KURDISTAN: THE OTHER IRAQ?

NEWSLETTER FROM THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AND TRANSNATIONAL AFFAIRS UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2011/12 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

OITA NEWS

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:

HONDURAS

KURDISTAN

QUEBEC

PERU

BOSTON

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

IMPORTANT UPATES FROM STUDY ABROAD & THE OFFICE OF PROGRAMS FOR INTER-

NATIONAL STUDENTS & SCHOLARS

2– 3

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS INTERVIEW

4- 5 6

LA DIPLOMATIE PUBLIQUE

7

YOUR GATEWAY TO THE WORLD RECEPTION

10

COPING WITH CULTURE SHOCK

11

BE THE CHANGE: SERVICE LEARNING IN PERU

12

YOUR PHOTOS: 2011 OITA PHOTO WINNERS

13

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK

8-9

UPCOMING EVENTS & IMPORTANT DATES

9

On a summer night in Northern Iraq, a bus honks on a quiet residential street. The nighttime silence is shattered. 8-year-old Karwan Salih wakes and hurries to gather his belongings. His parents and siblings do the same. This night marks the end of their life in Kurdistan and the beginning of their journey to a new life in the United States. Emo-tions are mixed: Karwan is sad about leaving his home, his friends, and the family members who cannot make the journey with them, but he is excited about moving to the United States. He imagines that it is like what he has seen in the movies and on American T.V.: A land of opportu-nity, opulence, and Robocop. Interview continued on page 6...

Transposed atop multiple countries, the nation of Kurdistan is a geographic anomaly. Today Kurds compose the world's largest ethnic group without a state of its own. Located in a region embroiled in conflict, the Kurdish people struggle to find a place for themselves in the modern world. There is a unique culture - a vibrant people - in Kurdistan, and after being veiled by darkness, this ancient region is beginning to emerge anew.

Kurdistan 2007

NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF PROGRAMS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS

PAGE 2 OITA NEWS

Dear Readers,

Happy 2012! This issue follows the new year by remembering the wonderful ac-complishments of our international stu-dents, scholars, and faculty in 2011 and by presenting the exciting opportunities available through OITA in 2012.

For new international and study abroad/exchange students, this is the perfect time to plan your experience at UMass Boston. Read about the personal journey of Karwan Salih from Kurdistan, the work of Dr. Lisa Kennedy Sheldon in Honduras, or the research of the UMB Gerontology Department to get inspired.

Designed & exclusively offered through the Office of Programs, we are featuring a brand new excursion in February (see advertisement below) to some of Bos-ton’s top museums on a tour given by UMass Boston alumni. We also share pictures from the exciting (and informa-tive!) Ethnic Enclaves of Boston City Tour provided last semester.

Not used to the cold weather? Take a look through the personal tips that UMass Boston staff, faculty, and students shared about their favorite things to do in Boston in the winter time! Remember that the OITA International Conversa-

tion Hour will be January 30 from 11-12 in CC2215. Join us to hang out—and enjoy free coffee, tea, & conversa-tion! All UMass Boston students are invited.

This issue is packed with the work of people throughout the UMass Boston community. Get involved and share your story with us. We are looking forward to featuring YOUR work in our upcoming issues.

Kimberly Montoni Coordinator of Programs for International Students and Scholars

In this issue

pg.11 NEWS FROM STUDY ABROAD

PAGE 3 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

COPING WITH CULTURE SHOCK

“What do you like to do in Boston in the wintertime?” “If you love to walk, you’ll proba-bly enjoy taking a heritage trail walk to view famous Boston sites and monuments. The historic Black Heritage Trail takes visitors to view close to 14 different sites, including the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial. You can also view the Irish Heritage Trail which is a self-guided tour going through Boston’s Downtown shopping area. So bun-dle up, stay warm and enjoy the fun winter activities that Boston has to offer!” - Penisha Daniel, Undergraduate Criminal Justice Major, OITA Work-Study Stu-dent

At a time where studying abroad has begun to be appreciated as a realistic, desirable and beneficial goal for all college students, funding is, therefore, an important aspect of the study abroad process. There are more and more scholarship opportunities for students wishing to study abroad. Unfortunately, not as many UMass Boston students take ad-vantage of these opportunities as I would like to see.

For example, there is a scholarship called the Gilman Scholarship that is a federal pro-gram and offers thousands of dollars for students who are considered underrepresented in study abroad. To find out if you are a member of an “underrepresented group” you just need to go into their website. The website is www.gilman.com. The basic eligibil-ity is that you have to be a U.S. citizen or green card holder, and be currently receiving the Pell Grant. “Congratulations Elizabeth Eng on your scholarship to study in Paris for the spring 2012 academic semester”.

A scholarship that is available exclusively for Massachusetts students is the Pescosolido Family Scholarship Foundation scholarship for any student who wants to go to Italy to study the language and culture. For information go to their website at www.dantealighierinet/cambridge/scholarship/pescosolido . “Congratulations to Ismaelle (Izzy) Pulido for your scholarship to study in Italy.

A scholarship that is exclusive to the Boston campus is the K.C. Lam Scholarship which is for 3 students per year to study at the SOKA University in Tokyo, Japan for the spring semester. This scholarship can cover airfare and living expenses. To obtain more information about this scholarship just visit the Study Abroad Office in Room 2100 on the 2nd floor of the Campus Center. This scholarship is new as of 2012. “Congratulations to Nakeeda Burns, Kathleen Mullally and Nitika Roach for their obtaining the scholarship for study in Japan for the spring 2012 semester.”

There are also scholarships available through our Study Abroad Affiliates and Providers such as Academic Programs International (API), American Institute of Foreign Study (AIFS). Oxford University (OSAP), and Semester-At-Sea.

The common requirement and reason why more students don’t take advantage of these scholarships is that for all types of study abroad scholarships you need to plan ahead at least one year so that you meet all the deadlines. Scholarship deadlines are always months ahead of the application deadline mostly because they might require designing a project as with the Gilman, or some study of additional materials as with the Pescosolido Scholarship. Be proactive: Do research online, visit the study abroad scholarship board in the study abroad office, inquire about schol-arships and MOST OF ALL ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME TO APPLY. Lurlene Van Buren Coordinator of Study Abroad and International Student Exchange

DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU:

“Deadline Exceeded – Scholarship Denied”

READ ON

MORE IN THIS ISSUE

PAGE 4 OITA NEWS

For the last four years, Lisa Kennedy Sheldon PhD APRN-BC has been traveling to Juticalpa, Honduras with the Honduran Mission Team (HMT) of New Hampshire. An Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Dr. Sheldon also works as an adult nurse practitioner at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, New Hampshire. In her work with HMT and it’s local Honduran partner, the Olancho Aid Founda-tion (OAF), she has been developing the HMT Health-care Team to bring healthcare to rural aldeas outside Juitcalpa. The Team brings donated supplies and medi-cations and sets up clinics in schoolhouses and churches in remote villages. For the last two years, undergradu-ate nursing student, Hasan Bailey, has been a member of the team and learned about healthcare and research in these aldeas where poverty is extreme and access to care is scarce. In addition to running healthcare clinics, they also collect data from health screenings such as blood pressure and blood sugar, and common prob-lems and treatments to share with their local partner and future service teams to the area. This year, with support from OITA, Dr. Sheldon and Hasan will work with the HMT team and OAF to create a centralized databank to track health and issues by clinic and aldea for use in future planning of initiatives to improve the health of the Honduran people in Olancho.

Outstanding Achievements In the Spotlight: Honduras: Health Care, Service and Research

PAGE 5 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Student GSA Presentation/Poster Title and Authors Seungah (Hannah) Lee Types of Disability and Living Arrangements among Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese

Older Adults in the United States. S. Lee

Effect of Excessive Alcohol Consumption on Cognitive Functioning among Older Adults. J. Lyu; S. Lee

Hyo Jung Lee The Utilization of Health Care Services by Older Adults with Self-Reported and Actual Memory Decline. H. Lee; C. Lee; K. Porter; J. Vaughan; E. Dugan

Aging in Place for Vulnerable Older Adults: The Importance of Access to Transportation. L. M. Richardson; J. Vaughan; H. Lee; M. Nguyen; K. Barton; C. Lee; E. Dugan

Older Adults’ Dental Care Service Utilization: A Test of the Behavioral Health Care Utilization Model . H. Lee; J. A. Burr

Chae Man (Jay) Lee Provider-Administered CAM Therapy: Chiropractic, Acupuncture & Massage Use Among Older Americans. K. Porter; C. Lee; M. Nguyen; E. Dugan

The Utilization of Health Care Services by Older Adults with Self-Reported and Actual Memory Decline. H. Lee; C. Lee; K. Porter; J. Vaughan; E. Dugan

Regional and Organizational Characteristics of Alternative Senior Transportation Providers. M. Nguyen; K. Barton; C. Lee; E. Dugan

Aging in Place for Vulnerable Older Adults: The Importance of Access to Transportation. L. M. Richardson; J. Vaughan; H. Lee; M. Nguyen; K. Barton; C. Lee; E. Dugan

Investigating Gender Differences in the Association between Hearing Impairment and Driving Behavior among Older Adults. K. Barton; C. Lee; M. Nguyen; E. Dugan

A Comparative Study of Factors Related to Cognitive Functioning in Later Life: Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). J. Lyu; C. Lee

Disease Severity and Driving Cessation: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study. E. Dugan; C. Lee; F. Porell

Jiyoung Lyu Evaluating Economic Security among Older Adults. J. E. Mutchler; E. A. Bruce; A. Gottlieb; J. Lyu; Y. Shih

Effect of Excessive Alcohol Consumption on Cognitive Functioning among Older Adults. J. Lyu; S. Lee

Lien Quach Depression and Falls among Community-Dwelling Elderly: The MOBILIZE Boston Study . L. Quach; F. M. Yang; E. Netown; R. N. Jones; J. A. Burr; L. Lipsitz

Yao Chi Shih Taiwan’s Public Long Term Care Insurance Plan. P. Nadash; Y. Shih

The Effect of Volunteering and Other Social Activities on Life Satisfaction in Later Life. Y. Shih

Evaluating Economic Security among Older Adults. J. E. Mutchler; E. A. Bruce; A. Gottlieb; J. Lyu; Y. Shih

The PhD in Gerontology program at UMass Boston is designed to prepare students for leadership roles as educators, researchers, pol-icy analysts, and policy makers. The program’s approach reflects the urban mission of UMass Boston and gives special attention to the needs of low income elderly and to issues of racial and cultural diversity. It is the only gerontology PhD program in the northeast United States, and the second oldest in the world. Together with the Gerontology Institute, we are one of the leading centers for the academic study of gerontology.

UMass Boston Gerontology Doctoral Program

Congratulations to the International Student Presenters at the

Gerontological Society of America Conference November 18-22, 2011

PAGE 6 OITA NEWS

Now sixteen years since the night he left Kurdistan, Karwan swivels in an office chair at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He's a full-time student, working part-time at Block-buster. For our interview, his hair is perfectly quaffed, and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched atop his head. He wears jeans and a t-shirt. His English is lilted only by a slight accent - a faint reminder that he is from somewhere else. Somewhere else just so happens to be a place that few know exists, with a history that even fewer understand. Karwan tells me about a professor who once asked him about his accent. “She thought that I was Italian,” he said. “When I explained to her that I was from Kurdistan, she asked: Isn't that the place where Borat is from?” Kurdistan 2007 Kurdistan as a nation is a difficult concept to grasp. It is one nation, divided into several states. When the Ottoman Empire was dismantled after World War I, Kurdistan was divided amongst Iran, Iraq, Syria and Armenia. In each country, how-ever, the Kurds are a minority. Each section of Kurdistan - the Iraqi, Turkish, Syrian, and Iranian portions - all function sepa-rately, though they are collectively blanketed under the title of Kurdistan. Today, the Iraqi quadrant of Kurdistan is the only section with its own government. It became an anonymous entity inside of Iraq following the end of the Gulf War. In 1991, just following the gassing of Halajba in 1988, there were rumors that Saddam Hussein planned to bomb Kurdistan again. Terror pulsed through the Kurdish communities. Some, like Karwan's family, decided to flee; others stayed behind. Those who stayed boarded up their houses, trying to make them airtight to seal out the deadly chemical gases that they knew would engulf them. And so, on a hot summer night in Northern Iraq sixteen years ago, Karwan and his family boarded a bus and began their jour-ney to a very foreign place: the United States.

Karwan returned to Kurdistan in 2007. His recollections of his visit were idyllic. Children played freely in the streets; people relaxed in the river that snakes through his hometown. Touches of American influence dotted the landscape - a McDonald's sign there, a Coca-Cola machine here. But despite the modern details, tradition is not forgotten. In Kurdish culture, men are still the head of the family and arranged marriages are not uncommon. Women often wear the traditional hijab cover, though Karwan insists that they are not forced to do so. The younger generations of Kurds, both male and female can be seen wearing more modern clothing in the more liberal cities of Kurdistan. Additionally, though the majority of Kurds are Muslim, there are other practicing religious groups in Kurdistan, including Chris-tians, Armenians, and Jews. The new image of Kurdistan is one of ethnic and religious tolerance, a mesh of tradition and modernity. It is the image that the Kurdish government and the national tourist bureau packages and presents to the rest of the world; it is the Kurdistan to which Karwan passionately attests. At the end of our interview, Karwan takes his cell phone out of his pocket. The face of it is a Kurdish flag: red, green, and yellow. He explains that the colors of the Kurdish flag are a crucial part of understanding Kurdish culture. He tells me that if I remember nothing else about Kurdistan, I must at least remember the flag—the past, present, and future of Kurdistan are captured in its colors. Each color has meaning: Red is used in remembrance of the hundreds of thousands of innocent people who were murdered by Saddam and his regime; green signifies renewal; yellow is bright, like the sun. It is a promise of a new dawn, a new beginning for Kurdistan. The time since the end of the Gulf War has marked a rebirth amongst the Kurdish people: the nation is now coming alive. It is unclear, however, how long peace and stability will last in the war-torn region. Despite the uncertainty, Karwan’s sentiments mirror that of many of his fellow Kurds: They must press for-ward. Karwan explains that in the face of animosity and oppression, the Kurdish people must hold on to the one thing that Karwan believes can never be taken away from them—their culture. Story & photos by Karwan Salih as told to and written by Kimberly Montoni

Since this article was written, Karwan completed his undergraduate degree at UMB and now works in Student Support Services on campus. He plans to visit Kurdistan again this August.

Continued from pg. 1

PAGE 7 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

La diplomatie publique. Qu'est-ce que c'est? Qui l'utilise? Et pour quelles rai-sons? Un colloque, proposé par la Délégation du Québec en Nouvelle-Angleterre et l’Office of International and Transnational Affairs (OIATA), abordera ce sujet avec une emphase sur le Québec et son expertise dans le do-maine.

Professeurs et les étudiants seront également invités à discuter d'autres questions clés pertinentes au Québec et au Massachusetts. Comment font-ils face aux défis et opportunités du 21e siècle dans des secteurs comme le développement économique, l'immigration et la culture?

Cet événement aura lieu le jeudi 22 mars (à partir de 14 heures), sera gratuit, ouvert au public et sera suivi d'une réception pour les participants à la conférence.

Public diplomacy. What is it? Who uses it? And for what purposes? A symposium, proposed by the Québec Delegation to New England and the Office of International and Transnational Affairs (OITA), will address this topic with an emphasis on the Quebec context and exper-tise.

Scholars and students will also be invited to discuss other key questions relevant to Quebec and Massa-chusetts. How do they cope with challenges and opportunities of the 21st century in areas such as economic development, immigration and culture.

This event will be held on Thursday, March 22nd (from 2pm); it is free, opened to public and will be followed by a reception for the conference goers.

The Québec Delegat ion to New England & The Office of International and Transnational Affairs present

PAGE 8 OITA NEWS

This year OITA collaborated with SAEC for Worldwide Enlighten-ment: A Celebration of Interna-tional Education Week. Held over the course of four days, international students, study abroad students, and OITA work-study students worked together to present global citizenship table displays. Projects this year in-cluded a “Global Water Crisis and Recycling Station”; “World Liter-acy and OITA Book Giveaway”; and a “Make a Peace Bracelet Craft table.” Also, Luis Escobar and Kevin Liu organized a FIFA competition with a presentation exploring why soccer (football!)

is arguably titled the “most important sport in the world.” The Turkish Student Associa-tion and International Stu-dents’Association organized relief fund tables to raise awareness and funds for victims of recent natural disaster in Taiwan and Turkey. On Wednesday, Lurlene Van Bu-ren and Jennifer Goode pre-sented a panel on Service Learning Information & Initia-tives. The week concluded with the annual OITA Your Gateway to the World Recep-tion. At this reception, UMB research abroad faculty & stu-

dents, IVSA fellows, Navitas staff and students, study abroad and exchange students, and Fulbright students shared their fascinating international ex-periences—over 125 people were in attendance! Wonderful entertainment was provided by Orville Wright, Duncan Nel-son, and Michael Sullivan!.

We would like to thank each and every person who made this week such a success— it was truly a collaborative effort. We are looking forward to International Education Week next year! KM

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK

PAGE 9 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

YOUR GATEWAY TO THE WORLD RECEPTION NOV. 17, 2011

PAGE 10 OITA NEWS

A destructive earthquake struck the city called Van, located in the eastern part of Turkey, on Sunday, 23 October 2011. The magnitude of the earthquake was estimated to be 7.2 Mw. Turkey has lost around six hundred people during this earthquake. As Turkish Student Association at UMass Boston, we opened a fundraiser booth as an urgent response to the unfortunate event at the Campus Center for three days. Furthermore, OITA provided us a booth to fundraise during the International Education Week. We as Turkish Student Association would like to give our deep gratitude to all of the professors, students and staff that did not hesitate to give us a hand to help the victims of the earthquake in Turkey, and our especial appreciations

A Message from the UMB Turkish Student Association

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK, continued

Photos from student table displays in the Campus Center during International Education Week

PAGE 11 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

COPING WITH CULTURE SHOCK

Part of the excitement of traveling to a different place is having the opportunity to try new things and create lasting memories — and there are plenty of wonderful things to do in Boston! To help keep you inspired and active during the colder months this year, we asked UMB faculty, staff, and students to share their fa-vorite things that they’ll be doing in the city this winter.

“One of my favorite things to do in Boston in the win-ter is going to the holiday fairs in Harvard Square. I also like to walk around and shop in the stores in the Square, and then stop for hot chocolate at Bur-dick’s. Another fun activity is the little outdoor skat-ing rink in Kendall Square in Cambridge. It is small, but really nice, and inexpensive, and they have skate rentals and snacks - http://kendallsquare.org/play/details/community-ice-skating/.”

Gail Stubbs. Director, University Advising Center

“Since I just moved up to Boston this past sum-mer, this will be my first winter in the city. I’m really looking forward to going ice skating in the Common, and walking around to see all the decorations for the holidays. I also think this would be a great time of year to get out to the Loews Theatre and see some movies! Always check out Groupon and other sites that offer deals on movie tickets. “

Lauren Boothby. Coordinator for New Student Programs, Office of the Dean of Students

“One of my favorite things to do in Boston during the winter time is to go shopping when there is a sale, especially in the downtown area. Another thing I like to do during the winter time in Boston is to go to the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, and the Aquarium. There is a mall next to the Museum of Sci-ence too (Galleria) and the cheesecake factory. I also like to go to eat in Chinatown. The restaurants I go to are Pho Pasteur, Hot Pot buffet, Shabu-Zen, 163 Vietnamese Sandwiches & Bubble Tea (only $3 sand-wiches), and Bao Bao Bakery & Café. There are a lot of good restaurants in Chinatown. New Dong Khanh Restaurant has the best bubble tea ever. My favorite flavors are Strawberry, Watermelon, and Avocado and Durian. Hmm yummy!!!”

Linda Cheng. UMB Business Management student & OITA work-study student

PAGE 12 OITA NEWS

This year 12 UMass Boston students are packing their bags and their passports and heading to Peru for Spring Break! However, their time will not be spent on the beaches or in the usual tourist destinations…they will be digging trenches, gluing pipes and con-ducting educational workshops in a small rural village near Huacaria, Peru. They will be using their Univer-sity break to address and bring awareness to a growing issue in the world today – the world water crisis.

According to the World Health Organization, world-wide 894 million people do not have access to safe drinking water and 5,000 children die each day due to lack of water and improper sanitation. It is said that the water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war. The United Nations has named sustainable access to water for ALL as one of their millennium development goals.

UMass Boston students will play just one small part in contributing to the United Nations mission by assisting in the construction of a community water system in Peru, allowing villagers access to running water for the first time in their lives.

We want to make you a part of our journey so you too can contribute to the world water crisis! We will be holding a Peruvian cultural dinner, raffle and a World Water Crisis Workshop in February 2012, so stay tuned to OITA news for more details in our next is-sue.

In the mean time we are selling “Be the Change” bracelets and accepting monetary donations. To buy a bracelet ($3 for one, $5 for two), contact Catriona Grant at cg8228@yahoo.com. To donate visit http://umassbostonasbperu2012.chipin.com.

GET INVOLVED: Help Us Bring Water to Those in Need! For more information contact: Jennifer Goode at Jennifer.goode@umb.edu.

PAGE 13 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

FALL 2011 INTERNATIONAL PHOTO CONTEST RESULTS

Thank you to all of the students who participated in our Fall 2011 Photo Competition. The Photo Committee graded the photos on the following criteria: composition, subject matter, and the rele-vance to the international experience. While we were impressed with all of the submissions, we narrowed the results down to the top three:

1. Stephanie Buccieri – Sun over the Opera House

2. Rashelle Brown – Eureka Tower on the Yarra River

3. Melissa Brodie – Portrait of a Lion

Keep taking photos through your adventures abroad!

Share them with us at StudyAbroadAdvising@umb.edu

Debbie Petrone

OITA Study Abroad Intern

1. S. Buccieri. Sun Over the Opera House

2. R. Brown. Eureka Tower on the Yarra River

3. M. Brodie. Portrait of a Lion

PAGE 14 OITA NEWS

The Ethnic Enclaves of Boston Walking Tour 2011

International students and scholars and study abroad students learned about the fascinating immigration history of Boston by exploring two of the city’s most famous enclaves. They tried local foods and were able to see hid-den places of Boston interest. A very big thanks to the UMB anthropology alumni who conducted the tour!

New Program Spotlight

PAGE 15 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

UPCOMING EVENTS & IMPORTANT DATES

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 Groundhog Day 3 4

5 6 7 8 9

IVSA Workshop II. 2-4:30 p.m.

10 11

Winter Museum Series Excursion to “A Day in

Pompeii”

12 13 14 St. Valentine’s Day 15 16 17 18

19 20 Presidents’ Day 21

22 Washington’s

Birthday

23 IVSA Workshop III.

2-4:30 p.m. 24 25

26 27 28 29

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 New Year’s Day 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12

IVSA Orientation 2-4:30 p.m. for New

Scholars 13 14

15 16

Martin Luther King Day

17 18

OITA Welcome and Student Checking. CC – 3rd Floor Room 3550. 10-

3:00p.m.

19 IVSA Workshop I.

2-2-4:30 p.m. 20 21

22 23 First Day of Class 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

International Conversa-tion Hour. CC – 2nd Floor Room 2115. 11-12:00p.m.

31

JANUARY

FEBRUARY