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July 25, 2005

Putting a Human Face on International Studies: Fletcher Perspectives Celebrates its Fourth Year of Publication

Each day, as Fletcher students make their way into the Edwin Ginn library, they are offered the opportunity to escape. Gazing at photographs and tales presented by fellow students that line the walls leading into the reference room, students, faculty and visitors all glimpse the world beyond Medford: beautiful, alarming and extensive.

Now in its fourth year, the Fletcher Perspectives project presents these images and words to the Fletcher community, offering the goal of celebrating “a diverse representation of the beliefs, history and aspirations of the international community” through art, craft and photography. In addition to the exhibits at the Library, Fletcher Perspectives publishes an annual journal of poetry, short stories, travelogues, comprised entirely of submissions from members of the Fletcher community.

PhD student Itamara Lochard created Fletcher Perspectives in 2001 in order to “share our diversity in a manner that not only enhances our understanding of historical and cultural differences and similarities, but also translates this knowledge into a more peaceful and unprejudiced world.” In selecting the photographs and commentaries for the exhibit, Lochard and 2004-5 co-editor Sybil Paukert (MALD ’05) accepted collections from the first eight Fletcher submissions, first come first served, each of whom took a different approach with his or her presentation.

F’05 student Amy Finnegan, for one, focused on her experience in Northern Uganda in summer 2004, creating a narrative around the traditional lifestyle of the Acholi people. “I submitted photos to the Perspectives exhibit because I found that, as an American outsider, one of the most important roles I could play in Northern Uganda was to help raise awareness on the realities of the war there. she says. “I think images can often communicate a lot more than words, and I feel entirely grateful for the opportunity to share some of both the disturbing and beautiful realities of what I saw and experienced.”

Paukert agrees: “I became involved with Perspectives because it gave me the chance to add an element of beauty and the unexpected to the regular routine of reading and papers… It gives the Fletcher community a way to share and celebrate our experiences with an audience beyond the classroom. It puts a face onto our studies… and each month, Perspectives adds someplace else to the list of ‘places to go next’ we each keep.”

Archives of previous editions of Fletcher Perspectives are accessible via a new website and online gallery. In addition to Lochard and Paukert, the Perspectives staff scans, adjusts and prints all of the photos themselves, with reprints of select photographs available for purchase. In keeping with the theme of international understanding and goodwill, Perspectives donates these proceeds to the UN Office of Children and Armed Conflict to assist in their rehabilitation efforts of child soldiers.

Article by Stephanie Lindenbaum, MALD '05

Posted by jessica at July 25, 2005 07:36 AM