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Undergraduates in Michael Dorsey's International Environmental Issues course
were recently treated to two special guest lectures, one in Switzerland, the
other in South Africa, and they never left Hanover. The teleconferences were
hosted by the Dartmouth Center for
the Advancement of Learning (DCAL).
Michael Dorsey (far left) and his International Environmental Issues class
participating in a teleconference on January 26. (photo by Joseph Mehling
'69)
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On January 26, the class participated in a teleconference to talk with
Thomas Kalaris, chief executive of Barclays Wealth Management, and also spoke
with Patrick Bond, professor and the director of the Centre for Civil Society
at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South
Africa. Kalaris was in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting, while
Bond was in Johannesburg, South Africa, following the proceedings of the
World Social Forum (WSF) meetings taking place in three locales this year,
in Venezuela, Mali, and Pakistan. Bond and Dorsey have taught together, and
Kalaris is a Dartmouth parent.
Incorporated in 1971, the WEF is an international organization comprised of
the world's 1,000 leading companies. According to its Web site, it is
"committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in
partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas." Its annual
meetings cover topics such as maintaining sustainable development, creating a
global education framework, and addressing climate change.
The WSF, established in 2001, represents social movements, NGOs, and other
civil society organizations. Its annual meetings, usually held at the same time
as the WEF's, foster discussion among participants as they work to develop
international relationships to address a variety of topics including human
rights issues and capitalist globalization.
Dorsey, assistant professor of environmental studies, believes that
connecting his students to current global events adds to the value of his
course, and it provides a front-row view of how international institutions work
and agreements are conceived.
"As we examine the nature of international environmental policy-making,
we need to be cognizant of the world's leading venues that gather key
decision-makers together," he says. "Gatherings like the World
Economic Forum and the World Social Forum, while informal and not legally
binding, forge ties and relationships among influential participants. These
relationships can have consequences for global environment and development
policy."
Craig Rubens '06, says, "This teleconference offered us a human
connection. It's easy to do all these readings and then talk in class and never
have any context for the topics. Having experts to talk to who are worlds away
proves that the problems we're addressing do exist in the world we live in, and
that they are being discussed in a forum much greater than a Dartmouth
classroom."
James H. Austin V. '07 adds, "I believe it is very important, as well
as an honor and a privilege, to have a dialogue with the people who are living
what we are reading about in class. We were fortunate to have two people with
very different opinions to ask questions of, and the teleconference brought our
class to an interactive level with concepts and arguments in a way PowerPoint
presentations and even video clips cannot."
By SUSAN KNAPP
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