International Perspectives Conference Casts Wide Net
This year’s International Perspectives Conference (IPC) features speakers from Broadway to South Africa, tackling social-isms—from racism and sexism to colonialism, nationalism, heterosexism, and tribalism. Postponed to the spring term, the conference talks proceeded in a virtual format. Conference organizers have successfully hosted two of the three talks so far.
In February, keynote speaker Athol Williams shared the story of his journey from being considered a second-class South African citizen to becoming the first person to receive a master’s degrees from five of the world’s top universities. Throughout his talk, Williams wove in his poetry to illustrate the theme of “Learning to See.” With degrees from the University of Oxford, London Business School, London School of Economics, Harvard, and MIT, Williams built a successful business career and became wealthy. But after looking at his own life in a different way, Williams pivoted his focus to writing poetry and nonprofit work while teaching at the University of Cape Town. He founded Read to Rise and has won multiple awards for his work supporting literacy.
“We have to interact with each other differently, but before we can get there,” Williams said, “we have to see each other differently.”
In March, Rose Mapendo’s virtual talk explored “Our Role in Empowering Women.” Mapendo was born in Mulenge, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to a Banyamulenge Tutsi family. She and her family were imprisoned in 1998 during the ethnic genocide that swept through the region, and her husband was murdered by his captors. Her nonprofit, the Rose Mapendo Foundation, provides survival resources and life-skills training to women in her community who continue to be affected by the ethnic warfare there. The ultimate goal for Mapendo and the foundation is to end suffering for women by securing them a spot at the peace table where true change can be made.
“I am who I am. I can try what I can do. The rest is for God,” Mapendo said. “If you are sitting there and keep watching from afar doing nothing when people are suffering, what does it mean? What I’m talking about in my country and [in places like] Syria . . . is still happening today.”
IPC’s final talk takes place on April 2 at 11 a.m. CDT. Principia alumni Jeffrey Walter (C’07) and his partner David James Olsen (US’01) will talk about “Metamorphosing Malicious ‘-isms’ to Metaphysically Rooted Activism.” Olsen, a 2005 graduate of the University of Arizona’s musical theatre program, works in New York City as an actor, poet, and entrepreneur. Walter is a corporate responsibility project specialist for several global housewares brands.
For more information on the past speakers and upcoming talk, please visit the student-developed IPC website.