Cultural Ambassordiship: Building Bridges of Understanding

Kathleen Gamer

More than ever, the nations and people of the world need ways of encounter, understand, and respect others' cultures, worldviews, and aspirations. Working to bridge the gap of information and appreciation among people through programs of education is an important function of cultural ambassadorship. For several years, my graduate project in the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies Program has involved organizing a series of educational symposia and exchanges on the SOU campus that have brought noted scholars, experts, and activists together in panel presentations and discussions addressing issues such as human rights and education, international indigenous rights, dimensions of diversity, and more adequate understanding of Iran and the Middle East. Sponsored by a variety of SOU student clubs and academic departments and by larger community partners such as Amnesty International and local churches, these sessions attracted audiences and participants from both SOU and the wider local community. Some were invited to present at other universities. The highly colorful posters produced to advertise all of these symposia are presented together in one place with commentary, graphically illustrating one way that global cultural ambassadorship and citizen diplomacy have been thriving at SOU.