Human Rights at illinois wesleyan “Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.� Minor Myers, jr. Past President of Illinois Wesleyan
Human R ights at Illinois Wesleyan
Human rights issues and concerns play a prominent role in Illinois Wesleyan’s mission and curriculum. We recognize that an important part of the liberal arts is educating students to become engaged global citizens. We therefore believe that critically examining questions related to human freedom and dignity is important for students and our campus community. We also encourage and make opportunities available for students to connect with local, national and global human rights advocates, groups and organizations.
Engaging in
Human Rights
Discussing, debating, advocating and working for human rights takes place every day on the Illinois Wesleyan campus and wherever our students and graduates gather.
“I tell my students that it is not good enough to look at a problem and think, ‘someone should do something about that.’ I want them to realize they are that someone …” — Deborah Halperin Action Research Center Coordinator
ARC couples students with community partners to work together as agents of positive change. Students contribute their skills to short-term and long-term projects while also learning from community partners.
Students Appeal on Behalf of
Chinese Activist
A group of Illinois Wesleyan students appealed on behalf of Chen Guangcheng (top, center), before his case drew international attention. Photo: Chen Guangcheng with U.S. Ambassador to China Locke and Legal Adviser Koh at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China, on May 1, 2012.
Students Seek to
‘Catch Killers in Kenya’
Students (above) have raised funds to employ a health practitioner in a coastal Kenyan community, also raising awareness of the burden of both infectious and chronic diseases in the region.
Wesleyan Community Demonstrates
Against Hate Crimes Illinois Wesleyan faculty, staff and students gathered on the Eckley Quadrangle on Tuesday, March 27 to express disapproval of recent national events seen as hate crimes.
Counseling Undocumented Teens
Rusin ’13 Creates Guide for
The issues faced by children of undocumented immigrants can be better understood by school administrators, thanks to a resource guide created by Sylvia Rusin ’13.
Students, Faculty Member Join
Ride Against AIDS
In 2011, Vadim Kogan ’11 and Michael Henry ’11 (above, left) participated in the “Ride Against AIDS,” a cross-country bike ride for the organization FACE AIDS. Associate Professor of Music Stephen Press (above, center) and four Illinois Wesleyan students, Sydney White ’14, Manish Mandava ’14, Lauren Awdziejczyk ’12 and Sam Patel ’12, embarked on the more than 4,000-mile journey in 2012.
Working for
Global Health
Student organizations support global health in a variety of ways. Global Medical Brigade had a student medical mission to Honduras, FACE AIDS supports Partners in Health AIDS projects in Rwanda, Titan Emergency Medical Services provides first aid and prevention services on campus and in the community, and The Lamu Center for Preventative Health, supports a health center in Lamu, Kenya.
Wesleyan Students Find Ways to be
‘Best Buddies’ Students in Illinois Wesleyan’s chapter of Best Buddies International find happiness in their friendships with people experiencing intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Student Human Rights Organizations
Build Habitat Homes During Spring Break Students
Illinois Wesleyan’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity traveled to Mobile, Ala., over spring break to aid in construction of houses for underprivileged families.
Students to Embark on
• • • • • • • • •
Alternative Fall Break
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During fall break, students and staff ate and slept at the Western Avenue Community Center while assisting the West Bloomington Revitalization Project.
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Advocates for Choice Amnesty International CHOICE Peer Health FACE AIDS Feminism: Equality Matters Pride Alliance The Law Society IWU Peace Garden Students for Sensible Drug Policy Peace Fellows Scholars at Risk Advocacy Seminar Renegades for Peace Habitat for Humanity
Above: Students experience the inequities in how people eat around the world at the annual Hunger Banquet.
Discussing Human
Rights Issues
Summer Reading Selection Explores
and Social Justice
Ethics, Race
New students joined the campus community in discussing issues raised in Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the 2012 Summer Reading Program selection.
The human rights dialogue takes place in small groups, formally and informally throughout the year. During 2012 there were nearly 50 organized human rights discussions that took place on campus — more than one event a week.
Speaker Discusses Human Cost of
Immigration Policy The human cost of a flawed immigration system was explored by a former undocumented immigrant, who spoke on “Making Human Rights Real: Immigration Policy and Immigrant Rights.”
“I must honestly say to you that I never intend to become adjusted to segregation and discrimination; I never intend to adjust myself to religious bigotry; I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few.…” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Illinois Wesleyan on February 10, 1966
Illinois Wesleyan Holds its 8th Annual
Martin Luther King Day Teach-In The theme in 2012 was Food and Social Justice. Professor William Munro (above, center) made a presentation entitled, “Food Aid, Philanthropy, and the Farm Bill: How Should We Tackle Hunger in the Global Food Economy?” Megan Thompson (above, right), Peace Fellow and panel organizer, led a discussion on the topic, “Food Insecurity: International, National, and Local Perspectives.”
Engaging Diversity Invites interested white students from the incoming class to take part in discussions with MALANA (Multiracial, African-American, Latino-American, Asian-American, and Native American) students, international students and multicultural faculty and staff to better understand and meaningfully engage in diversity while at Illinois Wesleyan. Discussions include the definitions and history of diversity, affirmative action, white privilege and racial identity.
Research and Scholarly
Human Rights Activity
Illinois Wesleyan faculty have written, researched and advocated on a wide range of human rights issues and topics.
Grant Provides Funds for Workshop on
Food Security and Peace Building Professor of Educational Studies Irving Epstein was awarded a grant by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the Institute of International Education (IIE) to sponsor a workshop for undergraduate students who are pursuing independent research involving food security and conflict, post-conflict reconciliation and peace building.
Burke’s New Book Explores Difficult
Dialogue on Race In a new book, Racial Ambivalence in Diverse Communities: Whiteness and the Power of Color-Blind Ideologies, Assistant Professor of Sociology Meghan Burke grapples with the struggle for dialogue about race and racism.
NSF Funds Research on
Social Exclusion Gaining insights into the causes and impacts of social exclusion will be the goal of a threeyear National Science Foundation-funded study conducted by two Illinois Wesleyan psychology professors and their students.
The Healthcare Debate Professor of Political Science Greg Shaw (opposite page, top) explores healthcare in his book The Heathcare Debate, which incorporates the insights of specialists, policy makers and political scientists to view the scope of the healthcare debate throughout U.S. history.
Greg M. Shaw, Ph.D.
Irving Epstein, Ph.D.
William A. Munro, Ph.D.
Political Science
Educational Studies
Political Science
The Welfare Debate The Healthcare Debate
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Children’s Issues Worldwide
Fighting for the Future of Food: Activists versus Agribusiness in the Struggle over Biotechnology
Human Rights in the
Classroom
Five instructors teaching eight courses in the fields of Anthropology, Educational Studies, Hispanic Studies, International Studies and Political Science, during fall 2012, collaborated on a series of activities in support of human rights themes. Courses included: • Anth/Enst 274: Peoples and Cultures of East Africa • Anth 171: Cultural Anthropology • Art 343: Graphic Design IV • Educ 225: Education for Social Justice • Gateway 100: Citizens and Strangers • Inst 222/322: International Human Rights
• Psci 307: Constitutional Law I • Psci 302: Social Movements • Spanish 280: Reading and Writing Culture (with a section devoted to human rights issues in Latin America) • Spanish 490: Senior Seminar (with a section devoted to Moroccan immigration issues in Spain)
The Office of Academic Affairs PO Box 2900 Bloomington, Illinois 61702-2900 309-556-3101 provost@iwu.edu www.iwu.edu 2012-13