August

Movie: Lost Boys of Sudan (2004) 87min, directed and produced by Megan Mylan & Jon Shenk.

Monday, August 31 at 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons,
Bldg. 1

This documentary follows the journey of two teenage Sudanese boys, orphaned in their war torn country, who travel to the United States looking for a safer environment. It follows them as they learn to cope with the unfamiliar complexities of contemporary American society. **Co-sponsored by Beyond the Classroom and the First Year Book Program.

September

Movie: Sankofa (1993) 125min, directed by Haile Gerima.

Wednesday, September 9 at 7pm Hoff Theater, STAMP

Presented by Myron Lounsbury. Sankofa opens the In and Out of Africa International Film Series at the University of Maryland. **Co-sponsored by International Programs and the First Year Book Program.

Lecture: An Evening with Ron Capps and Erin Weir from Refugees International

Monday, September 14 at 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons, Bldg. 1

"New Challenges for International Peacekeeping Operations in Africa." Refugees International is a leading nongovernmental organization that advocates for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises in over 20 countries around the world. Each year, Refugees International conducts 20 to 25 field missions to identify displaced people’s needs for basic services such as food, health care, housing, access to education and protection from harm. Based on theirfield-based knowledge of humanitarian emergencies in Africa, Refugees International successfully challenges policy makers and aid agencies to improve the lives of displaced people in Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. Where there are critical needs, Refugees International identifies what is lacking, develops effective solutions, and engages in advocacy for policy action. Ron Capps is the Peacekeeping Program Manager and Erin A. Weir is a Peacekeeping Advocate with Refugees International in Washington, D.C. **Sponsored by Beyond the Classroom Living and Learning Program/First Year Book/Office of Undergraduate Studies/ Semester of Peace at the University of Maryland, College Park

Movie: Pray the Devil Back to Hell (2009) 72min, directed by Gini Reticker.

Monday, September 21 at 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons, Bldg. 1

Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country. Thousands of women - ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim - came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. **Co-sponsored by Beyond the Classroom and the First Year Book Program.

Information and Pledge Drive: STAND

Wednesday, September 23 at 12-2pm in front of the STAMP

STAND UMD, Students Taking Action Now Darfur, an anti-genocide coalition will be hosting an information and pledge drive on September 23rd from 12p-2p in front of STAMP. Come out, learn about the conflict in Darfur, advocacy events, and how you can STAND UP, and help. Come sign a pledge card, to show your support for Darfur. By pledging your support for Darfur your name will also be featured on the official STAND: UMD banner, to be displayed in STAMP prior to each future event.

If you wish to become involved with STAND UMD, please e-mail us at terpsstand@gmail.com, join our facebook group Terps STAND, or attend our weekly meetings. Meetings are held on Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30 in the Student Involvement Suite of STAMP.
Don’t stand by. STAND UP!

Movie: Facing Sudan (2007) 90min, directed by Bruce David Janu.

Monday, September 28 at 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons, Bldg. 1

Through the stories of a custodian, pediatrician, housewife, and others who have experienced the brutal violence in war-torn Sudan, Bruce David Janu’s documentary reveals how ordinary people can create extraordinary change. The film explores the historical context of the conflict, featuring footage of Sudanese military attacks and interviews with both volunteers and victims of the violence, including a harrowing segment on the Lost Boys." Facing Sudan is the story of ordinary individuals, moved into action by the events in Sudan. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things, even in Sudan. **Co-sponsored by Beyond the Classroom and the First Year Book Program.

October

Movie: God Grew Tired of Us (2007) 90min, written and directed by Christopher Quinn.

Monday, October 5 at 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons,
Bldg. 1

National Geographic Films/LBS presents the plight of Sudanese refugees being displaced to foreign countries due to civil war in their homeland. Known as "Lost Boys," the film tells the story of three of these "Lost Boy" refugees who struggled to come to the United States for a better life, while still attempting to assist the family and friends they have left behind.**Co-sponsored by Beyond the Classroom and the First Year Book Program.

Movie: War Dance (2007) 105min, directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix.

Wednesday, October 7 at 7pm Hoff Theater, STAMP

Presented by Nelson Pressley, a continuation of the In and Out of Africa International Film Series at the University of Maryland. **Co-sponsored by International Programs and the First Year Book Program.

 

Seminar & Film: An Evening with David Alan Harris: "Using Dance Therapy to Heal African Victims of War"

Monday, October 12, 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons,
Bldg. 1

David Alan Harris is a leading dance and movement therapist with clinical experience in mental health rehabilitative treatment who has worked with former child soldiers in Sierra Leone and other parts of Africa and with young male survivors of severe trauma. Combining his careers in human rights advocacy and choreography to work on the ground in Sierra Leone's Kailahun District, David has collaborated with local counselors to develop an innovative dance and movement program to provide treatment for 12 former child soldiers, all of whom were orphans who survived the brutality of Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war. David’s inspiring work has demonstrated that "dance and movement therapy (DMY) interventions, if designed to promote cultural relevance and community ownership, may enhance healing among adolescent survivors of war and organized violence." Now based in Colorado, David has served as a clinician and provided therapeutic trauma treatment with the Center for Victims of Torture in Sierra Leone, the Rocky Mountain Survivors Center, and the Dinka Initiative to Empower and Restore in Pennsylvania. **Co-sponsored by Beyond the Classroom and the First Year Book Program.

Background Reading:
David Alan Harris. (2009). "Dancing with Child Soldiers." Foreign Policy In Focus (FPIF),
June 15, at: http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/6187

 

Dance Workshop: David Alan Harris

Tuesday October 13, Thursday October 15, and Friday October 16,
4-6 pm Preinkert Dance Studio   

David Alan Harris, Dance Therapist, who has worked directly with the former boy soldiers in Sierra Leone and former "Lost Boys" of the Sudan, will be on the University of Maryland campus this fall as a part of the Semester on Peace.

David’s remarkable work has been featured in Foreign Policy in Focus, and in television and radio interviews. He will be teaching a six-hour workshop for any students interested in learning about dance therapy, arts and social justice, and working with victims of trauma and violence. **Co-sponsored by the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and the First Year Book Program.

To register for the workshop and to add an Independent Study in Dance Therapy to your schedule, please contact Karen Bradley in the Dance Dept. 301-405-0387 or kbradley@umd.edu. The workshop alone is not available for credit, but students can sign up to participate in the six hours.  Credit is available to those willing to register for Independent Study in Dance, DANC 398 or 698; you must contact Karen Bradley in order to register for credit.

David Alan Harris' article, Dancing with Child Soldiers

 

Lecture: Atrocity, Resilience and Healing: Peace-Building Lessons from African Child Soldiers, David Alan Harris's Keynote Address for the Semester on Peace

Wednesday, October 14, 7-9pm Colony Ballroom STAMP

David Alan Harris will deliver the keynote address of the Semester on Peace about his work with Dance Movement Therapy in the treatment of child soldiers and other victims of torture and post-traumatic stress disorder. This is a campus-wide talk, featuring film on his work in
Sierra Leone, and will serve as a prelude to Dave Egger’s talk on his book, What is the
What, this year's First Year Book. Read David Alan Harris’s article on his work in Foreign Policy in Focus. **Co-Sponsored by the Initiative on Education for Peace, Cooperation, and Development (IEPCD), Student Entertainment Events (SEE), the First-Year Book Program, the UMUC Marriott, and ARHU.

Movie: Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai (2008)

Monday, October 19, 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons,
Bldg. 1

How did women come together to plant trees and to lead a movement for democratic change in Kenya? Taking Root tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights and defend democracy.

"Taking Root captures the transformative potential of regular people finding their voices. It proves that courage is contagious and directly contradicts the current negative images of Africa. It is about the deep change... (that) is essential to save our planet... it will inspire untold, endless acts of courage" - Frances Moore Lappé, author and activist.

"Taking Root demonstrates that the environmental movement is... a social justice movement at its core" - Nehanda Imara, Communities for a Better Environment

Lecture: An Evening with Peter Kimeu from Catholic Relief Services: Africa Rising – Hope Amidst Struggle

Monday, October 26, 7-9pm Colony Ballroom STAMP 7pm, 1102 South Campus Commons, Bldg. 1

Peter Kimeu, CRS-Kenya, has worked with Catholic Relief Services for over 25 years, helping people resolve conflicts peacefully and build healthy, sustainable communities. Peter Kimeu will share his experience. Founded in 1943 by the US Catholic Bishops, Catholic Relief Services is the official overseas relief and development agency of the US Catholic Community. The mission of CRS is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Catholic social teaching which calls us to respond to the needs of the most poor and vulnerable people and to work for justice. CRS works in serves over 100 million people in more than 100 countries. To learn more, visit: www.crs.org. **Sponsored by Beyond the Classroom Living and Learning Program/First Year Book/Office of Undergraduate Studies/ Semester of Peace at the University of Maryland, College Park

November

Movie: Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars (2005) 78min, directed by Zach Niles and Banker White.

Monday, November 2 at 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons, Bldg. 1

Presented as a part of Beyond the Classroom series on "Envisioning Peace in Africa." Uplifting and courageous, this dramatic award-winning film directed by Zach Niles and Banker White tracks the journey of Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars – a group of six musicians who formed a band after being displaced from their home during the brutal decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone – as they rise from the ashes of war and inspire a nation to believe in the healing power of music. This stunning documentary captures the triumphant story of six musicians who escaped the horrific violence of Sierra Leone’s civil war, landed in a West African refugee camp and formed a band that would go on and travel the world. An unbelievable treatment of the human spirit, the refugees’ journey exemplifies the power of music. **Co-sponsored by Beyond the Classroom and the First Year Book Program.

Movie: Madame Brouette (2002) 105min, directed by Moussa Sene Absa.

Wednesday, November 4 at 7pm Hoff Theater, STAMP

Presented by Valerie Orlando, a continuation of the In and Out of Africa International Film Series at the University of Maryland. **Co-sponsored by International Programs and the First Year Book Program.

Author Lecture: Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng

Thursday, November 5, 5:30pm Tydings Hall 0130

First Year Book author Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng will be on campus to talk about their book. *Co-sponsored by The First Year Book Program and the Omicron Delta Kappa Lecture Series.

Lecture: Emira Woods

Monday, November 9, 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons,
Bldg. 1

Presented as a part of Beyond the Classroom series on "Envisioning Peace in Africa." Emira Woods is Director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies, and an expert on U.S. foreign policy with a special emphasis on Africa and the developing world. She has written on a range of issues from debt, trade and development to U.S. military policy. Emira serves on the Board of Directors of Africa Action, Just Associates, Global Justice, and the Financial Policy Forum. She is also on the Network Council of Jubilee USA. **Sponsored by Beyond the Classroom.

 

Movie: The Peacekeepers: The Price of Peace (2005) 90min, directed by Paul Cowan.

Monday, November 16 at 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons, Bldg. 1

Presented as a part of Beyond the Classroom series on "Envisioning Peace in Africa." Violent and brutal civil wars are inflicting slaughter and misery on the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping is working overtime to avoid another Rwanda disaster. In this shocking and explicit film, award-winning director Paul Cowan gains unprecedented access to the United Nations’ offices and bureaus to capture behind-the-scenes peacekeeping tactics. Cutting back and for the between New York, the United Nation’s Crisis Room, and on-the-ground footage of Third World devastation. "The Peacekeepers" provides a realistic and profound balance of hope in the face of ongoing strife. **Co-sponsored by Beyond the Classroom and the First Year Book Program.

Movie: As We Forgive (2008) 53min, directed by Laura Waters Hinson.

Monday, November 23 at 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons, Bldg. 1

Presented as a part of Beyond the Classroom series on "Envisioning Peace in Africa." Could you forgive a person who murdered your family? This is the question faced by the subjects of "As We Forgive," a documentary about Rosaria and Chantal – two Rwandan women coming face-to-face with the men who slaughtered their families during the 1994 genocide. The subjects of "As We Forgive" speak for a nation still wracked by the grief of a genocide that killed one in eight Rwandans in 1994. Overwhelmed by an enormous backlog of court cases, the government has returned over 50,000 genocide perpetrators back to the very communities they helped to destroy. Without the hope of full justice, Rwanda has turned to a new solution: Reconciliation. But can it be done? Can survivors truly forgive the killers who destroyed their families? **Co-sponsored by Beyond the Classroom and the First Year Book Program.

Movie: The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court (2009) 95min, directed by Pamela Yates.

Monday, November 30 at 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons, Bldg. 1

Presented as a part of Beyond the Classroom series on "Envisioning Peace in Africa." In 1998, in response to repeated mass atrocities around the world, more than 120 countries united to form the International Criminal Court (ICC) the first permanent court created to prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. The film follows dynamic Luis Moreno Ocampo and his team for 3 years across 4 continents as he issues arrest warrants for Lord's Resistance Army leaders in Uganda, puts Congolese warlords on trial, and charges Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir with genocide in Darfur, challenging the U.N. Security Council to arrest him. Building cases against genocidal criminals presents huge challenges, and the Prosecutor has a mandate but no police force. Life a deft thriller, "The Reckoning" keeps you on the edge of your seat with two riveting dramas the prosecution of unspeakable crimes and the ICC's fight for efficacy. Will the world ensure that justice prevails? **Co-sponsored by Beyond the Classroom and the First Year Book Program.

 

December

Movie: Invisible Children (2006) written by Carol Mansour.

Monday, December 7 at 7pm 1102 South Campus Commons, Bldg. 1

Presented as a part of Beyond the Classroom series on "Envisioning Peace in Africa." In 2007, Invisible Children posed a challenge to youth around the world: raise one million dollars in 100 days to rebuild schools in war-torn northern Uganda. Thousands of students rallied, and 20 were rewarded with an adventure of a lifetime: a trip into Africa’s longest running war. This is the story of a generation discovering that it does not matter where you are from, but where you go! **Co-sponsored by Beyond the Classroom and the First Year Book Program.

January

No events scheduled at this time.

February

Movie: The Last King of Scotland (2006) 121min, directed by Kevin Macdonald.

Wednesday, February 3 at 7pm Hoff Theater, STAMP

Presented by Jonathan Auerbach, a continuation of the In and Out of Africa International Film Series at the University of Maryland. **Co-sponsored by International Programs and the First Year Book Program.

March

Movie: Killer Necklace (2008) 121min, directed by Judy Kibinge.

Wednesday, March 3 at 7pm Hoff Theater, STAMP

Presented by Keguro Macharia, a continuation of the In and Out of Africa International Film Series at the University of Maryland. INTERVIEW/Q & A with the director. **Co-sponsored by International Programs and the First Year Book Program.

April

Movie: Nowhere in Africa (Nirgendwo in Afrika) (2001) 141min, directed by Caroline Link.

Wednesday, April 7 at 7pm Hoff Theater, STAMP

Presented by Peter Beicken, a continuation of the In and Out of Africa International Film Series at the University of Maryland. **Co-sponsored by International Programs and the First Year Book Program.

May

No events scheduled at this time.