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Contact: Shirley Osterhaus, WesternWashingtonUniversity’s Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies coordinator, (360) 650-2309 or shirley.osterhaus@wwu.edu.

BELLINGHAM – Scholars and activists from diverse backgrounds will have the opportunity to engage and inform individuals on a variety of global and local issues for the Fall 2013 World Issues Forum/Paths to Global Justice lecture series, held by WesternWashingtonUniversity’s Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies.

The following forums are free and open to the public, and are from noon to 1:20 p.m. every Wednesday in the Fairhaven College Auditorium, unless noted otherwise:

Wednesday, Oct. 2

“Afghanistan, Ecology and the End of War”

Presenter: Dana Visalli, a biologist and organic farmer, will discuss his time in Kabul, Afghanistan teaching biology and evolution to young female Muslim students, as well as the history of Western involvement in Afghanistan and U.S. military involvement today. Visalli will also present at 7 p.m. at RE Sources for Sustainable Communities at

Wednesday, Oct. 9

“No Longer Shackled by Chains but by our Economic Conditions: The Struggle for Trade, Labor and Racial Justice in Colombia’s Ports”

Presenter: Jhon Jairo Castro, who started working as a longshoreman and is now the president of the Buenaventura chapter of the Portworkers Union in Colombia’s biggest port city, through which 60 percent of Colombia’s imports and exports pass. In his lecture, Castro will share his experiences in organizing for labor rights for more than 11 years, and discuss the effect the impending U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement will have on the Buenaventura community.

Wednesday, Oct. 16

“Economic Adaptation, Identity Preservation – A Lahu na Shehleh Case”

Driven by the projects he has worked on in recent decades, documentary filmmaker Jakatae Jayo will discuss the conflict between traditional practices of the Lahu Shehleh peoples of Southeast Asia, and the political and economic policies trying to restrict them.

Wednesday, Oct. 23

“Paper Truths and Ersatz Lives: Authenticity and Fakery in an African Transnational Visa Economy”

Former award-winning journalist turned citizenship advocate and Sociology professor at the University of Kansas, Ebenezer Obadare will discuss the falsity of the visa economy in Nigeria. Obadare will discuss how having visas to travel for work causes mass unemployment and scarcity of opportunities for material reproduction and professional enhancement.

Wednesday, Oct. 30

“A History of Partition: the Gordian Knot of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”

Presenter: Martin Bunton, University of Victoria professor of History, applies his nine-volume collection of primary sources on land legislation in Palestine to find a tolerable resolution for both sides in the 120-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Wednesday, Nov. 6

“Frictions of Conversion and Contention: Religion and Activism in Mexico’s Tohono O’odham Borderlands”

Raised on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, University of Washington Associate Professor Jose Antonio Lucero is an outspoken advocate against U.S. Border Patrol policies that cause the deaths of thousands of immigrants who cross the Tohono O’odham lands. Lucero will also discuss the controversy surrounding Mike Wilson, a former Green Beret who, against the wishes of his tribe, leaves water for migrants.

Wednesday, Nov. 13

“Our Harsh Logic: Israeli Soldiers’ Testimonies from the Occupied Territories”

Former Israeli soldier Yehuda Shaul and fellow soldiers from his unit created the organization “Breaking the Silence” that chronicles their lives as soldiers during the second intifada, or Palestinian uprising against Israel, that lasted from September 2000 to January 2005. In making a book, the organization hopes to show the casualties and lasting effects of the attack and occupancy.

Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 2-3:30 p.m. in Fraser Hall 2

“Who Stole the American Dream?”

Presenter: Hedrick Smith, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, investigated the rise in this country of unequal democracy, financial inequalities and the political power shift in his book, “Who Stole the American Dream?” Smith will discuss how to reintroduce grass roots activism to resolve wedge economics and diverged politics.

Wednesday, Nov. 20

“Kwel Hoy: We Draw the Line”

Presenter: Jeremiah “Jay” Julius, Lummi Nation Tribal Council member and fisherman, said he knows firsthand what will happen to the environment and treaty fishing rights if the Cherry Point coal terminal comes to Puget Sound. In his lecture, he will address the cultural and economic significance of historical sites and why they should be protected.

For more information on the World Issues Forum speaker series presented by Western’s Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, call Shirley Osterhaus at (360) 650-2309 or visit the World Issues Forum Website at .

��������'s Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, established in 1967, is nationally recognized for innovation in teaching and  learning, intensive advising, student-designed majors, narrative assessment, experiential and independent learning and a commitment to social justice.