Conflict Transformation Programming Abroad
The Middlebury Schools Abroad are proud to support the work of the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Collaborative in Conflict Transformation and share the opportunities available to students. You can read more about the overarching initiative here, or listen to a Vermont Public radio interview by President Laurie L. Patton here.
The Schools Abroad are working to further the goals of Global Literacy within the Middlebury community and beyond. We have multiple projects related to and funded through this initiative with international staff and partners continuing to develop more opportunities.
Middlebury has 58 university partners in 17 countries, where undergraduates from Middlebury and other US colleges and universities study, as well as graduate students in some of our locations. Many of our programs are fully embedded within the curriculum and students study in the host country language. Those who learn in these schools become cultural ambassadors —linguistically trained, extremely sensitive to cultural mores, and highly effective as global citizens. That means they have the potential to be conflict transformers.
Through research and instruction, these projects will provide its participants with an understanding of the root causes and social structures that lead to conflict, and the skills to reshape the dynamics behind it to strengthen civic society. Students at all levels have an obligation to become literate in international systems and skilled at transforming conflict by crossing intellectual, cultural, and geographical borders.
Current Projects:
Argentina
Internships in the fields of international relations and poverty issues. A Fall 2022 orientation excursion to Mendoza focused on water conservation and seed sovereignty. Students will learn about pollution of the Riachuelo River and resulting environmental, economic, social, and humanitarian problems.
Cameroon
Independent study with Dr. Éric Fofack. Working on a research team studying the complexities of gender, peace and security. Funding supports the research project and provides a student stipend.
Japan
Internship to continue the work of the Tenryumura Village project and the 2022 pilot workshop titled History in Translation. Funding provided a stipend for a MIIS International Education Management graduate student to pursue this internship.
Uruguay
In the Fall of 2022, students worked with Redalco, a small NGO focusing on social injustice and unequal distribution of food.