DIGITAL MEDIA: ITS EFFECTS IN AFRICA WHEN 2 WORLDS COLLIDE

Emily Paige is a Master’s candidate in Art Education at Concordia University in Montréal, Québec. She has completed a B.A. Honours in Literature and Art History, studied at the Université Lumière II (France), as well as lived and worked on three continents. Career highlights include the Banff New Media Institute at the Banff Centre and the Canadian Centre for Architecture. Emily has also completed two international internships – one focusing on digital media tools, Web 2.0, and development in Burkina Faso, West Africa; the other exploring collaborative practice, media education, and youth empowerment in Khayamandi, South Africa. Currently, she is a Producer at a Webby Award winning animation company and Director for Concordia University’s Graduate Students’ Association, Faculty of Fine Arts.

Emily’s research interests lie at the intersections of educational video, digital media, globalization, consumerism, youth empowerment and pedagogical art practice. Emily’s ideas are a result of the connection between her personal observations as a teacher of youth with current research on the rampant changes in the form of telecommunications and global digital media happening within these specific African regions. There are fundamental knowledge gaps in terms of the impact of Western media on already vulnerable youth populations. Emily’s research involves action, reflection and meaningful engagement with these youth and looks to highlight both the positive and negative issues. It educates in terms of sustainability in relation to consumerism, encourages local production of media content, and increases visual literacy and youth empowerment.

The effects of youth without access to basic human needs with access to and awareness of non-essential consumer goods is an idea worth exploring. Presently, our connectedness is increasing at an exponential rate, with our cultures meeting and overlapping on daily basis. It is only through dialogue and exploration that we can share and learn from one another.

EDUCATION IN REFUGEE CAMPS: DID YOU KNOW…

Eric Shalom obtained a B.A. in History and Political science from Concordia University in 2008. During the summers of his undergraduate studies, he traveled and worked throughout Latin America, primarily in Peru. He then began an M.A. at the School of International Development and Global Studies, at the University of Ottawa where he focused on youth education in refugee camps. In order to complete his Masters, he conducted field research in the refugee camp of Dadaab, in the North Eastern province of Kenya. Having completed his M.A. in December 2009, he then began working at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Ottawa as a Public Diplomacy Officer. In September 2011, Eric entered law school at the University of Ottawa.

Using the foundation of education as a basic human right Eric considers the right to education in the context of refugee camps. The right to education has been enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, among others. Education is also an enabling right, therefore a gateway which allows individuals the ability to access more of their rights. This right to education is rendered more difficult ironically more essential for the refugee youth across our global communities. Eric’s research looked at how NGOs conceptualized emergency education for youth (post-primary education) in literature and how it was implemented in Dadaab refugee camp in North-eastern Kenya. Consistent with the literature, NGOs devoted more resources to primary education as opposed to post-primary institutions. In order to make up for this gap in adequate resources for their youth, the refugee community funded the construction of six secondary schools.

Eric’s research highlights the importance of education in a context many forget to consider. In our global communities, the right to education, learning and knowledge has no borders. It is not only the education itself which is important but the opportunity this education provides to each human being to create their future thereby sharing and contributing to us all.

SELF-EDUCATION: CAN READING PLATO TRAIN YOU TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS?

Iain Laidley is currently working on his Master’s degree in Philosophy at Carleton University, in Ottawa, Ontario. Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia with a degree from Simon Fraser University, Plato’s dialogues are at the heart of Iain’s research interests. Iain’s combined interests in Hellenistic ethics and the philosophical aspect of cognitive science becomes apparent in his observations of global human decision making in the modern world.

Iain’s research is currently focused on Plato’s Parmenides. He is in the process of developing a analytical model that is capable of selecting between an array of different interpretive options for the text. The approach Iain favours suggests that Parmenides is intended as a training exercise for thinkers: that in studying the dialogue individuals become better able to assess their own beliefs.

Iain’s research is based out of two observations about our modern world. Firstly, the major problems facing our global communities are ethical in nature, and not strictly economic or ecological ones: they are problems relating to human decision-making. Secondly, psychological research has shown that rule-making may not be as effective as education in encouraging ethical behaviour. Combining his observations with his knowledge of philosophy Iain makes a case for the position that the most important ethical obligation of a person is to educate themselves. If individuals are educated as demonstrated through Parmenides, Iain argues, they become better equipped to prevent and improve current as well as future economic and environmental crises that affect our global communities.

STRATEGIC ADVANTAGES OF NON-VIOLENT REVOLUTIONS

Jay Heisler is a Master’s student at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, Ontario. Jay has worked as a journalist and copy editor in Beirut, Lebanon and Tbilisi, Georgia, in addition to having travelled extensively in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He has a Bachelor of Arts from St. Francis Xavier University and a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of King’s College in Nova Scotia.

As the world’s attention is drawn to the process of non-violent revolution by recent events in the Middle East and North Africa, an increased urgency is given to the need to understand when and how non-violent insurgencies are effective. Using the case studies of Iran and Burma, two examples of non-violent insurgencies being distinctly ineffective, this talk will examine the strategic advantages of non-violence in revolutionary movements and what the limits of those strategic advantages are.

By explaining the strategic advantages of non-violence, Jay promotes the use of non-violence in a global community all too familiar with violent means of action. Also, by examining the way that non-violence is used in different cultures of different ethnic, religious and political backgrounds, an emphasis is made toward the universality of non-violence in both its principled ideals and its utility as a strategy.

ART THERAPY AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN HELPING COPE WITH CHRONIC PHYSICAL ILLNESS AND DISABILITIES

Sarah Tevyaw is currently a student in the Master’s program of Art Therapy at Concordia University in Montréal, Québec. She has a background in both visual arts and psychology and is interested in pursuing a career in art therapy working with adults and adolescents living with chronic physical illness.

Sarah’s current research is examining how the tools, materials and techniques of art therapy can be adapted to meet the needs of those who are living with limited mobility and bodily paralysis often acquired from a long history of chronic physical illness. She is interested in examining how using current technology in art therapy can facilitate a healing and coping process. While working with clients who have acquired physical disabilities from neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS) Sarah has adapted traditional materials such as drawing and painting by using computer graphics arts based programs along with assistive technology to facilitate the therapeutic process with individuals who would not otherwise be able to participate in art therapy. By helping individuals engage in the process of art therapy Sarah aims to help foster increases in self esteem, self worth and motivation.

By adapting art therapy tools and materials Sarah is beginning to make this alternative therapy easy to access and cost effective. The graphics arts programs used are free and are part of the creative commons copyright. The cost effective nature of this alternative therapy for coping with limited mobility is a global opportunity for individuals with limited resources. Sarah’s goal is to increasingly integrate art therapy into hospitals, schools and community centers across the globe where it was otherwise thought impossible.

Guest MC and Presenter

Shaaz Nasir has recently graduated from the University of Ottawa’s International Economics and Development Bachelor of Science program. At the age of 22 he has worked at various federal government bodies within Ottawa and fortunate to have attended school in Oxford England in addition to traveling the world. Last summer Shaaz was ranked amongst the top 45 young professionals in Canada and embarked on a Canadian economic delegation as a Trade Ambassador to China and Malaysia.

Currently Shaaz has emerged as a social entrepreneur founding the website Mind the Gap in which social-economic issues, and professional/personal development are covered by himself and writers from France, England, and Australia under the umbrella of understanding the disparities in our world. Shaaz is also a strong believer in volunteering which he does as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Vice President of Finance for the Economic Student Association and uOttawa’s Tennis League respectively.