Doors to Diplomacy Participants

Saint Louis University Laboratory High School (2012 Doors to Diplomacy Project ID 7240)
Philippines, Benguet, Baguio City
Official Status: Final Project: Ready for Judging
Teacher:
Category: 2. Promotion of Peace and Democracy: Social Issues

We estimate 4 student(s) from 15 to 15 will work on this entry.

Description of Our Team: "Fhalin D.R.- An artist of all kinds, she is the most knowledgeable when it comes to web development and consequently, she served as our main leader in creating our website.

Janella M. - A musician by heart, served as the compiler of all the researches made by our group; diligently wrote and encoded, when needed, all the data, reports and narratives that were needed for this project.

Nicole G. - Nicole, friendly and cheerful, diligently informed each of the members of the needed tasks to be completed, the questions to be answered, and the goals to be met.

Kimberly T. - Although the youngest, she gave her best effort to improve all the aspects of the project by connecting each focal point to the concept of diplomacy, morality and legality."

Project Description: "Topic: Xenocentrism

As citizens of the Philippines, a third world country, we have looked up at the other countries with a higher economic status such as America and Europe. With this, our government based some of its reforms with the different laws implemented in these leading countries, such as the Divorce Bill, Reproductive Health Bill, K-12 education system and more, with the hope of garnering the same success. We can say that this brought a good change in us since we used them as our role models, bringing awareness to the different social issues existing in our society today. But the problem starts when we patronize them TOO MUCH that we ignore our own country’s strengths.

Xenocentrism is defined as “looking at other people or foreigners as more superior to your own race, for example, with the inclusion of the patronization of the different products of the other country over one’s local products.” For us colonized countries, it is also known as “colonial mentality.” When we first encountered the word in one of our Social Studies classes, we had to admit that indeed, there are times wherein we preferred imported products over those made here in our country. We had our reasons, like “the quality is better”, “it is the trend” etc., but what made us very surprised was the fact in some imported products, resources here in the Philippines are used and are only then transported to other countries to be made as final products. In reality, we are buying products at a higher price when in fact it came from our own country!

Basically, our main motivation is to change the Filipino mentality, but we realized that it is applicable to the whole world as well. Countries, especially those in the third world, tend to have this kind of mentality. Xenocentrism is a oftentimes a silenced fact; often overlooked and disregarded; considered as okay and normal.

Well, we say that it is not okay.

We are determined to help change this mentality. Through our website, we aim ro promote nationalism. We will show both the advantages and disadvantages, the effects, the reality between the relationships of the different countires around the world. "

Click Here to View Project Narrative