Khet Mar is a Burmese writer and political activist who was persecuted, tortured, and imprisoned in her home country. She is currently living at City of Asylum in Ithaca, NY as an exiled writer-in-residence. Her short novel about two oppressed teenagers speaking to each other through their apartment windows was, in her words, “a fictional way to express what happened to me in jail.” Yet, the Burmese censors read the plot as metaphor and banned the novel. Khet Mar will lead the discussion herself, in person. We will conclude with ideas for using the texts in the classroom.

Come here Returned Peace Corps volunteers talk about their work as Education Volunteers. Hear their stories about the challenging, rewarding, and inspirational moments from service.

Join us for the RPCV Story Slam! Hear stories about the challenging, rewarding, and inspirational moments from returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Ask questions about service through a mix and mingle after the event.

For questions about this event, contact Kaitlin Powers at pcorps@pitt.edu.

We live in an information economy, and the future of democracy and equity depend on everyone’s ability to access information. Yet, even as scholars and organizations work to make scholarly work openly available, the increased commercialization of information and technology, along with the enhanced capabilities for data collection and surveillance, threaten the ability for users to access that scholarly work. In addition, persistent racial, class, and gender divides exclude growing numbers of people from the internet and knowledge commons.

Bill McKibben will describe where the fight for a livable climate stands - with President Trump pulling out of the Paris talks even as Elon Musk starts churning out Teslas, the risks and opportunities have never been higher. Bill McKibben is an author and environmentalist who in 2014 was awarded the Right Livelihood Prize, sometimes called the 'alternative Nobel.' His 1989 book The End of Nature is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change, and has appeared in 24 languages; he's gone on to write a dozen more books.

Students for Justice in Palestine present an award-winning documentary showing what life is really like in the Israeli-Occupied West Bank, followed by a Panel Discussion. Come get a glimpse of the everyday lives of Palestinians living in the Israeli occupied West Bank. This is only meant to serve as an educational event and not a political rally. Anyone who wants to learn more about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a friendly, inclusive, and respectful atmosphere. All Political affiliations welcome!

Roundtable, facilitated by Nancy Condee, Chair, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures

Post-screening discussion with Sunnie Rucker-Chang, Assistant Professor of Slavic, Director of European Studies, University of Cincinnati, Ohio

Post-screening discussion with director, Zhanna Issabayeva

Our Everyday Life (Bosnian: Naša svakodnevna priča) is a 2015 Bosnian drama about family Susic who lives everyday Bosnian story. Their life begins to fall apart because of father's dissatisfaction after his company is sold on the stock exchange, Sasa's negligent attitude towards work and family, Marija's breast cancer diagnose.

Post-screening discussion with the director, Ines Tanovic.