“Igbo Educational Lecture Series” (IELS) featuring Dr. Sibanda

Fri. Mar. 13 07:00 PM - Fri. Mar. 13 09:00 PM
Location: Eckhardt Gramatté Hall, University of Winnipeg

The University of Winnipeg (UofW) Global College “Igbo Educational Lecture Series” (IELS) is a series on peace-building in a multicultural society. The relevance of this is founded on the fact that peace and related phenomena (e.g., human rights, human security, social justice, harmony, etc) enable the realization and optimization of human potential in any society. The lecture series (IELS) is organized and run by the “Umunna (Igbo) Cultural Association of Manitoba, Inc” in collaborative partnership with the UofW Global College.

The initiative arose from the vision of the Honourable Dr. Rey Pagtakhan, the founding Director of the Global College, and the Honourable Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, Former UofW President. Dr. Michael Eze is the convener. The Hon. Dr. Rey Pagtakhan delivered the inaugural lecture, thereby launching the series on Friday March 24, 2006. Participants include students, faculty, other institutions, and ethno-cultural communities, as well as the general public.

Under the main theme "Negotiating Home and Belonging: Ubuntu and Civic Responsibility", Dr. Sibanda's lecture, Split the baby? Land of our Roots, Diaspora and the New Land, a Solomonian Challenge?, will explore the challenges of embracing the Ubuntu philosophy of civic engagement - especially for individuals straddled between longing for the land of their roots, and the need to be engaged citizens in a new country.

Dr. Eliakim Sibanda, Professor of History, and a globally acclaimed Peace, Justice and Human Rights expert and advocate. He has served as Chair of the Joint Master’s program in Peace and Conflict Studies of the University of Manitoba (UofM) and University of Winnipeg (UofW), and is now the Associate Chair of the Program. He was formerly Chair of the History Dept., UofW. He also played a pivotal role in the creation of the BA in Human Rights and Global Studies program, for which the UofW Global College is known.

Attend a free public lecture by Dr. Sibanda to learn about Ubuntu, a South African philosophy that provides a framework for engaged citizenship on Friday, March 13, at 7:00 PM in Eckhardt Gramatté Hall, University of Winnipeg (515 Portage ave).