Embry-Riddle Examines Multi-Cultural Issues and Stereotypes in “Crossing Borders” Film Showing with Panel Discussion
Prescott, AZ., February 22, 2011
The Embry-Riddle Prescott campus Center for International Programs and Services (CIPS), which includes the International Student Association (ISA) and Study Abroad, will show "Crossing Borders" on Thursday, March 3, at 6PM in the DLC Auditorium. The film viewing is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served, courtesy of the Embry-Riddle Honors Program.
“Crossing Borders” is a 70 minute documentary that follows four Moroccan and four American university students as they travel together through Morocco and, in the process of discovering “the other” discover themselves. With group travels and frank discussions, the students confront the complex implications of the supposed “clash of civilizations” between Islam and the West. The relationships formed through shared experiences contrast sharply with the media-shaped views Americans and Muslims have of each other. Humor, honesty and a willingness to be challenged all bring individuals closer to each other and the relationships that develop disarm hidden stereotypes.
“Crossing Borders” aims to give a personal face to the “other side” through the experiences of American students studying abroad and their interactions with students in the moderate Muslim state of Morocco. By avoiding a focus on extremism, the film provides its audience with a sense of the millions of good-willed, “ordinary citizens” on both sides whose voices are often not presented by the media. The documentary aims to inspire audiences through practical examples of how to overcome the artificial separation between “Us” and “Them.”
After the film, audience members will have the opportunity to engage in our discussion panel, comprised of individuals who have first-hand experience with Islamic culture and multicultural issues and concerns. The film and the discussion aim to help students think about multicultural relationships and international issues; it also aims to help them discover their own ideas about West vs. East, and will foster and encourage new awareness of themselves and others.
For more information contact Samantha Fitch, Director of Study Abroad and Associate Chair, Honors Program, samantha.fitch@erau.edu.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.
