Los Angeles Times

Commentary: Can the diaries of ordinary people be used to bridge cultural divides?

Most people keep their diaries hidden. They put them under pillows and in drawers. Some write their diary entries in invisible ink, and keep the pages under lock and key. Diaries are personal and private for a reason - they represent our innermost thoughts.

Yet we managed to persuade people from different countries - the U.S. and Pakistan - to write down the mundane and humanizing details of their everyday lives and then share them with on another. We wanted to see if diary entries could break down prejudices and

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