A description of public events on the campus of University of Detroit Mercy during Fall of 2019

1. CLASA FALL 2019 PAST EVENTS
University of Detroit Mercy
https://udmercy.edu/clasa

2. CLASAco-hostedtwo
panelsonimmigration
attheNationalJesuit
StudentLeadership
conferencehostedby
ourU,July2019

3. TwoSparkSessions:
“SolidaritywithCentral
America,”
Thursday,July11,2019
4:10pm-5:10pm;
Saturday,July13,2pm,
Immigrationpanel.
▪ Bill O’Brien brought Luz Ramos, who left Guatemala to save
her children from violence.While she waits for her asylum
case to be heard, she can’t work. Our student Vania Noguez
traveled to the border with our University in a group led by
Tom Florek, S.J. She shared her reflections. Read Vania’s
blog on the Ignatian Solidarity website:
https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2019/05/09/border-
encounter-university-detroit-mercy-immigration/

4. Dr.MuriloSeabraisa
Brazilian philosopher
whoearnedhis
doctorate at
LaTrobeUniversity

5. Reflectionson
theelectionsin
Brazil
▪ Dr. Seabra discussed the recent elections in Brazil,
outlining the way in which Cambridge Analytica used
targeted ads (filled with falsehoods) to convince some
voters to not support the Workers Party, leading to the
election of Bolsonaro. He went on to explain that quite a
few academics were being directly targeted by Pres.
Bolsonaro, leading to censorship and even deaths.

6. IncelebrationofGandhi’s
150thbirthday,
Oct.2,2019,wehostedFr.
PeterDougherty,winnerof
the2010JamnalalBajajaward
forfosteringGandhianvalues
outsideofIndia

7. Fr. Dougherty, a Catholic priest in the
diocese of Lansing, spoke on how he has
combined Christian insights with the
philosophy and nonviolent tactics of
Gandhi in his own work with Meta/
Michigan Peace Team, an organization
which he co-founded. MPT has done
peace work internationally as well as
across the US and here in Michigan.

8. Fr.PeterDoughertyshareshis
philosophy,andcoachestwo
studentsinarole-playexercise
meanttoshowhowviolent
scenarioscanbede-escalated
usingtechniquestaughtinMPT
nonviolenceworkshops.

9. Hesharessome
keyideas of
Gandhi’sthatheapplies
toourcurrentcontext.
Toseethevideo:
https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/edf6
3435-16bc-45fd-9e40-79d3ffc6fc60

10. "Beneaththebarbed
wire":BannedVerses&
Translating
Transnationalism,with
EthriamBrammer

11. BioofDr.Brammer
▪ Dr. Ethriam Cash Brammer is a Chicano writer and
scholar of P'urhépecha descent, from El Centro,
California. He currently serves as an Assistant Dean for
the Rackham Graduate School at the University of
Michigan, where he is also the Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion (DEI) Implementation Lead. Assistant Dean
Brammer holds a doctorate in English from Wayne State
University and a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Creative
Writing from San Francisco State University. A
translation scholar, he has translated a number of
historically significant works of early U.S. Latinx
literature. He is also the author of two original bilingual
children’s books: My Tata’s Guitar/La guitara de mi tata
(Arte Público Press, 2003) and Allá en el Rancho
Grande/The Rowdy, Rowdy Ranch (Arte Público Press,
2004). He is dedicated to advancing equity and social
justice throughout society.

12. Heshareddramatic
readings ofhis
published work.
Watchthevideo:
: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/
3183bdb2-6248-4057-80df-f8c9e1dffcae

13. Histalkwasfullofadvicefor
beginningwriters.He
explainedhowheendedup
writingchildren’sbooks,
writingabest-seller.Healso
recitedapoemhecreated
especiallyforthisevent.

14. Thursday,Nov.14,weheard
anexcellenttalk,
“WhyPeopleareLeaving
Guatemala,”byAngelica
Cancinos,Guatemala
ProgramDirector,
InternationalSamaritan

15. A
ng
eli
ca

16. Angelica
Cancinos
▪ Angelica is a winner of the Ivy Humanitarian Prize for
her work in Guatemala, especially with those who
scavenge in the garbage dump. In her talk, she noted
that 500,000 Guatemalans died during their Civil War,
and probably twice as many have died in the
subsequent Drug War. Recently Pres.Trump and the
President of Guatemala agreed that migrants should
stay in Guatemala as part of a “Safe Country”
agreement. But Angelica insists that Guatemala is not
safe, not even for Guatemalans, let alone migrants.
There are 3 million unemployed Guatemalans. Migrants
who come are willing to work for an even lower wage
than Guatemalans. Many migrants are young people
who need jobs. Politicians give money to drug cartels,
young people in Guatemala City end up in gangs. If
Guatemalans had a better educational system, a more
highly educated electorate would elect better
politicians. Instead, the army is strengthened and civil
society is weakened. International Samaritan’s work is
to strengthen educational opportunities for youth.

17. Dr.BernardMatolino,
Assoc.Prof.ofPhilosophy,
UniversityofKwaZulu
Natal,SouthAfrica
presentedtwotalkson
Nov.19,2019co-sponsoredby
Women’sandGenderStudies,andAfrican
AmericanStudiesProgram.

18. OnNov.20,Dr.
Matolino gaveatalk
basedonhisrecent
book(Rowman and
Littlefield, 2019).

19. Dr.Matolinowitheventco-sponsors
DavidBaxterandGailPresbey
(Philosophydept),Genevieve
Meyers(PoliticalScienceDept),and
LaraWasner(LanguagesandCultural
Training).TheCollegeofLiberal
ArtsandEducationwasalsoa
generousco-sponsor.

20. Dr.Matolino was
anAfrican Studies
Association
PresidentialFellow,andafter
DetroithewenttoBoston
wherehereceivedhisaward
attheASAconference.

21. Theexhibitofartfrom
CentroArteparalaPaz
(Suchitoto,ElSalvador)is
stillatSwordsinto
PlowsharesGalleryuntil
Jan.18,2020.

22. Theexhibithasbeen
upsinceOctober,and
hassoldseveralpieces
sofar. Allproceedsgo
totheCenter.

23. Clickontheselinks
towatchvideos.Use
yourDetroitMercy
Microsoftpassword.
▪ Oct. 2, 2019, Fr. Peter Dougherty and the celebration of Gandhi's 150th
birthday: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/edf63435-16bc-45fd-
9e40-79d3ffc6fc60
▪ Nov. 7, 2019, Ethriam Brammer, "Beneath the Barbed Wire: Banned Verses
and Translating
Transnationalism" https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/3183bdb2-
6248-4057-80df-f8c9e1dffcae
▪ Dr. Bernard Matolino, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, 3 talks:
▪ Nov. 19, 2019 - on (the acceptance or rejection of) homosexuality in
Africa https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/544c2d6e-8d6b-44d4-947d-
c4ca3fc6d5d5
▪ Nov. 19, 2019 - on racism in the South African
context https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/03ff87cd-a236-42e6-
a2a9-af75de4e4f94
▪ Nov. 20, 2019: Dr. Matolino's third talk on Afro-communitarian
democracy: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/ea6fee91-ca82-4d7c-
805d-71843e7e41d6