KNOWLEDGE FOR GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

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1 Join the Conversation!

2 KNOWLEDGE FOR GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP BACKGROUND The Global Conversation course is meant to help students develop a better understanding of the environmental problems associated with economic globalisation and thus to prepare them for active participation as citizens engaged in a global conversation in a civil society that is also global in its scope. Increasing numbers of experts agree that the problems we face as a species are massive and only by understanding them within a global context, will we be able to find the solutions necessary for viable human habitation of the planet to continue. The course attempts to make a step toward these goals through traditional pedagogical techniques modified for online delivery, including video lectures from leading experts from around the world provided by University of California TV and others. In addition, the classroom is global, as well, because it connects students throughout the world in online discussions of course issues and in collaborative projects developed through organized exchanges on the internet. HOW THE GLOBAL CONVERSATION IS ORGANIZED The Global Conversation was developed by BCA Study Abroad and Dr. James Skelly, and is an optional offering for all students studying abroad through BCA. It is formally a part of the curriculum in International Politics at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. In addition to normal classroom work at Magee, students can access all of the course materials online and are therefore able to take the course at various other institutions including: the Institute for Social & European Studies in Hungary; the Burren College of Art in Ireland; LCC International University in Lithuania; the Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico; and, the Foundation for International Education in the UK. U.S. institutions that offer the course include: Elizabethtown College; Juniata College; McPherson College; New Mexico State University; Regis University; the University of San Francisco; and, either through University of California, San Diego Extension, or as an independent study under the supervision of the course s Adjunct Faculty and the Course Coordinator at several other institutions in the United States and abroad. TOPICS IN THE GLOBAL CONVERSATION At a very basic level of analysis, The Global Conversation is about how

3 we live on the planet both individually and collectively, and it poses the two fundamental questions Is our way of living on the earth sustainable?, and, How ought we to live? The unsustainable manner in which humans are living on our planet therefore requires that we try to connect the dots. We explore the increase in toxic substances in the human body while also analyzing the manner in which many products are produced. We also look at the fundamental assumptions informing our global economic system, built around consumerism and growth even though the planet has finite limits. With this as a foundation, we address other problems, most notably climate change, energy issues, concerns with water, food, and population - linked phenomena which can only be addressed effectively by understanding the broader context within which they have developed. We conclude the course, with a look at reasons for hope and explore various concrete initiatives, as well as the importance of developing a culture in which empathy for all life is central. LEARNING CIRCLES One of the key aspects of the course is the online Learning Circles, each established with a small number of students studying in various parts of the world working on a common problem by assessing both its local and global aspects. The Learning Circles work towards completion of a collective project that looks at how specific environmental problems might be addressed given their political, economic, and social impacts. INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS Institute for Social & European Studies in Hungary Burren College of Art in Ireland LCC International University in Lithuania Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico Foundation for International Education in the UK Elizabethtown College Juniata College McPherson College New Mexico State University Regis University University of San Francisco University of California, San Diego Extension FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Contact: Dr. James Skelly at [email protected]

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5 THE GLOBAL CONVERSATION TEACHING STAFF Course Coordinator: James Skelly is Coordinator for Peace & Justice Programming at BCA, a Senior Fellow at the Baker Institute for Peace & Conflict Studies at Juniata College in Pennsylvania, and Visiting Professor of Peace Studies at Magee College in Derry, from where he coordinates The Global Conversation. He has also served as Academic Coordinator of the European University Center for Peace Studies in Austria, and as the Associate Director of both New York University s Center for War, Peace and the News Media, and the University of California s Institute on Global Conflict & Cooperation. Prior to receiving his MA and PhD from the University of California, San Diego, in the late 1970 s and early 1980 s, Dr. Skelly served as a Special Assistant to then U.S. Senator from California, John Tunney. Teaching Assistants: The Teaching Assistants in The Global Conversation work on a voluntary basis in different parts of the world because of their commitment to informing others about the threats the human species faces, as well as their desire to help create a more sustainable and viable way of living throughout the world. In general, Teaching Assistants have had experience as students in The Global Conversation in previous semesters. They help to stimulate discussions in the course Discussion Forums, coordinate Learning Circles, research the latest developments related to course topics, and engage in other course development activities. In the 2010/2011 academic year, they included: Alex Ascherson (London), Renjie Butalid (Köszeg), Juliet Garlow (Huntingdon), Jenna Goodhand (Köszeg), Rhey Haggerty (Asheville), Chris Kjonaas (San Diego), Samantha Martin (New Paltz), Angelia Shugarts (Denver), Karsyn Sprague (Flagstaff), Emma Taylor (Derry) Adjunct Faculty: Adjunct Faculty members are those professors who have agreed to provide academic supervision at their respective academic institutions of students who participate in The Global Conversation. They include: David Drews (Juniata College), Everett Egginton (New Mexico State Univ.), Rachel Finley-Bowman (Elizabethtown College), Jonathan Frye (McPherson College), Don Kelly (University of San Diego), Judith Liu (University of San Diego), Bud Mehan (UC San Diego), J.D. Mininger (LCC Int l University), Byron Plumley (Regis University), Annick Wibben (Univ. of San Francisco)

6 : U.S. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WITH STUDENTS IN THE GLOBAL CONVERSATION Appalachian State University Austin College Baker University Bethel College Bridgewater College California State University, East Bay Carnegie Mellon University Capital University Chapman University Eastern Mennonite University Eastern University Elizabethtown College Franklin College Hastings College Haverford College Houghton College Juniata College Kings College Lycoming College Manchester College Mansfield University McPherson College Messiah College Montserrat College of Art Northern Arizona State University Peace College Regis University Roanoke College Saint Lawrence University School of the Art Institute of Chicago Simpson College Soka University of America Stonehill College Swarthmore College Texas Christian University University of California, Berkeley University of Minnesota University of North Carolina University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Scranton University of Texas, Austin University of Vermont Ursinus College Virginia Commonwealth University Wentworth Institute of Technology Western Carolina University Western Washington University Westmont College Winthrop University Whitworth College 50 Alpha Drive Elizabethtown, PA Toll Free: