Programs International Night at the Library Presentations - 2008
| Presentations - 2008 |
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December – Water Resources Challenges in BrazilJoin Ana Carolina Coelho as she navigates around the waters of Brazil. She will discuss the magnitude of the water resources in her home country of Brazil and show how she along with her colleagues at the Brazilian National Water Agency work to improve the distribution of these resources from their source to the areas of demands. For example, the Amazon River Basin – the world’s largest river in volume of water - covers 48% of the country’s territory and has 75% of the Brazilian’s water resources, but only 4% of the population resides in the area. Currently, the most important water resources challenges in Brazil are related to the water pollution in large urban centers and the existence of unreliable access to safe drinking water in some areas of the country. Established sectors, such as hydroelectricity generation, are also dealing with a lot of pressure from multiple users, in order to establish a more equitable water allocation. In order to address those issues, some modern principles are being applied, such as: consideration of river basin limits as planning and management units, recognition of the economic value of water resources, and, public participation through River Basin Committees. The protection and conservation of such a strategic resource is a global concern and Brazil has the mission of taking care of its valuable water resources in order to fulfill the necessities of current and future generations. November – JAPANightJoin Kazuyo Yamaguchi for a presentation about Japan. She will present an overview of Japanese history, geography, culture, language, foods, and people. She plans an interactive presentation so that you will enjoy learning about Japan. Kazuyo Yamaguchi moved to Fort Collins in 2005 from Hiroshima, Japan with her husband, Tak Yamaguchi a PhD candidate in the Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University. Before moving here, she was a project coordinator at a translations company in Japan after graduating from Ehime University, Japan with a degree in Geography. She is actively involved in Fort Collins through her volunteer activities at Ten Thousand Villages, Fort Collins International Center, and CSU. She loves to meet people and exploring the beautiful Colorado’s wilderness. On weekends, she enjoys hiking, rock-climbing, photography, and playing softball. The program occurs on Tuesday November 11, 2008 from 7-9 PM in the Ben Delatour Room at the Main Library. October – Germany - Past And PresentJoin Klaus Lorenz for a presentation about post World War 2 Germany. Several German historical events after Word War II have received world-wide attention. We will briefly discuss the Berlin Airlift of 1948, the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 and its demolition in 1989 to create a unified Germany. With slides we will then take a tour through Berlin, Germany’s capital, take a boat ride on the Rhine river admiring the many castles, picturesque cities along the shore and the vineyards stretching up the hills of the valley; then travel the "Romantic Street "--the highway connecting quaint, medieval walled cities and end up in the Bavarian Alps with a visit to the famous Neuschwanstein castle. Klaus is well known to those of you who regularly attend INL. He has traveled to over 70 countries and shared many of these adventures with us at the Library Program. He is retired from CSU and enjoys traveling the world. Join us Tuesday October 14, 2008 at the Main Library or Thursday October 23, 2008 at the Harmony Library for this presentation on Tanzania!! September – The Epic of Gilgamesh - Breaking News from Iraq, 2800 BCJoin Shant Tashjean in a journey of myth, religion, and wisdom that takes us back almost 5000 years ago to the land of Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq). In this journey, Gilgamesh, the great king of Uruk, experienced and discovered the meaning of love and hatred, joy and grief, friendship and enmity, strength and weakness, and life and death. He went in a long quest searching for immortality, and by the end he gained the wisdom that would help him search no more. This epic is considered the first epic written in the history of humanity, and is well known to deliver great joy to all who read it, regardless of their cultural background or level of education, since it tells a story full of deep emotional moments that any human being may go through. It may also prove very interesting these days, since it reveals another face of the land known now as "Iraq". Shant Tashjean is a Fulbright student from Iraq, currently doing his Master's in Computer Science at CSU. The program is scheduled for Tuesday September 9, 2008 at the Main Library and Thursday September 25, 2008 at the Harmony Library. August – Cambodia - A Journey of Adoption to School BuildingJoin Kari Grady Grossman for an evening of dialogue and short video documentary about her efforts in Cambodia to adopt a child and in the process build a school. The school project began with a desire to give back to the Kingdom of Cambodia, the country of their son's birth. They wanted to leave a legacy of hope for the children left behind in that poverty-stricken land. In the Fall of 2000, they started selling Fine Art Nature images on their website and the response from friends, family and total strangers was phenomenal. They antied up, bought photos, sent checks and formed a loose association known as the Friends of the Grady Grossman School. This one school project has turned into SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS INTERNATIONAL with a mission to empower Cambodian communities to sustain schools through economic development. With the funds they helped build the school that now serves children from five villages in the Southern Cardamom Mountains near Mt. Aural. Each year more parents choose to send their kids to school, rather than to work, because the Grady Grossman School is perceived as a "good school" with a computer, English lessons, a library, a large garden, and teachers that show up everyday! Today, nearly 500 children attend the Grady Grossman School in the village of Chrauk Tiek, Cambodia. They have been fighting poverty and oppression through education and sustainable community development through a school they built in 2001. 25% of the proceeds from the sales of Bones That Float benefit Friends of the Grady Grossman School, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. In addition she is the author of the award winning "Bones That Float – A Story of Adopting Cambodia" 2008 Independent Publishers Outstanding Book Awards Name International Activist Kari Grady Grossman's Debut Memoir Bones That Float, A Story of Adopting Cambodia GOLD Peacemaker of the Year 2008 Nautilus Book Awards Recognize the Title as World-Changing GOLD Memoir SILVER Multicultural. The programs are Tuesday August 12th at the Main Library and Thursday August 28th at the Harmony and are scheduled from 7-9 PM.
July – Indigenous Rights vs. Corporate Globalization in the Peruvian AmazonJoin Kristina Pearson of Village Earth, Nixon Yuimachi of Peru, and members from the FACT (Fair Advocates for Cultural Truth) student group at Colorado State University (CSU) as they present highlights of their recent study tour to the Peruvian Amazon. Recent international news highlighting the uncontacted tribes in the Amazon and the effects of illegal logging, mining operations, and oil exploitation in Peru has led to an international call for greater rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination and to their lands and natural resources. The presenters will highlight indigenous peoples' struggles to determine their own futures and protect their environments. Kristina Pearson is a recent MA graduate in International Development from CSU and Peru program coordinator for Village Earth. Nixon Yuimachi is an indigenous Shipibo from the Peruvian Amazon. FACT is a CSU student group dedicated to local and international social justice issues. June – Route Of The Maya - Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize And El SalvadorJoin Klaus Lorenz for a presentation on his trip through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize and El Salvador. More than 3000 years ago, a civilization emerged from the forests of Central America, flourished until about 900 AD, and then vanished. In that time, they created a complex writing system, devised a calendar equivalent to our own, introduced the concept of zero in mathematics, predicted lunar and solar eclipses, and built the tallest structures in the Western Hemisphere at that time. Their remains are scattered across Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize and El Salvador. From ruins to rituals to rural villages, and we will trace with slides the footsteps of this culture. Along the way, we will meet modern-day descendants preserving the Mayan legacy. Klaus is well known to those of you who regularly attend INL. He has traveled to over 70 countries and shared many of these adventures with us at the Library Program. He is retired from CSU and enjoys traveling the world. Join us Tuesday June 10, 2008 at the Main Library or Thursday June 26, 2008 at the Harmony Library for this presentation on Tanzania!! May – Cuban revolution, reform and rock climbing - A journey through 50 years of social changeJoin Cameron Cross for a presentation on Cuba, which has undergone profound structural and ideological change since the beginning of the Cuban revolution in 1953. Yet, very few Americans have had the opportunity to experience Cuba first-hand. Please join Cameron for an intimate journey of photographs and stories that explore Cuba’s history, culture, and society from the beginning of the revolution to modern times. Cameron Cross first experienced Cuba in 1999 on one of the first expeditions to develop the island’s extensive rock climbing potential. Since then, he has returned to Cuba various times to climb and explore the country’s fascinating culture. Cameron has a degree in Spanish and International Studies from Colorado State University and continues to study Latin American history and politics in his spare time. The program is scheduled for Tuesday May 13, 2008 at the Main Library and Thursday May 22, 2008 at the Harmony Library. April – Malawi - The Warm Heart of AfricaJoin Dan and Kathy Wendland for a presentation about their trip to visit their daughter in Malawi. They will present an overview of Malawi based on a visit to their M.D. / Ph.D. daughter who has done medical work and medical anthropology research in Malawi, and who showed them not only the large public hospital in Blantyre but also her favorite places in other parts of the country. They will bring some of the local handicrafts to display as well as sharing a slide show. Dan and Kathy moved to Fort Collins in 1999. Dan is a retired engineer and Kathy runs the household. They both have been active with the Fort Collins International Center – Friends Program. The program is scheduled for Tuesday April 8, 2008 at the Main Library and Thursday April 24, 2008 at the Harmony Library. March – Trekking to Annapurna Base CampJoin Dave and Lori Taylor for a presentation about their recent Trek to Nepal. The presentation will document their 13 day trek into the region known as the Annapurna Sanctuary. You will get a glimpse into the wide range of terrains and a look at the ancient lifestyle that is still very much alive in this part of the Himalayas. Dave and Lori are avid outdoors people. They enjoy hiking, canoeing, a little whitewater, and for the last few years a lot of backpacking. They have traveled throughout the American west, Costa Rica, and now Nepal. The program is scheduled for Tuesday March 11, 2008 at the Main Library and Thursday March 27, 2008 at the Harmony Library.
February – Visit China for a night without leaving Fort CollinsJoin Jessica Gu and Jian Zhang for a presentation about their home country of China. The presentation will include three parts: a general introduction about China, how Chinese people celebrate their holidays, and a brief discussion of the economic relationship between China and America. Jessica is Gu is a graduate school student of Journalism Department of Colorado State University. In China, Gu worked a public relations practitioner for six years after she graduated from East China University of Science and Technology in 1998. In 2001, Gu opened her own public relations company in Shanghai, China. In 2005, Gu came to the United States with her husband, Jian Zhang. She started the studying at CSU in 2006. She enjoys reading and writing. They have a 3-year-old daughter. Gu is active in the area of international culture exchange. She has worked as Aggie Manager of Apartment Life of CSU for one year and a half. She is also the committee member of Fort Collins International Center. Jian Zhang is postdoctoral researcher of Microbiology. He enjoys sports: soccer, Ping pong, outdoor programs. He graduated from Chinese Academy of Science in 2004, Jian Zhang works in the Tuberculosis laboratory of Colorado State University. The program is scheduld for Tuesday February 12, 2008 at the Main Library and Thursday February 28, 2008 at the Harmony Library. |
| Last Updated on Friday, 16 October 2009 16:36 |
