Hello Friends,

As some of our class bloggers have mentioned, our class has been dealing with the difficult news of not being able to continue with the conference on sustainable agriculture due to financial concerns.  While this news has been challenging, our class has been focused on moving forward and finding another way to partner with the University of Namibia. Specifically, today in class we discussed the idea of a virtual conference that one of our contacts in Namibia suggested.  This would allow for research to still be presented, which is definitely a priority for our class in terms of elevating Namibian scholarship and ideas.  Our main concerns are also finding the most sustainable and empowering way to use the money that we have collected to highlight the issues surrounding sustainable agriculture in Namibia and the world.

In an attempt to accomplish these goals, our class has decided to resume conversations with the University of Namibia, who states that they have already received 25 proposals for papers. Using some of the money originally earmarked for the conference, we plan to offer rewards to the best submissions, with the stipulation that the papers be submitted to academic journals.

This week was a very productive week. On Monday, we started out with two class presentations. The first presentation was about Education in Namibia. The group presenting covered topics such as the general structure of the education system, attendance and graduation rates or different demographics, and discussed major leaders and legislation in the education area. The presentation did a good job in identifying some weaknesses in Namibia’s education system and some possible improvements as well. The second presentation was about Namibia’s infrastructure and economy. Topics discussed included electricity and water, transportation, hospitals, emergency services, major industries, media, and standards of living. One of the major points of the presentation covered the large income inequality in Namibia. Both groups did a good job providing meaningful information!

On Wednesday, our class had two guest speakers, Aisha Mitchell and Samantha White, alumni from the Periclean Classes of 2012 and 2006, respectively. Aisha currently works in Elon University’s Student Professional Development Center, and discussed her class’s process and her experiences after leaving Elon. Samantha White is currently working for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle and discussed her experiences in Malawi with the Global Health Corps and other experiences since Elon. She also shared her experience building Elon’s Periclean Program. The presentations were inspiring to our class, but also somewhat intimidating. We’ve got big shoes to fill! We also heard our first proposal for a potential partnership with HATponics, a sustainable agriculture company based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Following class on Wednesday, we participated in the Celebrating Periclean event, in which each class discussed their progress and gave a general update to the pan-Periclean community. Samantha White was the guest speaker and delivered a great inspirational speech about her experiences in the Periclean Scholars. Our class has also been participating in Restavec Awareness Week, hosted by the Class of 2015. Events have included a screening of Not My Life, a documentary covering the types of human trafficking, “A Day in the Life of a Restavec” interactive exhibit in the Numen Lumen Pavilion’s Sacred Space, and a benefit concert for the Restavec Freedom Foundation featuring several student music groups.

 

 

Gavin Hayes and David May