Via Pangaea Virtual Community Fosters Intercultural Communication, Conversations on Race & Identity
Globalization, and its exchange of ideas about norms, culture, and industry among global peers, could be the key to saving us all, according to the creator of the interculturally conscious virtual community Via Pangaea. Liesa M. Wise, a registered pro-bono investment advisor, with a complex background that includes everything from paralegal certification to TEFL certification, launched the website in July 2013 with the intention of creating a dialogue among "people of all stripes and persuasions, getting along through their version of life."
The site stands as a setting where conversations on understanding and compassion can be had, as well as open discussions relating to differing cultures; in order to gain understanding of other's vantage points, create familiarity, and breeding global citizens, i.e. seekers of knowledge and understanding.
Living in the diverse and vibrant San Francisco Bay Area, Wise regularly meets individuals from a range of heritages and backgrounds -- unique individuals who are committed to expressing themselves. Via Pangaea welcomes all of them, including the "Chinese, lesbian, motorcycle riding, nurse who is married to a Persian corporate attorney with two kids," and/or any ethnic, economic, or lifestyle mixtures that are close to or far from that. The website hosts members from all over the globe (Iran, England, Italy and other nations), and it houses a number of feature articles and photos, which were shared by the site's members.
"The Scientific Benefits of Self-Compassion" by Emma Seppälä, Ph.D. is one of the guest-generated articles features currently available on the website. The site has also posted a number of pieces that touched upon the subject of racial microaggressions, sexism, and expats starting a new life in New Dehli. Discussion boards on the site address topics relating to misrepresentation in the media and motivations for success, but members are able to initiate conversation about anything that they like.
"I am interested in discussing EVERYTHING, honestly. I understand that others may not feel comfortable discussing some issues and many are more comfortable watching "the game" instead of playing," said Wise, during an interview with Latin Post. "I am open to anything that the community feels strongly about discussing ... I personally feel great heartbreak when it comes to inequity all over the world, but I really have an affinity for women and children as I am female, and relate to those issues and have had to deal with discrimination face-to-face."
An employee at Synergy Financial, a student seeking a Master's in Consciousness and Transformative Studies from John F. Kennedy University and a full-time family woman, Wise seeks partners for her site who are also interested in creating a global community. Inspired by news outlets such as Al Jazeera America, BBC and NYT, she depends on publications and people for mobilization.
"We must start seeing each other as comrades, not as enemies in a zero-sum game, otherwise the planet is truly at risk," Wise said. "We are all tiny parts of a grand whole and we must understand each other and work together or the human race may go the way of the dinosaur."
Via Pangaea gains its name from the scientific theory that claims that all of the continents were once a major supercontinent, and the founder believes that the "puzzle pieces" may again form the supercontinent. Via Pangaea also offers the idea that, if everyone works together, they'd be better able to unravel societal issues to improve the world.
To learn more about Via Pangaea, be sure to visit the website, check out their Twitter page and like Wise on Facebook.
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