Artistic freedom is a fundamental democratic right.

Creative expression, from poetry to street art, theater, and literature, is often at the vanguard of political resistance and change, and so artists are some of the first to be silenced. In this panel, speakers discuss their own experiences as artists in authoritarian contexts where their ability to produce art was violently suppressed.

These artists have all found haven at Cornell. Their art speaks to the trauma of authoritarianism and the hope for change.

Speakers:

Sharifa “Elja” Sharifi, Afghan visiting scholar and 2022–23 Artist Protection Fund Fellow at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art

Pedro X. Molina, Nicaraguan political cartoonist and visiting critic with the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies

Khadija Monis '24, Afghan student, poet and artist

Rachel Beatty Riedl (moderator), director of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and John S. Knight Professor of International Studies

The event is sponsored by the Johnson Museum and Global Cornell as part of the university’s theme this year on The Indispensable Condition: Freedom of Expression at Cornell. The event will be held in person and livestreamed.

"Reverse Design and its Role in Curricular and Programmatic Articulation"
Catherine Baumann
Senior Instructional Professor and Director, University of Chicago Language Center

Reverse design, also called backward design, is a framework for curricular planning that begins "at the end." Targeted outcomes and their assessment form the basis for making the many decisions that belong to the process of curricular design and development. In this workshop, a reverse design model will be introduced, and its components defined and described. Multiple concrete examples of how reverse design was applied to solve curricular challenges at the course, course sequence, and programmatic level will be shared.

Bio: Catherine C. Baumann is a Senior Instructional Professor and Director of the University of Chicago Language Center (CLC). She received her Ph.D. in Second Languages and Cultures Education at the University of Minnesota, specializing in reading comprehension and language testing. She directed the German language program at the University of Chicago from 1999-2019, and now oversees all programs in the CLC. She consults for language programs in higher education on a variety of curricular and assessment-related issues.

This event will be held in person in G25 Stimson and will also be streamed live over Zoom (registration required). Join us at the LRC or on Zoom.

The event is free and open to the public. Campus visitors and members of the public must adhere to Cornell's public health requirements for events.

Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program (LACS) Seminar Series, Co-sponsored by: The Communication Department.

The field of environmental communication has undergone substantial development in recent decades. Scholars from rich nations have predominantly spurred this growth, with a pronounced emphasis on climate change. The input from scholars situated in other global regions, such as those hailing from Latin American countries, continues to linger on the periphery of worldwide dialogues. This marginalization limits the potential of insights derived from research pertaining to and originating from southern regions that can enhance international discussions about environmental communication.

This talk examines the structural impediments alongside epistemological and ontological presumptions that obscure Latin American participation in the environmental communication field, drawing upon ideas, initiatives, and experiences in this region. It delves into factors such as historical background, worldview, the dynamics of colonialism and resistance, institutional frameworks, and cultural influences to emphasize the necessity of comprehending these intricate elements for advancing environmental communication research.

Bruno Takahashi Dr. Bruno Takahashi is the Brandt Professor of Environmental Communication in the School of Journalism and AgBioResearch at Michigan State University. He is also research director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. He studies the communication of environmental and science issues in Latin America and among marginalized US populations. Bruno is from Perú and received his BA in communication from the Universidad de Lima and MS and Ph.D. in environmental science from SUNY ESF.

COMMColloquium

Co-sponsored with the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program

Context Matters: Insights From Environmental Communication Research in Latin America

Bruno Takahashi, Professor, Michigan State University

1pm in 102 Mann

Reception to follow in the Hub

The field of environmental communication has undergone substantial development in recent decades. Scholars from rich nations have predominantly spurred this growth, with a pronounced emphasis on climate change. The input from scholars situated in other global regions, such as those hailing from Latin American countries, continues to linger on the periphery of worldwide dialogues. This marginalization limits the potential of insights derived from research pertaining to and originating from southern regions that can enhance international discussions about environmental communication.

This talk examines the structural impediments alongside epistemological and ontological presumptions that obscure Latin American participation in the environmental communication field, drawing upon ideas, initiatives, and experiences in this region. It delves into factors such as historical background, worldview, the dynamics of colonialism and resistance, institutional frameworks, and cultural influences to emphasize the necessity of comprehending these intricate elements for advancing environmental communication research.

Dr. Bruno Takahashi is the Brandt Professor of Environmental Communication in the School of Journalism and AgBioResearch at Michigan State University. He is also research director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. He studies the communication of environmental and science issues in Latin America and among marginalized US populations. Bruno is from Perú and received his BA in communication from the Universidad de Lima and MS and Ph.D. in environmental science from SUNY ESF.

Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program (LACS) Seminar Series

Suriname is a country in the northern part of South America. Having a tropical humid climate, about 93% of the country is covered by rainforest. This is also the area where many of the indigenous and tribal communities (descendants from run away African slaves) live.

One of these tribal communities, the Saamaka, is situated in the Upper Suriname River Area and consists of over 70 villages that mainly lie along the Suriname river (one of Suriname’s most important rivers). This community has been practicing agriculture in the form of shifting cultivation for almost 300 years. This form of cultivation can be described as a piece of land (forest) that is first cleared and afterwards various crops such as cassava, banana, peanuts, rice and sweet potato are planted over a period of 2-3 years and afterwards the farmer clears a new plot to repeat the same steps due to a decline in soil fertility and reduced crop yield.

Just like the urban areas in Suriname, the Saamaka have noticed a change in the climate in the form of prolonged periods of draught and heavy rainfall which often results in flooding of the villages and farm land.

In an effort to adapt and mitigate these phenomena, this community with the help of Tropenbos Suriname (local NGO) has started to adapt climate smart agricultural practices in the form of agroforestry.

Humans and the Environment in the Coastal & Canal Zone of Panama:

Scientists are worried about the way several external factors are contributing to the deterioration along Panama’s central Caribbean rainforest and coastal-marine ecosystems and preventing recovery in areas affected by contamination because they are practically doomed by anthropogenic development. If unplanned development continues on the rise, the ecosystem could continue to survive in previously healthy areas, but without any sustainable and substantial recovery.

The University of Panama is trying to implement a permanent system of scientific interdisciplinary researches in order to conserve the natural resources in Colón province (mangrove forest, sandy beaches, sea grasses, coral reefs, rainforest). These researches have a great priority for the Country of Panama for three reasons: first, due to the proximity of the area to the Panama Canal watershed; second, because Colón is located on the Caribbean side of Panama, with the second largest commercial city of the country (urban and industrial area) and communities claimed for sustainable development alternatives; third, to provide a research site for Panamanian and international scientists to implement environmental education, international center for studies around the unique ecosystem that is protecting Colon City and surrounding communities of the frequent floods in wet season and also serve both as a natural break water and wildlife refuge.

Javier Hurtado Yow is an Environmental Biologist & Educator with expertise in environmental sciences related to human rights. He has a Master’s in Environmental Management of Tropical Ecosystems obtained at Paris Tech Institute, France. He’s Professor of the Practice at the University of Panama and Regional Manager at the Panama's Human Rights office (Defensoría del Pueblo). His goals revolve around enhancing capacities in natural resource and environmental management in the interoceanic zone of the Panama Canal. His aim is to create and develop initiatives and policies that improve the sustainability of socioeconomic and environmental conditions in provinces outside the capital of the country, including Colon, western Panama, and other regions.

Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program (LACS) Seminar Series.

Although the emergence of the far right is anything but a new phenomenon and has reached a global dimension, until recent times the Latin American region has not experienced a massive presence of far right parties or leaders. Things started to change in the last few years, in particular with the presidential elections of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil in 2018 and Nayib Bukele in El Salvador in 2019. In addition, it seems that the far right has been gaining ground in other countries, such as Argentina (“Libertad Avanza”), Chile (“Partido Republicano”), Peru (“Renovación Popular”) and Uruguay (“Cabildo Abierto”). Despite this rapid appearance of the far right across the region, up to now there is almost no comparative research about this phenomenon. This means that we have very limited knowledge about the similarities and differences between the existing far right forces in Latin America. To address this research gap, in this presentation I we present the preliminary findings of a research project that looks at the ideas advanced by different far right forces across Latin America and examine its proximity with the frames employed by the far right in Europe and beyond.

Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser is professor at the Institute of Political Science at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and an associate researcher at the Centre for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies (COES) and Director of the Laboratory for the Study of the Far Right (ultra-lab). His main area of research is comparative politics and he has a special interest in the ambivalent relationship between populism and democracy. Together with Cas Mudde (University of Georgia), he has published "Populism: A Very Short Introduction" (Oxford University Press, 2017), which has been translated into more than fifteen languages.

-- EVENT CANCELLED --

CANCELLED--A legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, Brazil is home to the largest number of African descendants outside Africa and the greatest number of domestic workers in the world. Drawing on ten years of interviews and ethnographic research, Dr. Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman examines the lives of marginalized informal domestic workers who are called “adopted daughters” but who live in slave-like conditions in the homes of their adoptive families. She traces a nuanced and, at times, disturbing account of how adopted daughters, who are trapped in a system of racial, gender, and class oppression, live with the coexistence of extreme forms of exploitation and seemingly loving familial interactions and affective relationships. Highlighting the humanity of her respondents, Hordge-Freeman examines how filhas de criação (raised daughters) navigate the realities of their structural constraints in the context of pervasive norms of morality, gratitude, and kinship. In all, Professor Hordge-Freeman clarifies the link between contemporary and colonial forms of exploitation, while highlighting the resistance and agency of informal domestic workers.

A discussion with three Puerto Rican community leaders from Caño Martín Peña CLT, Taller Salud and La Colmena Cimarrona who will be speaking about strategies of resistance, community solidarities and emancipatory processes to advance collective land ownership and land-based repair mechanisms that improve access to housing, built environment, environment, food security, and climate adaptation; ultimately contributing to achieving health justice. Land is at the root of structural inequities. It is also the basis for community sovereignty, justice and healing. Within a Puerto Rican context, community land claims acquire particular relevance due to the continuous exposure to climate injustices, the lack of adequate investment for basic infrastructure on the island and structural power inequities.

Una discusión con tres lideresas comunitarias puertorriqueñas del Caño Martín Peña CLT, Taller Salud y La Colmena Cimarrona quienes hablarán sobre estrategias de resistencia, solidaridad comunitaria y procesos de emancipación para avanzar en mecanismos de tenencia colectiva y reparación en torno a la tierra para mejorar el acceso a la vivienda, entorno construido, medio ambiente, seguridad alimentaria y adaptación al clima; contribuyendo en última instancia a avanzar hacia la justicia en la salud. La tierra está en la raíz de las desigualdades estructurales. También es la base para la soberanía, la justicia y sanación comunitaria. En el contexto puertorriqueño, los reclamos sobre la tierra adquieren particular relevancia debido a la continua exposición a injusticias climáticas, la falta de inversión adecuada para infraestructura básica en la isla y las desigualdades estructurales de poder.

Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program (LACS) Public Issues Forum, Co-sponsored by: City and Regional Planning & Cornell Center for Health Equity and funded in part with a UISFL Title Vi grant from the U.S. Department of Education

Zoom link: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3yN578-RQgO39rMXJEbHeg

Bartels World Affairs Lecture

Fantasy author N. K. Jemisin discusses how she learned to build unreal worlds by studying our own—and how we might in turn imagine a better future for our world, and reshape it to fit that dream.

Jemisin's lecture kicks off The Future—a new Global Grand Challenge at Cornell. We invite thinkers across campus to use their imaginations to reach beyond the immediate, the tangible, the well-known constraints. How can we use our creativity to plan and build for a future that is equitable, sustainable, and good? Learn more on October 4.

After her talk, Jemisin joins a panel of distinguished Cornell faculty to explore how we can take a brave leap into the visionary future. What can we collectively achieve when we focus on "what we want," rather than "what I can do"? And when we've imagined a better future for our world, how do we chart the path—starting today—with practical steps to take us there?

Anindita Banerjee, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature, College of Arts and SciencesJohn Albertson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of EngineeringKaushik Basu, Carl Marks Professor of International Studies, Professor of Economics, A&S***

A reception with refreshments will follow the lecture and panel.

Lecture: 5:30 | Rhodes Rawlings Auditorium, Klarman HallThe Future panel, featuring Jemisin and Cornell faculty: 6:15Reception and book signing: 7:00-8:00 | Groos Family AtriumReserve your free ticket for the in-person watch party.

General admission seating is now sold out. By registering for a watch party ticket, you will have an in-person seat reserved in an adjacent classroom near the auditorium where the lecture will be livestreamed. Please follow signage upon your arrival. All watch party attendees are invited to join the post-lecture reception and book signing at 7:00 in Groos Family Atrium, Klarman Hall.

Livestream: For Local, National, and International Viewers

The lecture and panel will be livestreamed. Register to attend virtually at eCornell.

***

How are N. K. Jemisin’s novels acts of political resistance? Read a Bartels explainer by Anindita Banerjee.

***

Book Signing

Ithaca’s cooperatively owned independent bookstore, Buffalo Street Books, will be selling a wide selection of N. K. Jemisin’s books after the lecture.

Meet N. K. Jemisin and get your book signed at the reception!

***

About N. K. Jemisin

N. K. Jemisin is the first author in the science fiction and fantasy genre’s history to win three consecutive Best Novel Hugo Awards, for her Broken Earth trilogy. Her work has also won the Nebula and Locus Awards. She was a 2020 MacArthur Fellow. Jemisin’s most frequent themes include resistance to oppression, the inseverability of the liminal, and the coolness of Stuff Blowing Up. She has been an advocate for the long tradition of science fiction and fantasy as political resistance and previously championed the genre as a New York Times book reviewer. She lives and works in New York City.

***

About Global Grand Challenges at Cornell

Global Grand Challenges bring together Cornell's world-class strengths—vision, expertise, people, and resources—in a multiyear focus to understand humanity's most urgent challenges and create real-world solutions. Global Cornell organizes and supports related research collaborations, courses and academic programs, student experiences, campus events, and more. Cornell's first Global Grand Challenge is Migrations, launched in 2019.

***

About the Bartels World Affairs Lecture

The Bartels World Affairs Lecture is a signature event of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. This flagship event brings distinguished international figures to campus each academic year to speak on global topics and meet with Cornell faculty and students, particularly undergraduates. The lecture and related events are made possible by the generosity of Henry E. Bartels ’48 and Nancy Horton Bartels ’48.