Global Studies Summit

Global Studies Summit

May 31 to June 30, 2022

Community College of Philadelphia will be holding its second virtual month-long Global Studies Summit on social justice from May 31, 2022 - June 30, 2022. All events are student-centered and open to the college community as well as the greater public. For more info contact Study Abroad Program Coordinator: Lucia Gbaya-Kanga, bgbayaka@ccp.edu 

 

Date Event Details
May 31- June 2, and June 6
Taiwan

In collaboration with Shih Chien University, participants will have an immersive experience in Taipei, Taiwan, where they will learn about Taiwan, Chinese culture and its impact on global businesses. Through a focus on social justice in Taiwan, the series will examine emerging tourism trends and sustainable practices, as well as food, culture, folklore, and hospitality in Taiwan.

Series curator: Dr. Gayathri Banavara, assistant professor, Business Leadership, Fashion and Hospitality

Join Us on Zoom for the following events:

Tuesday, May 31

Historical Development of Taiwan: Keynote Speech

9 to 11 a.m.

This session will provide general information on Taiwan and its development since 1912.

Presenter: Dr. Tony Kuo, Vice President of Shih Chien University 

Introduction to Taiwan’s Food, Culture and Society

11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The session will cover the following themes: contemporary society in Taiwan, diversity in food, religion, culture and language (Taiwanese Mandarin Chinese vs Mandarin Chinese in China), as well as provide an overview of geography and the various ethnic groups in Taiwan.

Presenter: Mr. Tulun Ou Xiqiang, Chinese Language Center Instructor 

Wednesday, June 1

Social Justice in Taiwan

9 to 11 a.m.

This session will provide an in-depth look at two very critical topics regarding social justice in Taiwan: culture and housing.

Presenter: Dr. Tony Kuo, Vice President of Shih Chien University 

Taiwanese Music

11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Gain an understanding of music in Taiwan through stories in Taiwanese music history.

Presenter: Mr. Tulun Ou Xiqiang, Chinese Language Center Instructor 

Thursday, June 2

Don’t go to Taiwan! The Heart of Asia

9 to 11 a.m.

Learn about travel and tourism in Taiwan and why they should visit!

Presenter: Professor Elegance Chang

Chinese Opera and Facial Makeup

11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Get an overview of Chinese opera and its roles, props and scenes. You will make your own mask in a painting mask activity. Participants, please contact Lucia Gbaya-Kanga at bgbayaka@ccp.edu to pick up materials before the session.

Presenter: Mr. Tulun Ou Xiqiang, Chinese Language Center Instructor 

Monday June 6

Development Success and Business Opportunities in Taiwan

9 to 11 a.m.

Learn about business in Taiwan and opportunities to discover new and emerging trends!

Presenter: Professor Wei-Chung Wang, Shih Chien University: English Taught Program (ETP)

Chinese Culture: Duan Wu Jie (Dragon Boat Festival)

11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Learn some Chinese vocabulary related to the Dragon Boat Festival and experience how to make a sachet through a craft activity. Participants, please contact Lucia Gbaya-Kanga at bgbayaka@ccp.edu to pick up materials before the session.

Presenter: Ms. Chou and YiYi

June 6 - 9
Keeping Asia and Pacific Islands around Philly

Through food, music, film, and performance, the series will educate participants about the diversity of AAPI identities and experiences in Philadelphia communities, and raise awareness about the social justice issues that impact the AAPI community, as well as the intersections of such issues and opportunities for meaningful allyship among the AAPI and African-American communities, and other communities of color. Each day will feature a different Asian or Pacific Island country/region/culture, focusing on some element of history, culture and social justice.

Series curator: Dr. Michelle Myers, associate professor, English

Programming includes a mix of in-person and virtual events. Join us on Zoom for the virtual events:

Join Us on Zoom for the following events:

Monday, June 6: Focus on Southeast Asia (Lao, Vietnamese and Khmer/Cambodian communities)

Have You Eaten Yet? Khmer Cuisine Cooking Demo with Seri Chao

12:30 to 2 p.m., Pavilion Building, Room P2-18

Seri Chao is a home chef who started his culinary journey with Khmer cuisine after his mom made plans to move back to Cambodia. Teaching him the original recipes her mother taught her instilled a sense of yearning to cook even more. In this free cooking demonstration, Seri will be making a noodle salad bowl with marinated beef and will have samples for the audience. Check out his YouTube channel “Seri Cooks” to see other recipes that he has shared.

Please note: There is no vegetarian option for this cooking demonstration.

Free Food Sampler Featuring Vendors from The Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park

2 to 2:30 p.m.;  Pavilion Building, The Cube, 2nd Floor

Please come join us for free food samples of specialty dishes. The Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park is a community of refugees and immigrant vendors from the Lao, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian communities who have called the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park in South Philly their home since the 1980s. For more than 35 years, they have cultivated an open community space all their own, providing a cultural hub for social gatherings, sharing of ethnic cuisines and business opportunities through vending. At The Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park, shoppers can enjoy many native cuisine dishes; culturally specific produce, plants, clothing and jewelry; as well as services provided by entrepreneurs speaking multiple languages. 

Refugee Roll Call from South Philly: Panel Discussion about Southeast Asian Refugee Communities in Philadelphia

2:30 to 4:00 p.m.;  Pavilion Building, The Cube, 2nd Floor

A livestream panel of four representatives from various organizations that serve Southeast Asian refugees in Philadelphia will discuss the Vietnam War (often called “the American War” by Southeast Asians) and other social justice issues that impact Southeast Asian peoples in the United States. They will also discuss the issues that are specific to Southeast Asian refugees in Philadelphia, including members of the Lao, Vietnamese and Khmer/Cambodian communities.

Moderator: Dr. Michelle Myers

Tuesday, June 7: Focus on Korea and Hawaii

“The World After You Spoke”: Short Film Screening and Panel Discussion about the Statue of Peace Plaza Commemorating the victims of sexual slavery. 

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Virtual

The Philadelphia Peace Plaza Committee (PPPC) is an Asian American and female-driven project to build a monument in Philadelphia that commemorates the victims of sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during WWII. This session will begin with a film screening of “The World After You Spoke,” an August 2021 performance event supported by The Korean Council and presented in memory of Kim Hak-soon, the first Korean "Comfort Woman", euphemistic word for prostitute in Japanese, survivor to break the silence through her public testimony on August 14, 1991.  During this virtual panel discussion after the film screening, panelists will discuss the film as well as PPPC’s efforts to construct Philadelphia Peace Plaza at 805 S. Front Street in the Queen Village neighborhood of Philadelphia to commemorate the victims of sexual slavery and to call to end sexual violence and trafficking.

Panelists: Shinjoo Cho, Chair of PPPC; Jim Curry, Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial; Yolanda Wisher, former Poet Laureate of Philadelphia

Moderator: Dr. Michelle Myers

    

 

Documentary Film Screening: “Cane Fire”

1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Center for Business and Industry, Room C2-28

This film examines the past and present of the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi, interweaving four generations of family history, numerous Hollywood productions, and troves of found footage to create a kaleidoscopic portrait of the economic and cultural forces that have cast Indigenous and working-class residents as “extras” in their own story.

“Cane Fire” has received several awards: Best Feature Documentary at the 2020 Indie Memphis Film Festival, Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2021 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Jason D. Mak Award for Social Justice at the 2021 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon and the Vilay Mohan Social Change Award at the 2021 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival.

Presented in partnership with the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (PAAFF)

 

Wednesday, June 8: Focus on Japan

Community Bridges for Asian-Black Unity: Short Films Screening and Panel Discussion about Meaningful Allyship Between the Japanese American and African American Communities

11a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Virtual

Members of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL-Philly Chapter) will discuss the often untold history of allyship between the Japanese American and African American communities around social justice issues. This session will begin with a screening of short films highlighting such instances of allyship, followed by a discussion of the films and other related topics.

Short film descriptions:

  • “Malcolm and Yuri” (4 mins) 

    This short video describes the friendship and organizing partnership shared among Malcolm X and Yuri Kochiyama.

  • “The Fourth March” (8 mins)
    A short documentary that reveals the hitherto unknown role that Japanese American activist Kiyoshi Kuromiya played in the Selma-Montgomery marches.
  • “SF Japantown United Against Hate” (5 mins)
    This short PSA talks about the work being done in San Francisco to build community solidarity. 
  • “Reparations” (2 mins) 
    This is a trailer for Jon Ozaki’s documentary, which talks about the need for Japanese Americans to support the work of Black Reparations, based on mutual support for the Japanese American Redress. 
  • “2022 Shofuso Cherry Blossom Festival Recap Video” (3 mins)
    This short video highlights and celebrates the cultural overlap among African Americans and Japanese Americans during a three-day concert series held in West Fairmount Park April 8–10, 2022. 

Panelists: Rob Buscher, JACL-Philly Chapter President; Cliff Akiyama, JACL-Philly Chapter Board Member; and Paul Uyehara, former JACL-Philly Chapter President

      

Moderator: Dr. Michelle Myers

Taiko Drum Performance and Workshop with Casual Fifth

1:30 to 3 p.m., Bonnell Building, Large Auditorium

Casual Fifth is a Philadelphia-based performing ensemble focusing on Taiko and dance. Casual Fifth is co-directed by Alex Pfister and Mac Evans, who have been doing modern dance and Japanese drumming since 2005. The ensemble is ever-growing and evolving with friends, mentors, and mentees along the way.

Learn more about the free Taiko workshops offered by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia at the Shofuso Japanese House in Fairmount Park.

June 9: Focus on Hawaii

Documentary Film Screening: “Out of State”

11 to 12:30 p.m.;  (Virtual)

“Out of State” is an inside look at the lives of two native Hawaiians sent thousands of miles away from the tropical islands to a private prison in the Arizona desert. In this unlikely setting, David and Hale find a community of other native Hawaiians and discover their indigenous traditions from a fellow inmate serving a life sentence. Hoping for a fresh start and eager to prove that the experience has changed them forever, the two men finish their terms and return to Hawai’i, but once on the outside, they struggle with life’s hurdles and wonder if it’s possible to ever go home again.

“Out of State” received the following awards: Special Jury Award for Artistic Vision at the 2017 Portland Film Festival Film Festival, Best Feature Documentary at 2017 Cayfilm and the Liberty Bell Award from the 2017 Hawaii State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.

Presented in partnership with the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (PAAFF)

     

June 13 - 22
Global Black Lives: A Juneteenth Celebration


With a focus on the upcoming Juneteenth celebration, the Black Studies program will be curating a virtual Juneteenth series focusing on art, culture and resistance within the African Diaspora.

This series will provide participants with a more holistic grounding in the interconnectedness of global Black identities, the specific and complex issues that various communities face, and how they cultivate Black joy and celebrate Black beauty and life. It also allows for cross-continental conversations and reflections as participants will learn from community leaders, educators, artists, and activists and consider how they can approach similar issues within their own respective communities. Through film screenings, panel discussions, virtual tours, and presentations, participants will explore the themes of Jazz and resistance; food justice, African traditions and foodways; archiving global Black lives; cinema; and Black speculative art with speakers from Philadelphia, Brazil, South Africa, and Ghana.

Series curators: Nwenna Gates, adjunct instructor, English and Black Studies; Lucia Gbaya-Kanga, assistant professor, English and Black Studies, and coordinator, Black Studies and Study Abroad program; Dr. Anya Love, assistant professor, History and Black Studies

Programming includes a mix of in-person and virtual events.

Join Us on Zoom for the following events:

Juneteenth Celebration Resource Tables

Tuesday, June 14 to Thursday, June 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Stop by the tables located in front of the Athletics Center for information and giveaways.

(Sponsored by the Office of Student Engagement and the Center for Student Leadership Development)

Monday, June 13

Opening Session and Juneteenth Libation

10:15 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The morning session will discuss the relationship between Black Music forms, resistance and liberation. African and Black music has a history that existed and continues to exist outside of enslavement and rebellion. The panelist will couch the music throughout the Black diaspora within the long narrative of African cultural ways of knowing and doing.

Panelists:

  • Amari Johnson, Temple Professor and Musician
  • Jamal Moore, scholar and Musician from Baltimore 
  • Nate Thompson, Gospel and Philadelphia music scholar

Amari Johnson, Temple Professor and Musician Headshot.  Jamal Moore, scholar and Musician from Baltimore headshot

Session II

12:30 to 2 p.m.

This session will examine foodways, food justice, and culinary traditions within the African Diaspora. The panel will consider the history of marginalized communities and their historical foodways. Particular interests will be paid to local food justice communities and the future of sustainability.

Panelists: 

  • Charlyn Griffith, Free Brunch and Bunny Hop
  • Christa Barfield, Farmer Jawn
  • Cybille St.Aude, Honeysuckle Project

Charlyn Griffith, Free Brunch and Bunny Hop headshot  

Tuesday, June 14: Archiving Global Black Lives

The sessions will focus on the necessity of documenting Black lives. The panelists will discuss their unique archival work, process, and community building, and many other related topics.

Session I

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Sylvia Arthur, The Library of Africa & The African Diaspora (LOATAD) headshot.        

 

Panelists:

  • Sylvia Arthur, The Library of Africa & The African Diaspora
  • Sankara-Kilombo, Black Soul Vintage
  • Ashley Huston, Franny Lou's Porch


 

 

Session II

12:30 to 2 p.m.

  • Chris Rogers, Robeson House
  • Sedrick Miles, Atlantic Archives 
  • Mia Thomas, Dox Thrash House Project

Sedrick Miles, Atlantic Archives headshot

Wednesday, June 15: Cinema throughout the Diaspora

Prof. Nwenna Kai Gates will screen Senegalese filmmaker’s Ousmane’s Sembene’s radical first feature film Black Girl, or the original French title, La Noire de, which translates as The Black Girl/Woman or “Someone’s Black Girl/Woman.” After the screening, she will discuss the controversial themes and ideas in the film with Chernoh Bah, a Sierra Leonean whistle blower, journalist, and anti-corruption campaigner who has defended the rights of the oppressed in Sierra Leone for many years. He documents his whistle blowing against governments in African countries through his online media company, The Africanist Press. Gates and Bah will discuss the issues of white patriarchy, colonialism, exploitation, cultural appropriation, and identity. 

Session I

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Speakers:

Pro. Gates
Chernoh Bah

Prof. Nwenna Kai Gates     Chernoh Bah Headshot

Session II

1 to 3 p.m.

Prof. Nwenna Kai Gates will discuss and analyze the importance of the film Sankofa in being a Black resistance film as opposed to a film about slavery to recognize the importance of celebrating Juneteenth. In addition to the analysis, she will have a conversation with Maori Holmes, Chief Executive Officer, Artistic Director, and Founder of the BlackStar Film Fest about the importance of Black resistance films, independent film festivals, and celebrating Juneteenth.

Speakers:

Pro. Gates
Maori Holmes

Prof. Nwenna Kai Gates  Maori Holmes Headshot

Thursday, June 16: Black Speculative Art Virtual

Session I

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This enlightening conversation will focus on Black Speculative Art, specifically Afro Magical Realism and Afro Fabulists. Renowned educators, artists and activists Dr. Zakes Mda and Professor Emeritus DeJe Watson will explore these topics as well as reveal a bit about and their own current works. 

Speakers:

Dr. Zakes Mda 
Professor Emeritus DeJe Watson 

Dr. Zakes Mda headshot   Professor Emeritus DeJe Watson

Session II

2 to 3 p.m.

Student Screening: Cabralista documents the life of Amilcar Cabral, Bissau-Guinean and Cape Verdean revolutionary. This session will explore the documentary directed by Valerio Lopez, the intersections of art, media, and technology, and Lopez’s recent work The Africologist. This presentation will be led by Jasmine Rozario, an undergraduate student at the New School.

Moderator:

Jasmine Rozario

 

Grady’s Community Garden Party

5 to 6 p.m.

You’re Invited to a Garden Party at Grady's Community Garden! Come out and enjoy your Lions community while promoting food sovereignty. Enjoy light fare, music, and good conversation!  


RSVP to yazdanianfund@outlook.com by Friday, June 10, 2022. Community College of Philadelphia’s Grady’s Community Garden was established in 2018 to provide healthy food alternatives alongside the Snack Rack, the College’s food pantry. Founded by Mehran Yazdanian, the Yazdanian Fund was established to help fight hunger. Learn more or make a donation and be a food sovereignty champion! When donating, please select “Other” under Gift Designation and write in “Yazdanian Fund.”

Hosted by the Office of Institutional Advancement, Office of Student Engagement, and the Center for Student Leadership Development.

 

Sunday, June 19: Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival

Malcolm X Park
52nd and Parkside
Philadelphia, PA 19143
10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Celebrate Juneteenth at Malcolm X Park! There will be a parade, food vendors, a marketplace, children’s village, art exhibition, activities, and more. Stop by the College’s resource table while there.

 

Tuesday, June 21: Black Joy, Healing and Beauty

Session I

1 to 2 p.m.

In collaboration with the College’s Women’s Center there will be a one-hour presentation and workshop on the Black Paradise Project and mental health. The Black Paradise Project is a collaboration between visual artist Yannick Lowery, and Dr. Kimberly Marie Ashby, counseling psychologist. It focuses on mitigating the mental health impacts of racism through the cultivation of joy-based events around the city over the past year. The Black Paradise Project is led through Mural Arts and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability.

Session II

2 to 3:30 p.m.

Immediately following Session I, join us for a student-centered film screening and discussion moderated by Quamiir Trice with a presentation about the Black is Beautiful project by Sabea Evans, Coordinator for the Africana Studies Program and the Laɣim Tehi Tuma Fellowship at Bryn Mawr College.

Featured Speaker:

Sabea Evans 

Sabea Evans headshot

Wednesday, June 22: Culture and Music

Session I

11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The morning presentation will focus on Swahili culture, language, and the traditional Kanga material with some Swahili language instruction.

Presenter: Mwalimu Betty Bolger 

Mwalimu Betty Bolger headshot

Session II

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

The afternoon session will be an exciting Afrobeats presentation by University of Sciences Student Dance troupe.

Presenter: Mwalimu Betty Bolger

Mwalimu Betty Bolger headshot

Thursday, June 27 - 30
Lebanon / Syria

The Lebanon/Syria region is an important one in today’s world. There are thousands of Lebanese and Syrians, both in late-generation and first- and second-generation families, who live in the Philadelphia area and attend the College.

Through film screenings and speakers, the Lebanon/Syria series will focus on a particular region of the larger SWANA area (Southwest Asia and North Africa) that has experienced a tremendous amount of turmoil and upheaval in the past decade, and whose residents and diaspora are deeply dedicated to deepening an understanding of the cultural and historic significance on an international scale. 

Series curators: Dr. Myla Morris-Skeiker, associate professor and chair, English; and Dr. Talar Kaloustian, assistant professor, English and ESL assistant chair and liaison

Programming includes a mix of in-person and virtual events.

Join Us on Zoom for the following events:

Monday, June 27: History, Language, and People 

Field Trip: Met Museum, Ancient Near Eastern Art Gallery

8:30 a.m.

Opening Remarks

9:30 a.m.

Talar Kaloustian, Assistant Professor of English; and Myla Morris-Skeiker, Associate Professor and Chair, English; will give opening remarks.

Lebanon and Syria: A History of Art, Culture, Migration and Colonialism

10:45 a.m.

Presenter: Aseel Sawalha, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Fordham University

Aseel Sawalha headshot

Tuesday, June 28: Arts and Culture 

History, Politics and the Refugee Crisis

10 a.m.

Panel discussion with Dominique Tohme, UNHCR Liaison Officer; and Robin Saghbini, Comprehensive Refugee Response Officer at UNHCR

Lebanon’s Transformation

10:45 a.m.

Presenter: Marc Geara, Political Activist, Grassroots Coordinator

Mare Nostrum Screening and Discussion

1 p.m.

After the screening, participate in a discussion with Rana Kazkaz, Associate Professor of Communication, Northwestern University, Qatar

Wednesday, June 29: Education and Outreach 

Revisiting the National Curriculum: Integrating Social and Emotional Learning in the Early Years

10 a.m.

Presenters: Garene Kaloustian, Social and Emotional Learning Specialist; and Kara McBride, Senior Education Specialist in Global Education and TESOL, World Learning

Waste and the Beirut Blast

10:45 a.m.

Presenter: Noushig Kaloustian, Social Development Specialist, World Bank 

   

 

HIAS PA: Supporting Immigration and Inclusion in Philadelphia

1 to 2 p.m.

Presenter: Valeri Harteg, Education Program Manager; Michelle Ferguson, High School and Postsecondary Lead Instructor; and Raghad Kharban, student

Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture: Celebrating Arab Arts and Culture in the Philadelphia Area

3 p.m.

Presenter: David Heayn-Menendez, Director of Education and Civic Engagement 

Thursday, June 30: Displacement, Social Justice, and the Future 

Regional Politics and the Future

10 a.m.

Presenter: Haynes Mahoney, Independent Consultant

Is the Arabic Spring Arabic? Is it a Spring?: Reflections on Its Social Consequences on Women and Youth

11 a.m.

Presenter: Omar Ballan, Assistant Representative at UNFPA

Culinary Demo

12 to 12:30 p.m.

Presenter: Maral Sarkissian

Lunch, Analysis and Reflection

12:30 to 1:45 p.m.

Join us for breakout sessions, integrating what we’ve learned into our on-the-ground actions in our community. Meal catered by Manakeesh.