Martin and Susan

Things always seem to be changing.  Sometimes change happens by our own choice and sometimes it is thrust upon us. Segues International wants to give you ideas and perspective that might make the ride a little smoother.

We, Martin and Susan Brooks, have lived with their children in Mozambique, Portugal, Ghana and Cyprus.  They have traveled to many more countries including Sudan, Morocco, Egypt, Bosnia, Italy, Afghanistan, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Thailand…. They know the stress of adjusting to another place.  These travels and a great appreciation for what other cultures have to offer inspired this site.

In our work with Peace Catalyst International, we spend a lot of time helping people from different cultures and religions genuinely hear and understand each other.  That drives a lot of what you will see on this site.  Because of my Christian background, I primarily write to a Christian audience, trying to help them understand and appreciate other cultures.  Sometimes I find my self challenging all of us Jesus followers to live up to the ideals we precess to be true. Articles and books and videos are used to demystify people and circumstances that we many times do not understand.  We share their insights we have gleaned from living and traveling internationally.  We have great friends from many cultures and have grown to love (or at least appreciate) many of the people we have met.  Encountering these different cultures has changed many of  our own stereotypes and misperceptions.  We would like to provide some of those experiences for you as well. Getting to know the “other” makes the world less intimidating. This site is a place where we attempt to help people explore cultural and religious differences and feel more comfortable with each other.

We hope to populate this site with ideas on how to survive and thrive as you encounter another culture, either in your neighborhood or on the other side of the world.  As countries clash and people are driven by fear of the unknown, we hope to reduce the anxiety and help people to understand the perspectives of others. You may be traveling as a tourist, moving as an international student or refugee or your work may be relocating you.  You may be working for a government agency or and Non-Government Organization(NGO).  Or, international guests may be moving into your neighborhood or you may be watching the news and have some questions. We hope to make Segues International a safe place for you to get some questions answered.   Whatever your circumstances, we hope that you will enjoy learning about others and their perspectives on life.

We could also use your help to support this peacemaking work.  Sometimes, standing in between communities that distrust each other and pointing to the best of each community makes us suspect as somehow
not loyal” to one side or the other.  If you understand what we are trying to do, we could use your financial help.  Believe me, many don’t get it.  Thanks for your help.

Happy browsing.