Events:
A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps Film Screening & Discussion
A Towering Task
is an independent documentary produced and directed by Alana DeJoseph, a returned Peace Corps volunteer and documentary filmmaker. She has been a member of the production teams that produced
The Greatest Good: A Forest Service Centennial Film and
Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for our Time. She works alongside Dave Steinke (film producer, cameraman and former Forest Service public affairs director) and Shana Kelly (screenwriter and book editor). All three strongly believe in the urgent need for an objective, in-depth look at the history and future of the Peace Corps.
Founded during the Cold War, the Peace Corps stands as an icon of American idealism. From the beginning its mission of world peace and friendship proved to be a towering task. Imbued with the unbounded energy and vision of its charismatic leader, Sargent Shriver, and thousands of vigorous volunteers, the story of the Peace Corps is a uniquely American tale. From the political machinations to establish not just a brand new government agency, but a new concept in international relations, to the growing pains of an agency striving to define its mission.
A Towering Task takes viewers on a journey of what it means to be a global citizen.
Host country nationals, Peace Corps Volunteers and staff, and scholars and journalists take a closer look at peace building, economic development and political independence through the Peace Corps’ nearly six decades of trials and transformations. Before being evacuated because of the pandemic, Peace Corps volunteers were serving in over 60 countries and more than 200,000 have returned since 1961, but America is reevaluating how to engage with the rest of the world.
Now, as the Peace Corps rebuilds with increased nationalistic tendencies in America and around the globe, and Peace Corps Volunteers at the forefront of some of the most pressing themes facing the global community,
A Towering Task asks: What role should the Peace Corps play in the 21st century? We invite you to view the film and share your thoughts at this free screening and discussion co-sponsored by SPS and DePaul's
Honors Program,
Irwin W. Steans Center for Community Engagement,
Department of International Studies,
MS in Refugee & Forced Migration Studies, and
Master of Public Health. This hybrid event will be held on Monday, November 7th. Attend either in person in 14 E. Jackson Room 806 or virtually via Zoom. In person attendees can m
ingle and enjoy appetizers beginning at 5pm, then the film screening will begin at 6pm. Register
here.
Voting Rights: Bridging Research and Action
Join us during Election Week for an engaging and important keynote and conversation on voting rights in the United States. Keynote speaker Ami Gandhi, Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, will share her work focused on reducing barriers to voting and improving civic participation, especially in communities of color and low-income communities. Then, DePaul professors Christina Rivers, Mark Weber, and Noah Praetz will facilitate a reflection and dialogue incorporating their own research and activism related to voting rights – for community member who are formerly or currently incarcerated (Rivers), for those with disabilities (Weber), and concerns related to election management and cybersecurity (Praetz). This 90-minute session will bring together the university community to engage in a scholarly and Vincentian conversation around voting rights and social justice. This event is co-sponsored by the Society of Vincent de Paul Professors, the Office of Research Services, the School of Public Service, the Women's Center, and the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center. Register here.
H. Woods Bowman Annual Lecture
Thank you to everyone who attended our 27th annual
H. Woods Bowman Public Service Lecture featuring our guest speaker, Maggie Cullerton Hooper, Chief Philanthropy Officer for the City of Chicago. A video of the lecture will be available online soon.