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International Week 2013
Conscious Culture: Finding Paths to a Better World
January 28 - February 1, 2013
Welcome to International Week 2013, a week of inspiring keynote speakers, panel discussions, films, theatre performances, art projects, exhibitions and workshops.
With over 50 free presentations, International Week is bound to expand your mind on global issues.
This year's theme—“Conscious Culture: Finding Paths to a Better World”—was chosen in light of our increasingly intertwining world.
It is now more important than ever to recognize we are a global community, directly impacting and engaging with people from around the world every day, and we need to be conscious that our interactions are impacted by our worldviews and values—our cultures.
Culture can bring us together, but it can also divide through misunderstandings, political/religious hostilities and stereotypes.
We hope our program will not only lead to appreciation of other cultures for their unique contributions, but also to understanding of others’ and our own behaviours as rooted in culture.
Join us in finding paths to a better world by becoming more conscious of culture.
What’s on for I-Week 2013
Keynote Presenters
From best-selling author Martin Jacques to "rock-star" activist Raj Patel, our keynote speakers will tackle topics including the political and economic rise of China, developing more sustainable global food systems, and the truth in journalism and reporting amid recent uprisings in the Middle East.
Can't attend Martin Jacques' talk?
Films
Six films are featured during I-Week, from the Oscar-winning Crash to documentaries that explore human trafficking and question if Western education models really work around the world. Moderated discussions follow each film. And if you're pressed for time, we even have a lunch-hour of shorts on Thursday!
Exhibits & Performances
The stories of women as victims of violence—emotionally, mentally and physically—will be told through a community-based theatre piece, and feelings of cultural inclusion and exclusion will be examined through the I-Week Photo Exhibit. There are plenty of sights and sounds to entice your global thinking.
Other Highlights
From a social media app aimed at making Egyptian women safer from harassment, to social movement in Mexico, check out some of the must-see, intriguing programming for I-Week 2013.
View the Event Calendar for full details, download the Program Guide, or pick up a guide on or around campus.
About I-Week
International Week is the largest annual education extracurricular event on campus and fosters global citizenship through engagement with today's most pressing issues.
One of the University of Alberta’s signature events, International Week (or I-Week) features over 60 free events designed to instigate new thoughts, inspire discussions and animate debates on current global issues. I-Week’s award-winning program is developed each year in partnership with all segments of the U of A community—students, staff and faculty—as well as government departments, non-governmental organizations and civil society.
“International Week is a key activity of the University of Alberta integrating learning, discovery and citizenship. I-Week enhances the global perspective and intercultural climate of our campus: inspires students, faculty and staff to engage in activities that develop leadership, and foster social and moral responsibility: and supports community engagement by linking the local and global, the near and the far. All of these are integral to our vision and mission. I am proud of International Week’s contribution to global education and global citizenship through its 25 year history.” - University of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera, 2010
In 2009, International Week won the Canadian Bureau of International Education's Outstanding Program Award for high quality and highly creative programming in international education.
Interested in previous International Week programming?