BRISTOL, R.I., July 2008 – Many of us have misperceptions about people who live in different regions of the world, but educators can play a major role in fostering understanding and peace between cultures. One unique tactic to accomplish that goal is via collaborative art.
This month, 20 educators from eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa and seven American teachers (five from New England) will come together to participate in the inaugural Collaborative Art Initiative program, developed jointly by the University of the Middle East Project and Roger Williams University and to be held at the University’s Bristol, R.I., campus.
On Wednesday, July 16, the CAI participants will work with more than 75 high school students from southern New England to create a permanent multi-component sculpture on the RWU campus. The creation of the sculpture, aimed at promoting cross-cultural dialogue, is one component of the two-and-a-half week CAI program, which emphasizes the educational and social value of collaborative art to foster peace, understanding and self-expression. After the program is complete, participants will replicate the collaborative art process in their own schools and communities.
“At Roger Williams, we continually strive to bridge the gap between cultures,” said University President Roy J. Nirschel, who also serves on the UME’s board of directors. “Training other educators to use art to accomplish that same mission will help to advance cultural understanding, in both U.S. classrooms and those abroad.”
UME President Hala Taweel, a member of RWU’s board of trustees, agreed: “Our ultimate goal is to help our students think in creative ways, especially teachers in regions who have limited access to resources. We want them to learn how to spread creativity, critical thinking and civic engagement in innovative ways through their educational systems.”
To create the sculpture, CAI participants and students will paint and apply muslin strips to a 12 x 7 x 6-foot structure. Renowned artist Mark Cooper will lead the participants in the art-making process, and youths from the following local organizations will participate: RiverzEdge Arts Project in Woonsocket, R.I., Rhode Island Indian Council and Providence Academy of International Studies.
A dedication ceremony for the sculpture will be held on Thursday, July 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation. Shamil Idriss, acting director of the Office of the Secretariat at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, will be the keynote speaker.
The partnership with UME continues the efforts Roger Williams University has undertaken in recent years to promote discussion on critical Middle East issues. Highlights of those efforts include: facilitating the colloquium, “Intellectual Freedom in the Middle East: Perspectives and Opportunities,” in April 2008; assisting the rescue of an Iraqi scholar in September 2007; and hosting Middle East students through the State Department Plus Program in 2006 and the Middle East Partnership Initiative this summer.
Later in July, CAI participants will continue the program in New York City where they will replicate the collaborative art process with youths from the Manhattan International High School to create a second permanent sculpture. In March 2009, the CAI program will reverse the exchange and send 10 American teachers to Jordan and Morocco to work with Middle Eastern and North African youths on similar projects, which will also be displayed in public spaces.