International Week focuses on global community

James Madison University’s Office of International Programs will present International Week 2013, Sept. 23-27.

This year’s theme, “Borders and Boundaries,” is a departure from the week’s traditional focus on a specific region of the world and instead emphasizes ideas that span countries and cultures.

“In selecting this year’s theme, the Office of International Programs and the I-Week committee explored topics that would encompass many aspects of our global community,” said Lauren Franson, assistant director of study abroad at JMU. “At first glance, ‘Borders and Boundaries’ does introduce an idea that relates to barriers that exist in the world. In understanding this, the next step was to design a week that would help participants to transcend them.”

The week’s events explore the historical, cultural and social constructs behind these barriers, but also offer opportunities to engage in discussions related to political change, social movements and appreciation of the differences that these borders and boundaries create.  

On Monday, Dr. William J. Hawk, professor of philosophy at JMU and chair of the leadership team for The Madison Collaborative: Ethical Reasoning in Action, will moderate “The Ethics of National Borders,” a community conversation on the key ethical questions regarding the construction, maintenance and enforcement of national borders.

Tuesday’s panel discussion, “When Borders Divide Us,” will center on current border disputes around the world, including Palestine and Israel, as well as immigration issues in the United States.

On Wednesday, a panel of JMU students who have either studied abroad or are here from another country will share stories of adjustment and transition and highlight campus and community resources.

On Thursday, Emily Lynch, a global health program manager and photographer, will share her experience living and working with Doctors Without Borders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where more than 900,000 people are currently displaced from their homes due to ongoing violence and conflict in the region.

International Week 2013 kicks off Monday at 11 a.m. with an international bazaar on The Commons complete with street vendors, exhibits and a sampling of world cuisine. Other events throughout the week include a public debate hosted by the JMU Debate Society, the annual study abroad fair, a concert in the Forbes Center featuring JMU faculty and student musicians, a photo contest and a world cup soccer tournament.

A complete schedule of events, with dates, times and locations, can be found here. 

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