Friday, August 27, 2010

August 28,2010

..And the rains came,pelting us w. its blessings. Fortunately, no floods as in China and Pakistan. Kid UN offices allowing this communique as I have no internet. Attended Flag Day celebration in Buchanan City on Tuesday as the guest of the Governor Julia Duncan Cassels and spoke from the podium with a sty-in-school message. My Fulbright workshops with the Wuse Women and Leraning Women were well-rcvd. and I am surrounded by the greatest in Liberian hospitality. We eat, lunch and work together and I am becoming a great fan of chuck rice and stewed barricuda and grouper fish. I have a fan base of young women students who are really on the ball. Last evening I addressed 65 men (mostly Christian pastors)and the Ass't Governor asking them to commite themselves to supporting gender equality. We will see what the men of Liberia are made of!This morning we begin thw two-day curriculum seminars for faculty, staff, and women leaders to begin the first stages of a 'white paper'-a gender studies curriculum which will accompany the women's center. There is talk of making gender Studies 101 a required course for ALL students and most seem to be on board with this proposal. The men had great questions, important concerns, some about feeling displaced by what they felt might become a women-dominant process. I assured them that the principles of the equality of men and women guarantee our metaphor that man and woman are like 'two wings of the bird-if one of the wings is icapacitated the bird won't fly.'
May the blessings of the good God of the Universe keep us all on the road to peace!

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