Intercultural Relations Events 

PAST EVENTS

September 28, 2011: Fall Potluck & Community Event:  Perspectives on the Arab Spring

Prospective and current students as well as alums joined us for the annual Fall Potluck and Community Event. This interactive panel discussion on "Perspectives on the Arab Spring" featured speakers Mona Mawafi, who has published extensively on women's heath in the Middle East and who is currently developing a program at Harvard University on social enterprise and transformative philanthopy in the Arab world; and Ashraf Hegazy, Executive Director of the Dubai Initiative at Harvard University, and a member of the National Policy Council of the Arab American Institute among other positions. They shared their very interesting perceptions on the “Arab Spring” and recent events in the Middle East.  A very stimulating and provocative dialogue with the audience followed.

October 12, 2011: Film showing: Thy Will Be Done: A Transsexual Woman's Journey Through Family and Faith

Thy Will Be Done challenges assumptions about faith, sexuality, gender identity, and religious tolerance. At issue is the organized Christian Church, with all its political and financial power, as one of the fiercest battlegrounds for LGBT rights and gender recognition. Filmmaker Alice Bouvrie and Presbyterian Elder and MtF Transsexual Sara Herwig, as well as other guests related to the making of the film, spoke about issues they encountered and the processes they followed in the making of the documentary. A large audience including members of the Lesley as well as greater Cambridge/Boston community joined us for the film and discussion, with a reception following.

February 9, 2011: Spring Potluck & Community Event: Learning from the Heart: Finding the Essence of Intercultural Work

What, after all, is the essence of work across cultures?  What makes it *work*?  This is a question that Dr. Julia Byers asks herself, reflecting on her diverse experiences in Palestine, Israel, the Philippines, Turkey, Italy, and Korea. Her work has expanded over twelve different countries, where she has been working in the most intense situations in zones of war, major conflict, and human disasters.  What has made these experiences most meaningful for those affected, and what are the lessons for those guiding and delivering services in very difficult international settings?  Dr. Byers shared her thoughts, stories, and reflections on her international work spanning over three decades and four continents. At Lesley University she directed the Expressive Therapies Division for 12 years, and currently is Coordinator of Art Therapy graduate studies, and Co-coordinator of the Play Therapy Certificate.

October 28, 2010: Alumni Career Panel

Alumni from the fields of international environmental volunteering and research, youth violence and conflict prevention, and international education exchange came together to talk with current and prospective students about their careers, and perspectives on entering and succeeding in the field.