A best-selling Swedish writer moves to Mozambique and learns to listen. Read here why he thinks human beings were gifted with two ears, but just one tongue. In this article the author, Henning Mankell, identifies one main difference between humans and animals: it is our ability to listen to other people’s dreams, fears, joys, sorrows, desires and defeats — and our ability to be heard by others when we tell our stories in turn.

Mankell defines knowledge as the interpretation of information, and declares that to obtain knowledge, we must learn to listen. As members of AFS Intercultural Programs, a learning community, we strive to gain new knowledge and to transform that knowledge into meaningful learning through experiential activities and reflection.