From March 23 through April 24, º£½ÇÔ´´'s International Studies program hosted its annual Global Village series.
From a photo contest an exhibitions in the Uumbaji Gallery to storytelling gatherings and a potluck, Oscar Ritchie Hall bloomed with thoughtful discussion, awareness of study opportunities, and cross-cultural connection.
A talk by Peace and Conflict Studies professor Dr. Tatsushi Arai, centering around his studies of functional coexistence, set the tone on Monday, March 30. His work having taken him from Hiroshima to Rwanda to Tel Aviv, Arai has learned firsthand of not only the gravity of mass violence across the world, but the significance of perceiving such violence through the eyes of others. What united these perspectives, Arai observed, was an ultimate hope for peace, which he finds is essential to connecting those who have lived through such events and those who have not, paving paths for constructive resolution in recognition of disagreeance.
This theme of finding kinship across borders appeared throughout the Global Village. Events focusing on the Middle East — hosted by Dr. Joshua Stacher — and Russia — hosted by Dr. Andrew Barnes — provided curious students the opportunity to learn from local experts about the cultures, politics, and international roles of two misunderstood countries. Barnes, Stacher, and School of Peace and Conflict Studies director Julie Mazzei would further speak of their individual experiences researching abroad on an interactive panel, sharing everything from fun anecdotes to advice about overcoming culture shock and the nuances of conducting such research from a foreigner's perspective.
Dr. Neil Cooper, who previously served as the director for PACS, also gave a talk on militarization and international power rivalries, providing a detailed discussion on nuclear weapons and their place in the current political discourse. He shed light on topics often overlooked in academia, supporting them with facts often ignored by the current news cycle.
Other events included a two-day joint event beginning with a storytelling circle for international students and culminating in a potluck of food from around the world; from Russia to Palestine, students sampled treats and drinks from all sorts of countries. The Uumbaji Gallery, located on the first floor of Oscar Ritchie, also hosted student and faculty submitted photos and artifacts from study and research abroad experiences, providing visitors the opportunity to vote on their favorite.
The festivities are not quite over yet; a presentation on Generation Z led nonviolent uprisings in Bangladesh, Turkey, and Nepal — hosted by students hailing from those countries — is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday the 28th, at 5 in room 215 of Oscar Ritchie.