Events in UCIS

Monday, March 18

2:00 pm Lecture
"Memories of a Massacre: A Dialogue with Alessandro Portelli on the 80th Anniversary of the Fosse Ardeatine in Rome"
Location:
Sennot Square Room 4127
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center along with The Department of French and Italian and the Jewish Studies Program
See Details

In occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Fosse Ardeatine massacre in Rome, oral historian Alessandro Portelli will lead a discussion of his book, The Order Has Been Carried Out (2003), a seminal work that challenged long held assumptions about the event.

On March 23, 1944, during the Nazi occupation of Rome, a partisan unit detonated a bomb in Via Rasella that killed thirty-three German police officials. In the span of a day, the Germans retaliated by killing 335 Italian civilians in an abandoned quarry outside of Rome known as the Fosse Ardeatine. Following the massacre, a false narrative emerged that the Germans had carried out the reprisal only after the partisans failed to turn themselves in. Portelli's book examines the struggle over the memory of this event, as well as key assumptions about Rome, the German occupation, and war using oral testimony from two hundred interviews.

We are using this conversation as an occasion not only to remember the events of Fosse Ardeatine but also to discuss the production of knowledge about traumatic events, as well as the meanings and ellipses present in collective memory. By conducting a critical inquiry into the narratives surrounding the massacre with Portelli, we will explore how to identify and challenge our assumptions and biases about histories we think we know well. We will investigate the role of dialogue in oral testimony--the foundational importance of the relationship between and interviewer and their subject--and how Portelli shaped The Order around this dialogue.

Moderated by Rachel Love, Department of French and Italian.

3:00 pm Cultural Event
What is Cultural Humility, Anyway?
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Director's Office, Global Hub and Global Experiences Office along with Department of History
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You might have heard the words “cultural humility,” but what does that really mean and how do you practice it? Join students, faculty, and administrators for an informal conversation as we reflect on our own global experiences, think together about what this means, and foster a global mindset!

This event will be offered twice, at the below dates and times. It is the same event, just 2 opportunities to engage in the conversation.

Monday, March 18 | 3-4 pm
Thursday, March 21 | 4-5 pm

Reminder: As part of the University Center for International Studies' Year of Discourse and Dialogue initiative, Pitt students are invited to vote by March 20 for their favorite new tagline for the Engagement Wall in the Global Hub. Help us identify a new tagline that better aligns with our institution's commitment to equity and diversity, and embrace a global education at Pitt informed by cultural humility! Vote here: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cSg1oEXti0gqync

5:00 pm Student Club Activity
French Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club for conversation hours, on Mondays & Thursday at 5-6 pm during Spring 2024, for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.