Pitt to Celebrate International Week 2005, Sept. 25-Oct. 1

PITTSBURGH-Each year, the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) and the Office of International Services (OIS) at Pitt celebrate the diversity of the University, Oakland, and the greater Pittsburgh community while encouraging students to explore the numerous international educational opportunities available at the University by hosting International Week. The 2005 celebration begins Sunday, Sept. 25, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 1. From food and dance to panel discussions, from art and music to globally broadcast lectures, the festivities illustrate the thematic goal of "Connecting Cultures, Sharing Communities."

Also part of this year's International Week festivities are the third-annual African Festival and the 26th-Annual Latin American & Caribbean Festival, which will take place Sept. 28 and Oct. 1 respectively.

Other International Week highlights include:

Sept. 25 Chalk Mural Competition

Registered student groups will be chalking from 2 to 5 p.m. between Posvar Hall and Hillman Library.

Sept. 26 Lunch-and-Learn program, "Democracy in Israel: Experience this Reality"

Noon-1:30 p.m., William Pitt Union (WPU) Kurtzman Room, 3959 Fifth Ave., Oakland

A panel of Israeli students as well as Leah Garber, head schlichim from the United Jewish Federation, will discuss various perspectives on the disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Small group discussions to follow. Pizza lunch provided.

History of Islamic Civilizations

4:30 p.m., WPU Lower Lounge

Panelists will talk about the spread of Islamic civilizations and associated influences throughout Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Europe, and North America.

Sept. 27 Global Dialogue Series Lecture: "Outsourcing Torture"

Noon, Barco Law Building, Alcoa Room, 3900 Forbes Ave., Oakland

Pitt Professor of Law Jules Lobel, an active member of the Center for Constitutional Rights who has litigated important issues regarding the application of international law in the U.S. courts, will discuss America's "extraordinary rendition" program.

Swiss Cooking Demonstration

Noon, Cathedral of Learning (CL), 12th floor, 4200 Fifth Ave., Oakland

Space is limited; preregistration is required. To register, visit ois.pitt.edu and click on Demo Cooking Sign-Up; confirmation of registration will be e-mailed within 48 hours.

Enjoy traditional Swiss meat fondue with Maria Sciulli, admissions and programming secretary in OIS.

Israeli Cooking Demonstration

5:30 p.m., location TBA

Homemade falafel and pittot will be served; Israeli dancing will follow.

Oakland Restaurant Tour

6-9 p.m., Oakland-area restaurants

Explore the world cuisines of Oakland. Purchase a $10 ticket at the WPU Box Office; the Oakland Development Office, 235 Atwood St.; or the following restaurants: Nellie's Sandwiches, Qdoba, Bombay Grill, Thai Place Café, India Garden, and Spice Café; LuLu's Noodles also is a participating restaurant, but not a ticket distribution location.

Film Screening, "Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light District Kids"

7 p.m., WPU Assembly Room

The winner of the 77th-annual Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, "Born Into Brothels" is a tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art. Children living in the red light district of Calcutta, India, where their mothers work as prostitutes, were equipped with cameras and encouraged to look at the world with new eyes.

Sept. 28 Film Screening, "If I Wasn't Muslim"

Noon, 4130 Posvar Hall, 230 S. Bouquet St., Oakland

Damir Niksic, an independent film director from Bosnia-Herzegovina, screens his short film on Bosnian Muslims. Screening followed by a discussion with Niksic.

Irish and Celtic Storytelling

3 p.m., 156 CL

Experience the rich culture, tradition, and magic of Irish and Celtic storytelling with Alan Irvine, a visiting lecturer in Pitt's Department of Sociology.

Third-Annual African Festival

4-9 p.m., WPU Assembly Room

Nawal, a native of the Comoros islands in Africa, will speak about the traditional roles of women related to music and life, as well as her experiences as an immigrant in France. At 7 p.m., Nawal will perform "The Voice of the Cosmos," which combines Indo-Arabian-Persian music with Bantu polyphones and the syncopated rhythms and Sufi trance of the Indian Ocean.

Ramadan: A Time for Spiritual Reflection

4:30 p.m., WPU Lower Lounge

Local Muslim Donna Thomas tells about the annual month-long observance of Ramadan that begins Oct. 4 and is key to the spiritual rejuvenation of Muslim individuals and the Islamic community worldwide.

Salsa Dance Lessons

9:15 p.m., Posvar Hall, First-Floor Galleria

Instructor Marlon Silva teaches the basics of Salsa dancing and prepares participants for the Oct. 1 Latin American & Caribbean Festival.

Sept. 29 Moroccan Tea Demonstration

Noon, University Book Center, 4000 Fifth Ave., Oakland

Sample authentic Moroccan tea and delicacies and hear short talks about Moroccan culture.

Global Dialogue Series Lecture: "The Public Health Consequences of Disasters"

4 p.m., G-23 Parran Hall, Graduate School of Public Health, 130 DeSoto St., Oakland

Eric K. Noji, chief of the Epidemiology Surveillance and Emergency Response Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will speak on the public health consequences of disasters. Noji's lecture will be Webcast live and distributed free on the networks of other organizations-including the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the Canadian military, and about 150 universities-to more than 150 countries. Noji's lecture is being called the largest academic lecture in the history of the world.

Sept. 30 Performance, Tangueros de Ley

Noon, WPU Patio (WPU Assembly Room in the event of rain)

Tangueros de Ley performs one of the greatest tangos of all time to the music of a live orchestra.

Global Dialogue Series Lecture: "International Terrorism"

4:30 p.m., 1500 Posvar Hall

Aref Al-Khattar, associate professor of criminal justice at California University of Pennsylvania, will discuss who qualifies as a terrorist, the methods terrorists employ, their motives, who they choose to victimize, and other aspects of international terror, past and present.

International Dance Party

10 p.m., WPU Assembly Room

Dance to Reggae Soca, Calypso, R&B, and Hip-Hop tunes.

Oct. 1 26th-Annual Latin American & Caribbean Festival

2 p.m.-midnight, WPU

Enjoy the art, crafts, food, music, and performances of Latin America and the Caribbean. The featured artist is Victor Beltran, a Peruvian architect and watercolor artist.

For more information and a complete calendar of events, visit www.ucis.pitt.edu/internationalweek.

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