Difficult Dialogues:
Who designed the program?

Difficult Dialogues is a new project at Park University created by Judith Richards and Cynthia Williams for all Park community members interested in learning about, discussing, and exploring pertinent political, religious, and social issues through literature and film. Park graduate Gillian Ford (2005) is Project Assistant for Difficult Dialogues.

What is Difficult Dialogues?

Difficult Dialogues encourages the members of the Park University community to learn about and explore the major political, religious, and social issues facing each one of us today. We hope to generate dialogue across the University community on current complex issues that affect all of us. We believe that, from the international "grass roots" of Park University, thoughtful reading and earnest discussion of these works will result in constructive ideas for participating individuals as well as future Middle Eastern-European-American relationships. In other words, we believe that our informed local voices and ideas can contribute to solving international problems.

Why was Difficult Dialogues created?

This project recognizes that stereotypes of the "Other" in cultural confrontations exist and that they are negatively impacting our ability to envision a productive resolution of current political crises and thus to feel safe in the world. Through discussion we aim to identify and explore these stereotypes in order to move forward productively with understanding and tolerance.

Course Information

Starts August 21, 2006. Students enroll for EN304/ML315L Selected Topics. Difficult Dialogues: Reading the Veil, M-F 11-12:15, Professors Williams (Cynthia) and Richards (Modern Languages).

Fall Panel Discussion

Mid-fall semester, 2006, we will host for the campus a panel discussion on Women and Islam.

Anything else?

As a kick-off to the Difficult Dialogues project, we will present the film Leila on the evening of September 23, 2005 and invite discussion afterwards at 7:00 PM in Copley 300.

After the book discussions, then what?

In early November there will be a panel discussion devoted to issues raised in the reading groups on Difficult Dialogues, comprised of international guests from diverse backgrounds and faiths. In the SP06 Semester Richards and Williams will offer a cross-listed course, EN304/ML315, entitled Difficult Dialogues: Literature, Politics, and the Female Body.

Future Projects

Currently the Difficult Dialogues project is in the final round for a Ford Foundation grant to be announced at the end of October. If the grant is successful there will be many other activities offered, including a city-wide symposium to expand and enhance the exchange of ideas generated by this Park project.

It is our hope that other multidisciplinary groups of faculty will create projects for future semesters , and that Park University become known for its all-campus discussions and insights.

Iranian movie "Leila" by Dariush Mehrjui

This movie will be shown September 23, 2006 including a discussion in CO300 at 7:00 p.m. Refreshments provided.

^ Back to the Top

---------------------------------

University Resources