from this shadow is that being a victim is not, and never could be, an identity… ‘Refugee’ is an imposed status that covers up a person’s true identity, potential and dignity”. (p. 7)

Toubassy’s account of his ancestors paints a fascinating picture of life in the last days of the Ottoman Empire and the interwar period in what became Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, illustrating the organic connection between these areas. Later, when his immediate family realised that they would not be going home to Palestine any time soon, they, like so many other Palestinians, focused on education. Through diligent study despite substandard schools, and with the help of UNRWA, Toubassy was able to obtain a scholarship to the International College in Beirut and later the AUB, where he majored in business which was to prove crucial to his later success.

In the 1960s, when the Ford Foundation was helping Saudi Arabia introduce public administration reforms, Toubassy was one of the first Ford consultants to work in Riyadh, and he was subsequently offered a job created by a Ford Foundation grant to AUB to improve its planning and budgeting system. Though these efforts were successful, in 1974 the AUB’s budget was reduced by half: “Political lobbying unfriendly to AUB pressured the US congress to make the cuts”. (p. 93) Unfortunately, Toubassy doesn’t reveal the source of this lobbying.

“My days at AUB, as a student and on the staff, had been among the precious years in my life,” writes Toubassy. (p. 113) Still, under the impact of the Lebanese civil war, he moved with his wife and children to Berkeley, California, where his wife’s parents had a home. Here he worked for the University of California and took the opportunity to study for an MBA. Despite outward success, however, Toubassy admits to problems adjusting to life in the US: “At heart I felt displaced.” (p. 117)

After some years he attained US citizenship. His quote from the judge who administered his oath is encouraging in view of the debate on citizenship now raging in the US: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you are any less a citizen just because you’re the newest. We’re pretty much all refugees here. It’s just a question of when we arrived.” (p. 119) 

After a few years, he accepted a job offer with Herman Smith as chief financial officer for a hospital management project in Saudi Arabia, which held out more benefits and challenges than his current job. Explaining his decision, he writes, “There was always in me a refugee’s persistent fear of failure and a desire to excel, to make something more out of myself and my circumstances.” (p. 117) 

Eventually Toubassy found his most enduring work with the international, Saudi-origin company, the Olayan Group, which had the skills and experience to carry out projects enabled by the oil boom. Toubassy notes that: “The strong economy at the time was helpful in creating job opportunities for many, especially Palestinian refugees, who were denied access to job markets, as in Lebanon. The Group offered college-educated Palestinians employment opportunities they couldn’t find elsewhere… the refugee camps in Lebanon also provided a recruitment source…” (p. 97)

Some may disagree with Toubassy’s focus on business at the expense of politics, as when he worked on the Olayan Group’s efforts to reintroduce Coca-Cola into the Arab world in the 1980s, despite the Arab boycott. Overall, he avoids criticising the US, although he acknowledges foreign interventions as a main reason for instability in the area, without naming names. Perhaps the fact that he got his first opportunities for moving ahead from US institutions made him see the good side. Toubassy never let anything stand in the way of providing for his family and leading a productive life. Above all, he never gave up hope. Even his post-2000 visit to Palestine brings out hopeful thoughts, despite the many discouraging things he witnesses. After “unending decades of military occupation and expulsion of Palestinians from our homelands”, he queries “how do we help write new histories, ones that offer hope?” (p. 140)