Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs

What is it like to be working at the grass-roots level in Tibet today? What are the challenges as well as the bright sides? What positive social changes have been taking place in Tibet? What still needs to be done? Come join us for a talk by Dr. Losang Rabgey, founder of Machik, a leading grassroots organization devoted to incubating social innovation in Tibet. Following the talk, there will be a screening of “Tharlo”, the latest feature by the renowned Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden.

This talk will examine the ways that a growing awareness of food and foodways creates a national image for those inside and outside of the country. International attention has the paradoxical effect of enhancing a sense of shared identity as Brazilian while simultaneously strengthening people’s awareness of themselves as particular kinds of Brazilians.

The Mystery of the Israeli Detective Why are there hardly any detective stories in Hebrew? Is it true that there is no mystery in Israel? What can the marginal genre of crime writing teach us about Hebrew culture? What does crime fiction have to do with ethnicity and identity in Israel? Award winning author Dror Mishaani will discuss his best-selling detective series and his diverse scholarly work, ranging from Mizrahi culture and Hebrew literature to the history of crime fiction. The lecture will be followed by book signing and sale.

Zhang Mengqi graduated from the Dance Academy of China Minorities University in 2008. “Self-Portrait: Dreaming at 47 KM” (2013, 77 min, Chinese with English subtitles) was her second film for the Memory Project. 47 KM is the name of the village where Zhang’s grandfather lives. Zhang has said, “In the summer and winter of 2010 …

Wu Wenguang (b. 1956) is a leading figure in the Chinese New Documentary Film Movement. He has made ten films, including the seminal “Bumming in Beijing” (1991). In 2005 Wu co-founded the Caochangdi Workstation Art Center in Beijing, where he curated the Village Documentary Project (2005) and the on-going Memory Project (2010), which organizes amateur filmmakers to record memories of China’s Great Famine (1958-1961) and family and local histories. From 7:00 to 8:00 PM Wu will talk in English about the Memory Project and take questions.

International and Global Studies Colloquium Cannibalizing the Cannibals: The Consumption and Circulation of Brazilian ‘Culture’ in France in the 1960s Darién Davis, professor of history, Middlebury College. Lunch is free for current Middlebury College students/faculty/staff; suggested $5 donation for others; RSVP by 4/5 to rcga@middlebury.edu.

Speaker: Cliff Gaddy, Brookings Institution

Lecture “Britain Lost Its Empire Years Ago and Is Still Looking for a Role” by Toby Fenwick ’95. With apologies to Dean Acheson, 54 years after he uttered his memorable line, British international policy is more adrift than ever. Having appeared to make its peace as a leading - if obstinate and challenging - European player in 1973, 2016’s Brexit vote forces Britain and NATO Europe - as well as the EU - to look again at Britain’s role in Euro-Atlantic security and economic policy.

Simon Prahm is the co-founder and current managing director for GAME. Founded in 2003, GAME is a Danish-based Top 500 NGO headquartered in Copenhagen with 12 dedicated full time employees, 70 coaches and more than 100 volunteers. Using the ’sport-for-all’ approach its objective is to reach out to underprivileged youth, who have limited or no access to sport in order to strengthen the participants self-esteem, create social empowerment, and counteract marginalization. GAME has been running activities in Denmark since 2002 and started projects in the Middle East in 2007. Mr.

Lecture by Ambassador Robert Ford, who is currently a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute. In 2014 he retired from the U.S. Foreign Service after serving as U.S. Ambassador to Syria (2011-2014). For his leadership of the American Embassy in Damascus he received a Presidential Honor award in 2012, and for his work on Syria he received in 2014 the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award, the State Department’s highest award. Previously, he served as Deputy U.S. Ambassador to Iraq (2008-2010), U.S. Ambassador to Algeria (2006-2008), Political Counselor to the U.S.