Pitt Presents International Week 2007, Sept. 23-30

 Events exemplify theme of celebration: “Your World, Your Health”

Pitt’s International Week 2007, “Your World, Your Health”—celebrating the diversity of the University, Oakland, and the greater Pittsburgh community—will include panel discussions, lectures, and international food, dance, art, music, and films. The Sept. 23-30 event is sponsored by the University Center of International Studies’ Global Studies Program and Student Affairs’ Office of Cross-Cultural and Leadership Development, in collaboration with a number of campus, student, and community organizations.

International Week aims to expand the awareness of and interest in global learning opportunities by celebrating the intercultural diversity of campus life. It also supports and complements the University’s academic and public service missions.

Also part of this year’s International Week festivities are the fifth-annual African Festival and the 28th-annual Latin American and Caribbean Festival that take place Sept. 28 and Sept. 29, respectively.

Other International Week highlights will include the following:

Sept. 24
Lecture, “The Debt Can Go to ‘Hell-th’: The Effects of the Global Debt Crisis on the Public Health Crisis in Africa”
8 p.m., Bellefield Presbyterian Church (Fellowship Hall, basement), 4001 Fifth Ave., Oakland

Sept. 25
Lecture, “Human Rights, Human Security, and Health,”  4-5:30 p.m., 3911 Posvar Hall
Students in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs’ International Development master’s program will discuss their experiences in human rights NGOs, refugee camps, and other international placements.

Oakland International Restaurant Tour,  6-9 p.m, various Oakland restaurants
Sample a variety of international foods at participating restaurants with the purchase of a $10 ticket. Tickets must be purchased in advance at the William Pitt Union Ticket Office or the Office of International Services, also in the William Pitt Union.

Film Screening, Blood Diamond, directed by Edward Zwick,  6:30-9 p.m., William Pitt Union’s Assembly Room

Film Screening, Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge, (the first of a three-part series), directed by Mike Beckham, Richard Dale, Sarah Holt, Tabitha Jackson, Rob Whittlesey, Gail Willumsen, and Andrew Young, 7-9 p.m., 4130 Posvar Hall

Film Screening, Ha-Buah (The Bubble), directed by Eytan Fox, 8:30 p.m., G-24 Cathedral of Learning

Sept. 26
Lecture, “Contemporary Slavery: Implications for Global Health and Policy”, Noon, 4130 Posvar Hall
Representatives of the Project to End Human Trafficking, a nonprofit organization working regionally, nationally, and internationally in the anti-slavery movement, will describe human trafficking and ways that policymakers, public health professionals, and concerned citizens can help to eradicate it.

Cultural Event, “African Cultural Workshop,” 5-9 p.m., William Pitt Union’s Ballroom
Participants will learn about African music, dance, and more.

Film Screening, Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge, (the second of a three-part series), 7-9 p.m., 4130 Posvar Hall

Performance, “The Damask Drum”, 8 p.m., Studio Theatre, located in the Cathedral of Learning basement
Performances run through Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. with 2:30 p.m. matinees on Sept. 29 and 30.

Cultural Event, “Salsa Lessons”, 9:15-10:15 p.m., Posvar Hall’s first floor Galleria
Instructor Marlon Silva will teach the basics of Salsa dancing.

Sept. 27
Lecture, “Emergency USA”, 10-11 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m., 4130 Posvar Hall
Alberto Colombi will give an overview of the work that Emergency does all over the world to aid in medical and surgical assistance and rehabilitation in war zones.

Lecture, “Asia Over Lunch Lecture Series: Human Trafficking in Asia Linked With International Migration to Japan and South Korea”
Noon, 4130 Posvar Hall
A lecture by Minwoo Yun, assistant professor of criminal justice at Wheeling Jesuit University. Pizza will be served; bring your own drink.

Lecture, “UAE-U.S.: Common Interests; Shared Vision”, Noon, William Pitt Union’s Kurtzman Room
Reem Al-Hashimy, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the United States, will lecture; she is involved with a broad spectrum of issues affecting U.S.-UAE relations.

Cultural Event, “Global Health and Rehabilitation”
2:30-5:30 p.m., Forbes Tower
This event will include a discussion of the contributions to global health being made by Pitt’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Lecture, “Cross-Cultural Communication”, 4-6 p.m., William Pitt Union’s Dining Room A
Pitt Professor Jeannette South-Paul and Soudi Abdesalam, an instructor in Pitt’s Less-Commonly-Taught Languages Center, will discuss how cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic characteristics influence how people access and utilize health care services.

Cultural Event, “Asia and Friends: Karaoke Night”, 4:30 p.m.-midnight, William Pitt Union’s Kurtzman Room and Ballroom
Asian refreshments will be provided and prizes will be awarded to contest winners.

Panel Discussion, “Bridging the Gap Between Africans and Africans in the Diaspora”, 6-8:30 p.m., 324 Cathedral of Learning

Film Screening, Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge, (the third of a three-part series), 7-9 p.m., 4130 Posvar Hall

Film Screening, Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World, directed by John Scagliotti
8:45-10:30 p.m., 630 William Pitt Union

Sept. 28  
International Fair, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., William Pitt Union Lawn
The fair reflects the diverse cultures represented on Pitt’s campus and the University’s many study abroad options.

Cultural Event, African Festival 2007, 3-8 p.m, William Pitt Union’s Lower Lounge
The festival features art exhibitions; music and dance, with a performance by the Umoja Arts Company; food, featuring “Congo Cuisine”; and a roundtable discussion of the fight against poverty in Africa. Also featured will be student presentations on studying in Africa.

Sept. 29
Pitt’s 28th-Annual Latin American and Caribbean Festival, 10 a.m.-midnight, William Pitt Union
The diversity of Latin American and Caribbean cultures will be displayed through exhibitions, food, arts and crafts, fine art, music, and dance. The festival will include the Carnival Exhibit at the nearby Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Remakes, an art exhibition by Cuban artist Elio Rodriguez, in Pitt’s Frick Fine Art Gallery.

Panel Discussion, Cross Cultural Forum, 6-7:30 p.m., 630 William Pitt Union
Panelists will share funny acculturation stories about the United States.

For more information and a complete calendar of events, visit www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/internationalweek.