International Trans Day of Visibility (March 31) | |
On March 31, Trans Day of Visibility is observed to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of transgender and gender non-conforming people. Trans Day of Visibility aims to further raise awareness of the discrimination that transgender people experience worldwide and the work that still needs to be done to achieve trans justice. The Office of Global Activities is dedicated to ensuring that our community continues to be a place where transgender people can thrive and receive support in their endeavors. If you are interested in learning more about Trans Day of Visibility, please refer to the following page. | |
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The African Muslim Film Festival (Click here to learn more)
Date: Thursday, March 9 - Thursday, April 6
Brief Description: The African Muslim Film Festival is the first of its kind, screening films from all across Africa that were made by, for, or about Muslims. All films will be streamable & online, with a variety of films from Sudan, Chad, Egypt, and South Africa. This year’s festival will offer four films in total, each available as one film a week during the month of March. All screenings are free, and all films will include English subtitles. This week’s feature is "Barakat", which takes place in South Africa and was directed by Amy Jephta. It is the first Afrikaans-language Muslim feature film produced in South Africa.
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Annual Tripodi Lecture: PhotoVoice as Global Social Action (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Monday, March 27, 4:30 - 6:00 PM ET
Brief Description: For this lecture, Dr. Mieko Yoshihama, PhD, LMSW will discuss her PhotoVoice project, an ongoing longitudinal effort with women affected by the Great East Japan Disaster, a cascade of massive earthquakes, colossal tsunamis, and a grave nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant. In addition to discussing the disaster’s disparate and gendered impact through members’ photographs and voices, this lecture will interrogate the methodological and ethical challenges involved in participatory action research globally, especially working with marginalized groups in a post-disaster context. This lecture is part of the Tony Tripodi Lecture Series in International Social Work at Columbia University School of Social Work.
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NATO Today: Confronting the Crisis in Ukraine and Adapting to Meet Global Challenges (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Tuesday, March 28, 12:00 PM ET
Brief Description: The Ford School is pleased to present Ambassador Julianne Smith for the 5th annual Arthur Vandenberg Lecture. Ambassador Smith has served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO since November 2021. Prior to her current position, she served as a senior advisor to Secretary Blinken at the Department of State. Previously, she served as the director of the Asia and Geopolitics Programs at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. From 2014-2018, she served as the director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Ambassador Smith will give a brief address, followed by a conversation with Weiser Diplomacy Center director John Ciorciari.
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Fulbright U.S. Student Program Informational Webinar (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET
Brief Description: The Institute of International Education, on behalf of the U.S. State Department, administers the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which offers research, study, and teaching opportunities in over 140 countries to recent graduates and graduate students. This competition is administered on campus by the International Institute (II). Over the course of winter semester, the II Fellowships & Grants team will be providing a series of workshops to help prepare your application! This workshop will be about planning your Fulbright independent research project.
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Journeys in Global Health Equity: A Conversation with Amina Abubakar (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET
Brief Description: The Center for Global Health Equity is delighted to have Dr. Amina Abubakar continue their 2022-2023 Distinguished Seminar Series - Journeys in Global Health Equity: Distances Traveled by Luminaries in the Field. The series features global health leaders from around the world who will share an intimate glimpse of their professional and personal journeys, critical challenges they see in the field, and ways to contribute to relevant solutions. Dr. Abubakar is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Institute for Human Development at Aga Khan University in Nairobi. Her work focuses on quantifying the neurocognitive burden of early childhood diseases; developing culturally appropriate psychological measures for use in Sub-Saharan Africa; and identifying culturally appropriate intervention strategies for at-risk children. The neurodevelopmental tools and measures that Dr. Abubakar has contributed to developing have been used in more than 25 low- and middle-income countries. In this seminar, Dr. Abubakar discusses her experiences in Kenya that led to her focus on neurocognitive and mental health outcomes for children, and her commitment to tools and interventions that are aligned with local cultures and needs.
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English Language Institute Fall Course Info & Pizza Party (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 5:00 - 7:00 PM ET
Brief Description: Are you a U-M international student? Do you speak English as a second or third language? LSA’s English Language Institute (ELI) offers mini-courses and other resources to support your academic and professional success! Join them for pizza and meet with ELI faculty and students to learn about ELI’s course offerings for fall!
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Essential Travel Logistics for Students (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Friday, March 31, 4:00 - 5:00 PM ET
Brief Description: Traveling as a student can be an amazing experience, but it can also be challenging if you're not well-prepared. This presentation will provide a general guide to help you prepare for smart and safe travel. Key points will include what to pack, transportation options, finding accommodation, budgeting, and more. This session is part of the International Center’s Global Wolverines: Preparing You to Have a Successful International Experience event series. It is open to all students.
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Energy Justice Teach-In (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Saturday, April 1, 12:00 - 6:00 PM ET
Brief Description: The Michigan Energy Justice Teach-In will be an interactive educational event. The purpose of this event is to provide the opportunity for local experts and organizations to give educational lectures on different topics relating to energy justice, such as new federal legislation, local and regional campaigns, frontline organizing, and international energy justice issues and organizing. This event is open to anyone affiliated with UM but also to anyone in the community.
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MANRRS x HM Refugee Garden Initiative Tours (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Sunday, April 2, 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET or 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Brief Description: The Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences at U-M are hosting a tour of the Refugee Garden Initiative located at the Matthei Botanical Gardens and a presentation from Phimmasone Kym Owens on the founding and mission behind the initiative. Attendees will see and hear about initiatives going on in the facility, how cultural preservation is centered in work, and how students, staff, and faculty can get involved, all while considering this year's Heritage Month theme of Generational Change and Healing. They are also offering free buses that will pick up and drop off attendees at the Michigan League.
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OGA International Coffee Hour (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Wednesday, April 5, 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
Brief Description: The Office of Global Activities hosts a bi-weekly coffee hour for all international students and visitors in the School of Social Work. It is a time to relax and get to know each other. Please join us! In this coffee hour, we will be reflecting on the past semester and looking ahead to the Spring/Summer semester or vacation! We will also joined by Taewhan Choi, current MSW student, and Yujeong Chang, recent alumna, to talk about applying to PhD programs as an international student from the U-M School of Social Work. They will start by sharing their experiences and the advice they have and will then answer questions. Milk Tea will be served at this Coffee Hour. Please RSVP to confirm your attendance and select the flavor of your Milk Tea by Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 12:00 PM.
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SCOPE Event: Immigration Open Mic Night (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Wednesday, April 5, 7:00 - 9:00 PM ET
Brief Description: In line with the Student Community of Progressive Empowerment's (SCOPE) mission to support and serve Undocu/DACAmented students, they want to create an intimate and safe environment to be together in community and explore together themes such as immigration, borders, policy reform, immigrant rights, and the immigrant and refugee diaspora. SCOPE’s Winter 2023 Open Mic Night will be a casual and intimate community space filled with refreshments, music, and good vibes. They want this to be a platform of expression. All skill levels are welcome. This is not a talent show but rather a safe-space for expression. They ask anyone willing to perform to put their name down via this form! This is to make sure they have a rough idea of numbers and that they have any A/V or other accommodations ready for you. The deadline to submit this form is on Monday, April 3rd. This event is free and is not restricted to only immigrants nor students. However, they are hosting a fundraiser to support legal fees for DACA Beneficiaries, who are also participating in a study-abroad trip as part of a U-M course. Suggested donation is $3 (cash or Venmo at door), but no one will be turned away! All proceeds will go to this fundraising effort. Their GoFundMe can be found here.
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El Cacao: Documentary Viewing Party & Post Discussion w/ the Filmmaker, Michelle Aguilar (Click here to RSVP)
Date: Monday, April 10, 6:30 - 7:45 PM ET
Brief Description: Grab some popcorn and join us for a viewing party of the documentary, El Cacao. As a treat, you’ll have a chance to connect with the filmmaker, Michelle Aguilar, on the motivation and execution of this short 20-minute documentary. Assistant Professor Ashley Cureton will serve as the discussant. This event is being offered in a hybrid format. Information about how to join the Zoom meeting will be sent to registrants who indicate that they will be attending virtually closer to the event date. Description of the Film: El Cacao exposes the dark side of chocolate production in Latin America by examining the economics of Fair Trade from the point of view of the Indigenous farmers as they attempt to sustain their community through the growth, harvest, and trade of cacao beans in the global market. This 20-minute documentary film highlights the life of an indigenous Ngabe farmer in Panama and his unconditional devotion to this so-called "superfood." The film threads together the themes of neoliberal ideology, human rights, and the economics of the chocolate industry.
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Presentation Recording Available - Global Governance Frameworks are Out of Step with Climate Change and the Dynamics of Displacement
Amali Tower is the founder and executive director of Climate Refugees. She has extensive global experience in refugee protection, refugee resettlement and in forced migration and displacement contexts, having worked globally for numerous NGOs, the UN Refugee Agency and the US Refugee Admissions Program. She was the speaker at the U-M Center for the Education of Women+'s 2023 Weerasinghe Lecture, which was titled Global Governance Frameworks are Out of Step with Climate Change and the Dynamics of Displacement. You can find the recording of that presentation here.
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Resources about Ramadan (Wednesday, March 22 - Thursday, April 20)
March 22 marked the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Ramadan is observed as a month of fasting, gathering, reflection, and prayer for Muslims all around the world. During Ramadan, many Muslims abstain from food and drink (including water) from dawn until sunset. You can find a Ramadan fact sheet that gives an overview of this religious holiday here.
It is important to note that this religious holiday overlaps with the end of our semester. If students anticipate difficulty with finals and coursework while fasting, the school has asked that they speak to their instructor directly.
University Resources for Ramadan - The University’s Muslim chaplaincy, the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), and Islamic Society of Ahl-ul-Bayt offer programming and community throughout Ramadan. Any questions? Email: ramadanUM@umich.edu.
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Wangari Maathai Essay Competition
Have you written, or are you planning to write, an essay on any topic in Afroamerican, Caribbean, and/or African studies that you are proud of? Consider submitting it for the Wangari Maathai Essay Competition! The Wangari Maathai Essay Competition, sponsored by the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS), is named in honor of Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan scholar and activist who, in 2004, became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. In the spirit of Dr. Maathai, the essay contest is intended to encourage excellence in graduate and undergraduate scholarship on the experience of Africa and its Diaspora. A prize of $300 will be awarded for the best original essay on any topic in Afroamerican, Caribbean, and/or African studies. Winners of the essay competition will be recognized at the 2023 DAAS Graduation Ceremony on Friday, April 28, 2023. Click here to learn more about the application requirements.
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Fundraiser: Help support DACA Travelers in a U-M Class!
The Undocumented Student Program at the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives is currently fundraising to support DACA beneficiaries in a course trip! This trip to Canada is one component of a course taught by Professor Ashley Lucas and is being organized in collaboration with undocumented and DACAmented students. International Perspectives on Theatre for Social Change brings together enrolled students and folks from communities beyond our campus to think about the ways that performance can play a part in social justice struggles. This course entails a study abroad component: a visit to the University of Toronto to see various theater performances.
DACA beneficiaries are participating in this course, and this fundraiser will cover all legal fees and other travel costs related to ensure their safe travel to and from Canada. In order to make sure this trip is a success, they would like to request your help in the following ways:
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Registration Open - Woodenfish Humanistic Buddhist Monastic Life Program
A recent alumna from the Global Social Work Practice Pathway has shared this opportunity that she had previously participated in. The Woodenfish Humanistic Buddhist Monastic Life Program has reopened for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program spans one month in the summer, and this year, it will take place in Taipei, Taiwan in a Buddhist monastery. The purpose of this program is to help students learn about history, philosophy, and meditation, with traditional cultural excursions. Applications are considered on a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.
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Professional Opportunities | |
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Positions Available - Ginsberg Center Storytelling for Social Change Program
Application Deadline: March 31
Brief Description: The Ginsberg Center’s Storytelling for Social Change Program (SFSC) is a paid spring semester opportunity, available to both graduate and undergraduate students currently enrolled or graduated within the past six months. SFSC partnerships focus on supporting nonprofits, schools, and governmental organizations in sharing stories that illustrate the heart of their work, while creating opportunities for students to build skills in storytelling and content creation. The Ginsberg Center will be leading a team of students as they work with community organizations to tell their stories by producing audio visual products (images, audio clips, gifs or short videos clips). Over the course of seven weeks, students will work in person and on the ground with teammates and campus experts to learn and produce clear deliverable for their community partners. Click here to learn more and apply.
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Summer Public History Internship at the California Migration Museum
Application Deadline: Rolling until position is filled; suitable for 20-month students
Brief Description: The California Migration Museum (CMM) seeks a creative and driven individual with an interest in history and strong social media and communication skills for a ten-week internship in the San Francisco Bay Area. CMM was founded in 2021 to create immersive, digital storytelling projects exploring how 250 years of exclusion and inclusion have shaped today’s California. This position would be particularly suited to someone interested in migration and storytelling, looking to gain more experience in public history, museum curation, non-profit marketing and development, or the narrative arts. Strong applicants will also have strong social media skills, the ability to produce engaging written content, enthusiasm for a creative, hands-on approach to marketing and brand-building, and a passion for community-engaged projects. The internship is hybrid remote/in-person, and can be part-time or full-time for a ten-week period beginning in June and ending in August. Based on the availability of outside funding from the applicant's university or elsewhere, a stipend to cover living costs could be worked out. Click here to learn more and apply.
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Call for Submissions: 2023 Physicians for Human Rights National Student Conference
Application Deadline: April 1
Brief Description: The 2023 Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) National Student Conference will be hosted at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, MI on April 21 and 22 by the University of Michigan Asylum Collaborative. This conference is open to all graduate students, undergraduate students, and related healthcare professionals. This year’s theme is Equipping Leaders in Human Rights Advocacy. PHR is inviting you to submit abstract/poster submissions of original research for the 2023 PHR conference. Submissions can highlight domestic and/or international projects that relate in any way to human rights issues. Click here to learn more and apply.
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Multiple Positions Available: International Rescue Committee
Application Deadline: N/A
Brief Description: The International Rescue Committee responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises to help to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. They have several job openings available. These include:
For a full list of the available positions, click here to access their job postings page.
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Mark and Myra Sorensen International Travel Scholarship (Click here to learn more)
Application Deadline: April 1, 2023
Brief Description: The Mark and Myra Sorensen International Travel Scholarship is designed to support students who will participate in study, internship, volunteer, or research programs abroad. The scholarship's goal is to fund a diverse array of students, regardless of field of study. The Global Engagement and Education Abroad (GEEA) team at the International Center manages the Sorensen Scholarship. Awards will be made in the amount of at least $750 to cover expenses such as program fees, transportation, room and board, and/or local excursions made in connection with the project. Scholarship awards are contingent upon the availability of funds.
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Email ssw.oga@umich.edu if you have any questions.
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