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The International Brown Bag Series
This series aims to raise awareness of international issues in a format that is easy for students and community members to access. The Spring 2012 Brown Bag Series is listed below these objectives. The objectives of the series are to:
- help fulfill the overall objectives of the Alworth Institute;
- introduce students, staff and the wider community to interesting aspects of foreign culture, society and history;
- raise awareness of political life and conditions in diverse parts of the world;
- create opportunities for sharing insights developed during professional and leisure interest travel and other programs of study abroad;
- create opportunities for visiting faculty to share relevant topics with the wider University;
- involve students, staff and community members in exchanging ideas and reflecting on international and any related domestic policy issues.
“This series provides the audience the opportunity to share in the international travel experiences of numerous individuals from the University, local and international communities. Many presentations are travelogues; some are reflections of the current issues confronting a country’s people; others capture the cultural character of distant societies; but, each allows a unique insight into places many would never have the opportunity to visit.”
Dr. Cindy M. Christian, Alworth Institute Director
International Brown Bag Series
Spring 2012
Brown Bag are held at 12:00 PM (Noon).
Bugs, Sweat, & Fears: A Family Vacation in the Jungle of Belize
Presented by Cindy Christian, Director of the Alworth Institute
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Library 4th Floor Rotunda
In August of 2010, at the height of the rainy season, Cindy Christian and her family vacationed in Belize to celebrate her mother’s 70th birthday. While there, they spent several days in the jungle cave tubing, zip-lining and visiting ancient Mayan ruins, including a trip to Tikal in Guatemala. They concluded their visit in the Belize Cayes with snorkeling, kayaking and sailing. Christian will share photos from the trip and answer the question: “Is this the right vacation to honor your mother’s 70 years?“
The Impact of Confucianism on Personal Relationships and Communication
Presented by Dr. Hairong Feng, Assistant Professor in the UMD Department of Communication
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Library 4th Floor Rotunda
As a philosophy of humanism and social relations, Confucianism has a strong impact on personal relationships and on communication in East Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea and other related areas. The cardinal principle of Confucianism is humanism, which is understood as a warm human feeling between people and strongly emphasizes reciprocity. This talk by Dr. Hairong Feng, Assistant Professor in the UMD Department of Communication, focuses on a few areas of interpersonal relationships and communication patterns influenced by Confucianism in East Asia. (This presentation is co-sponsored by the UMD Confucius Institute.)
Global Poverty through a Human Rights Lens
Presented by Mayra Gomez and Bret Thiele, Co-Executive Directors of The Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Library 4th Floor Rotunda
This presentation will focus on the work of the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, an innovative new human rights organization which seeks to advance the realization of economic, social and cultural rights throughout the world, tackling the endemic problem of global poverty through a human rights lens. Mayra Gomez and Bret Thiele will discuss the work of their organization to build tools and partnerships to enforce human rights and combat poverty from the local to the global level. Come learn about their work to create a more just world for all.
Observations of Chile
Presented by Justin Anderson, UMD Organizational Management and Honors Student
Monday, March 5, 2012
Library 4th Floor Rotunda
Justin Anderson, the 2011 Alworth Study Abroad Scholarship, will discuss his study abroad experiences in Chile in the Fall 2011 semester and his research on Chilean macroeconomics which he conducted through the UMD Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). The presentation will include a quick overview of the history of Chile, differences between Chile and the U.S., and his recommendations about studying abroad. Anderson will also discuss the implications of the research he conducted on the econometrics of the Chilean economy in relation to North-South American trade liberalization. (This talk represents Anderson’s Honors Capstone Project, and is co-sponsored by the UMD Honors Program.)
Pakistan Revisited: Between the West and the Worst
Presented by Waqas Ahmad, Graduate Student, and Hammad T. Quddusi, Undergraduate Student, UMD Engineering Management Department
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Library 4th Floor Rotunda
In the Spring of 2009, Waqas Ahmad presented a brown bag entitled, The Pakistan You Don’t Know. For this presentation, Ahmad and Hammad T. Quddusi will discuss the changes in Pakistan since 2009, focusing on its role in the global community and its contributions in the war against terror. They will discuss, specifically, Pakistan's relations with the U.S.
Border Politics from Above and Below: Fighting for Democracy in Spite of Elections
Presented by Macrina Cardenas de Alarcon, Community Activist and Educator, Tijuana, Mexico
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Library 4th Floor Rotunda
Macrina Cardenas de Alarcon will discuss the reasons behind increasing violence along the US-Mexico border, including international arms traffic, reliance on a maquiladora economy, and US military aid. (This presentation is co-sponsored by the Latino/Chicano Student Association & Latino/Chicano Student Programs.)
Transforming Agricultural Development and Production in Africa: Learning from Local Practitioners
Presented by Dr. Randel Hanson, Assistant Professor, UMD Geography Department
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Library 4th Floor Rotunda
Dr. Randel Hanson reports on a Salzburg Global Seminar from November, 2011 in Salzburg, Austria, that focused on the role of agricultural development in creating stable and sustainable food supplies and improving national economies in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, the seminar focused on the need to ensure African women can optimize their contributions as vital economic actors and leaders in addressing hunger, food insecurity, and economic growth.
Religion and the Jewish Question
Presented by Mrs. Leonore Baeumler, UMD Baeumler-Kaplan Holocaust Commemoration Committee, and Dr. Deborah Petersen-Perlman, Associate Professor in the UMD Department of Communication
Thursday, April 12, 2012
The Rafters, Kirby Student Center
This presentation will examine the responses of Christian religious institutions to the Jewish communities of Europe. Mrs. Leonore Baeumler and Dr. Deborah Petersen-Perlman will chart the struggles of Jewish people at the hands of their Christian brethren from the Inquisition to the modern era. (This presentations is co-sponsored by UMD’s Baeumler-Kaplan Holocaust Commemoration.)
Rattle Your Dags" and Other Terms of Endearment I learned in New Zealand/Aotearoa
Presented by Dr. Pat Farrell, Associate Professor, UMD Geography Department
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Library 4th Floor Rotunda
Dr. Pat Farrell travelled to New Zealand (the Maori term is Aotearoa) in January 2012. She will share her experiences of being a human tourist in the land of sheep.
“(K)ein Einwanderungsland: Redefining German-ness in the 21st Century
Presented by Mylii Pukema, UMD International Studies and English Student
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Griggs Center, Kirby Student Center
Mylii Pukema selected her research topic while participating in UMD's Study Abroad program in Germany, and expanded her focus as the subject of an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). Pukema's research examines Germany's citizenship and naturalization laws, the changing demographics of Germany's population, and the political and social ramifications of immigration policy stagnation. In this presentation, Pukema will address the history of "guest workers" in Germany and the issues it currently faces in building policies as one of the European nations with the largest foreign populations.