An objective of the Fulbright Program is cultural exchange; Fulbrighters not only do their jobs but are encouraged to engage in cultural exchange within their community/site. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology runs the P-5 project to instill Pancasila within its students. Students can have lots of free time, which is an amazing opportunity to introduce the American culture. And that is what ETA Owais Mahmood did.

The month of February marks Black History Month in America. Though Owais himself is not Black, he found it important and necessary to talk about Black history and its meaning in America. So, throughout the month, he visited each of his classes that had completed their projects and taught about Black history. Many of the students were astonished and unaware of the history.

Students related Pancasila and the injustices that African Americans faced; the timing of this project and Black History Month opened students up to understanding the importance of their identity. After all, Kebangsaan (Nationality) and internationalism are concepts that could be relevant to the topic.

Owais Mahmood is currently teaching at SMAN 4 Jambi, Jambi.