Global Awareness—The Wave of the Future

The 2022 Global Voices Symposium occurred at a momentous time. In addition to the ongoing global pandemic, Russia had unleashed a brutal invasion of Ukraine. The presentations focused on students’ perspectives of study abroad, human rights, the role of women, COVID 19, new directions in study abroad, immigrant life, and the increasing importance of Africa. Each speaker brought a unique perspective to the conversation. Repeatedly, speakers spoke about the positive impact of global awareness in their personal and professional development. Given the context in which the Symposium took place, there was renewed attention brought to the impact of the global pandemic and human rights. Maria Vivero convincingly showed how the pandemic helped to raise awareness on the state of “economic inequalities in the United States and around the world.” The pandemic, she continued, summons the nation to engage in structural changes designed to uplift the condition of the poor. Satang Nebaneh’s presentation built on that theme, arguing that the global pandemic has been impactful. There is an urgent need for human rights education because it helps to create a more just society. Human rights education, she stated, ultimately calls for redistribution of power, adding, “we need to be actively anti-racist, anti-colonial, and anti-oppressive in order to rebalance power.”https://ecommons.udayton.edu/global_voices_5/1011/thumbnail.jp