PEACE AND JUSTICE INITIATIVE Calendar of Events

Transcription

1 PEACE AND JUSTICE INITIATIVE Calendar of Events Each of us has the capacity to transcend, to participate more fully, to affect all others in a way that contributes to peace, justice, truth, and compassion. We welcome you to our season of programming, to engage in the transformation of our community toward an increased understanding of our unity and interdependence. The Peace and Justice Initiative at Valencia College promotes peace and justice for all. Our aim is to nurture an inclusive, caring and respectful environment on campus and within our community--one where conflict leads to growth and transformation, rather than violence or aggression. The Initiative is guided by its mission: All People, All Voices, All Matter: Making a difference by intentionally engaging in practices and principles that explore, advocate, and honor the dignity of self, others, and the earth. For detailed descriptions of the events listed in this packet, visit

2 WELCOME BACK WEEK David J. Smith is a recognized authority on peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and international education and how these fields intersect with secondary and post-secondary education. At the U.S. Institute of Peace his efforts resulted in the expansion and development of peace and conflict approaches in education, especially at the community college level. He has nearly 25 years experience as a practicing lawyer, family mediator, community mediator, college and university professor, author, and consultant. He has taught and consulted at all levels of higher education: community college, undergraduate public/private/religious, and graduate. In addition, he has worked extensively with secondary schools and supported teachers in their classroom efforts. Currently, he focuses on building capacity in education for promoting peacebuilding objectives. He has worked with nearly 150 colleges and universities around the U.S. He has given over 400 talks on peacebuilding, conflict resolution, international education, and the work of the U.S. Institute of Peace. David Smith has also been interviewed by a range of media. During his visit, Smith will be discussing his new book, Peacebuilding in Community Colleges available for purchase through the United States Institute of Peace Press. August 23 rd : 11:30 am -1:30 pm Advisory Council Meeting for Council members, Leu Gardens with Guest Speaker David Smith, formerly with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) August 23 rd : 3:00 pm 5:00 pm Peacebuilding in Community Colleges: A Conversation with David Smith For Faculty and Staff, Dandelion Communitea Café, 618 N Thornton Ave., Orlando FL August 24 th : 10:00 am -1:00 pm Welcome Back Possibilities Gathering with guest facilitator David Smith. For Faculty and Staff. Contact peaceandjustice@valenciacollege.edu for details.

3 September 6 th -7 th : Peace and Justice Ambassador Retreat September 12 th : 7:00-9:00 pm Rwanda and Genocide: A Discussion with Professor Michael Savage 8-101, East Campus Join us for an informative evening about Rwanda and genocide with our professor of history and genocide studies, Dr. Michael Savage. Participants will hear stories of Savage s time in Rwanda during the genocide and view clips of the James Nachtwey film, The War Photographer, in order to enhance issues concerned with the causes and effects of genocide and other atrocities. The film highlights what we have encountered in the past and what we are likely to encounter in the future. The evening promises to be a lively discussion/ event and will set the stage for Carl Wilkins visit to the college September 18 th and 19 th. September 13 th : 6:00 pm, Free screening of Miss Representation Room , Winter Park Campus As we address human rights issues we engage in a film series about women. PJI will partner with the League of Women Voters and the Global Peace Film Festival for a screening of Miss Representation, the award winning film that exposes how mainstream media contributes to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence in America. Look for future screenings of Half the Sky and The Bonsai People later this semester. A panel discussion will follow the film screening, including panelist Dr. Stacey Johnson, East and Winter Park Campus President. The event is a partnership of the League of Women Voters, the Global Peace Film Festival and Valencia s Peace and Justice Initiative.

4 PEACE WEEK - September 18 th -21 st The United Nations sanctioned International Peace Day is September 21 st of every year. The mission of Peace Day is to have at least one harmonious, non-violent, cease-fire day in the whole world. Go to for background on how International Peace Day came into being and for more information on what you can do to help accomplish a global change. September 18 th -19 th : Carl Wilkens visits Valencia. For information, please visit Carl Wilkens is the former head of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International in Rwanda. In 1994, he was the only American who chose to remain in the country after the genocide began. His choice to stay and try to help resulted in preventing the massacre of hundreds of children over the course of the genocide. Wilkens was featured in Frontline s "Ghosts of Rwanda" and "The Few Who Stayed: Defying Genocide," an American Radio Works documentary which aired on National Public Radio. His story reminds us of the profound connection between history and the moral choices we face each day. It also arms us with new insights in the fight against genocide along with tools and inspiration for re-evaluating the relationships we are part of every day. Wilkens humanitarian work has been recognized with several awards including the Dignitas Humana Award from Saint John s School of Theology Seminary and a 2005 Medal of Valor from the Simon Wiesenthal Center

5 September 18 th 9:00 AM-11:45 am Presentation: Why I Stayed in Rwanda During the 1994 Genocide Osceola Campus, 1-101, All Are Welcome 2:30 PM-3:45 pm Presentation: Enemies to Allies: Stories from the Rwandan Genocide East Campus 3-11, All Are Welcome September 19 th 9:00 AM-11:45 am Presentation: Rwanda 19 Years After the Genocide Osceola Campus, 1-101, All Are Welcome 1:00 PM-2:15 pm, Keynote Presentation: Help Build a Peaceful World by Seeing the "Other" as Yourself East Campus, Room 6-110, streamed live to WP Campus room 115 Reception to follow in the Atrium of Building 3, East Campus Wilkens visit is supported by a grant from the United States Institute of Peace and Shuffield Lowman Attorneys and Advisors International Peace Day Celebrations September 19 th 12:00-1:00 pm, Peace Day Festivities Mall Area of East Campus 7:00 pm, Free screening of Take Me Home, a Global Peace Film Festival selection, East Campus 8-101, West Campus, room Check out the trailer. September 20 th 7:00 pm, Free screening of the Global Peace Film Festival selection David, Room , Winter Park Campus. Check out the trailer.

6 October 11 th : 5:30 PM-8:00 pm Valencia Night at the Islamic Society of Central Florida (ISCF) 1021 N. Goldenrod Rd., Orlando FL Would you like to learn more about Islam and share a deeper understanding with our Muslim neighbors? To encourage cross-cultural awareness and interfaith understanding, please join Valencia students, faculty and staff for a tour of the mosque, a free Middle Eastern meal, and a presentation about the fundamentals of Islam. Please rsvp at This event is sponsored by the Islamic Society of Central Florida, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Peace and Justice Initiative. October 24 th -25 th : Peggy McIntosh visits Valencia. For a detailed schedule, visit Peggy McIntosh, Ph.D., associate director of the Wellesley Centers for Women, is also the founder, of the National SEED Project on Inclusive Curriculum (Seeking Educational Equity & Diversity). The SEED Project helps teachers create their own year-long, school-based seminars on making school climates, K-12 curricula, and teaching methods more gender fair and multi-culturally equitable. Dr. McIntosh currently leads the expansion of the SEED Project, with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. McIntosh directs the Gender, Race, and Inclusive Education Project, which provides workshops on privilege systems, feelings of fraudulence, and diversifying workplaces, curricula, and teaching methods. Dr. McIntosh has taught English, American Studies, and Women's Studies at the Brearley School, Harvard University, Trinity College (Washington, D.C.), Durham University (England), and Wellesley College. She is co-

7 founder of the Rocky Mountain Women's Institute, and has been consulting editor to Sage: A Scholarly Journal on Black Women. In , she consulted with women on 22 Asian campuses on the development of Women's Studies and programs to bring materials from Women's Studies into the main curriculum. In addition to having two honorary degrees, she is a recipient of the Klingenstein Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership from Columbia Teachers College. She earned her doctorate degree from Harvard University. Visit the SEED website for project information. October 24 th : 1:00-4:00 pm Student Workshop, 5-112, East Campus October 25 th : 8:30-11:00 am Faculty and Staff Roundtable: Looking at Privilege: Creating Equitable Campuses Special Events Center, West Campus October 25 th : 1:00 PM-5:00 pm Faculty Workshop Special Events Center (SEC), West Campus Peggy McIntosh s visit is supported by the Valencia Foundation, The Peace and Justice Initiative and the Tupperware Corporation Chair in Community Quality awarded to Professor Michele Lima. October 26 th : 10:00 am -12:00 pm, Fall Fest, a bi-annual service project at the Coalition for the Homeless Join clubs and groups across multiple campuses as we come together to bring a day of fun and fall festivities to the children and families in residency at the Coalition. Participants serve by organizing crafts, games, food, and activities for all. Contact the Peace and Justice Office to find out how to participate.

8 October 26 th : 5:30-9:00 pm, A Celebration of the United Nations The Valencia Model UN group joins the Orlando United Nations Association and the Peace and Justice Initiative to celebrate the United Nations and its work for peace and justice. Join us for an interactive evening of food and discussion. For details visit November 5 th -7 th : Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury visits Valencia. Mr. Anwarul Karim Chowdhury was appointed in March 2002 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. In December 2003, Mr. Chowdhury was designated as the Secretary-General of the International Meeting for the ten-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of the Small Island Developing States held in Mauritius from January Mr. Chowdhury was also designated the Secretary-General of the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and the Donor Community on Transit Transport Cooperation held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on August He wrote the "Culture of Peace" proposal that was adopted by the UN General Assembly and, when he was President of the Security Council (as the representative from Bangladesh), he raised the need to combat violence against women. While it was vetoed in the Security Council (by the United States), it enabled him to introduce it to the full General Assembly and was passed as Resolution 1325, a landmark piece of international legislation.

9 During his tenure as Permanent Representative, Mr. Chowdhury served as President of the Security Council, President of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Executive Board and Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council of the UN in 1997 and He had served for more than 10 years, as the Coordinator for the Least Developed Countries in New York. Ambassador Chowdhury s schedule to be announced. Topics of his visit to include the United Nations, microfinance in Bangladesh with a screening of The Bonsai People, and creating a Culture of Peace. Ambassador Chowdhury s visit is supported by the Study Abroad Global Experiences (SAGE) office, the Valencia Foundation and the Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Free Enterprise awarded to Professor Edie Gaythwaite. November 15 th : 7:00-9:30 pm A Place at the Table film screening, East Campus, room TBA, in partnership with the Early Learning Coalition

10 November 18 th : 8:30 am - 9:45 am Peace Breakfast: An Interfaith Gathering 3-113, East Campus December 5 th : 1:00-2:15 pm Potlatch: Peace Day Give-away Mall Area, East Campus Upcoming Spring Semester Events January 14 th, 16 th, and 21 st : 1:00-2:00 pm Conversation on Justice Reading Circles 8-105D, East Campus January 27 th -30 th : Week-long Conversation on Justice January 27 th Kick-off event, Mall Area, East Campus January 27 th -30 th Workshops January 30 th 7:00 pm Free screening of the Global Peace Film Festival 8-101, East, West and Osceola Campuses

11 February 14 th -15 th : Faculty and Staff Retreat, the Cottage at Lake Lily All faculty and staff are invited to this two-day retreat for a time of reflection, mindfulness, renewal and deepening of our understanding of the Principles for How We Treat each Other. Elaine Sullivan from the Center for Renewal and Wholeness in Higher Education facilitates the retreat. February 21 st -22 nd : Peace and Justice Ambassador Retreat March 24 th : 8:30-9:45 am, Peace Breakfast: An Interfaith Gathering 3-113, East Campus March 29 th : 10:00 am-12:00 pm, Spring Fling, our bi-annual service project at the Coalition for the Homeless Party for the children and families in residence at the Coalition April 3 rd : Earth Day Celebration, Mall Area, East Campus April 4 th : Valencia Night for Interfaith Understanding Want to follow the Peace and Justice Initiative more closely? Like us on Facebook to get updates on news and announcements, events, pictures, and interesting information about our 13 Principles for How We Treat Each Other! Thank you to everyone who contributes to the success of the Peace and Justice Initiative. The Initiative would like to send a special thanks to Student Development and donors who contribute through the Valencia Foundation. If you are interested in making a donation to the Peace and Justice Initiative, please contact the Valencia Foundation at

12 The Principles for How We Treat Each Other are our practice of respect and nonviolence at Valencia College. Posters of the Principles are now available. If you would like a poster for your class or office please contact the Peace and Justice Office. Printable versions of the Principles are also available online at