Held in the Ranchero Room.
A refugee is defined as a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. With crises in Syria, Myanmar and Puerto Rico combined with proposed walls and wide-sweeping travel bans, this is a critical topic facing our country and our world.
Why is there a crisis of refugees on our planet in this era? What are the possible reasons for this crisis, and what are possible solutions? Displaced peoples have been part of humanity for many centuries: most recently due to colonial histories, economic development, religion, wars, and environmental challenges around the planet.
Renowned UCSB Sociology Professor and filmmaker, Dr. Kum-Kum Bhavnani, will unpack this topic for us in her talk, “Refugees Matter: How Richer Nations Have Caused Large-Scale Human Displacement.” Dr. Bhavnini has provided a few resources and articles as homework prior to her presentation:
* UNHCR: Figures at a Glance (7 pages)
* UNHCR 2016 Global Report: Overview (12 pages)
* Scientific American: Puerto Ricans Could be Newest US Climate Refugees Sept 2017
* Academic Article: Refugees Race and Gender (12 pages)
Suggested donation: $15. RSVP to sbSPARC@gmail.com. Space is limited so a RSVP is encouraged. There will be no-host bar so arrive early to place your drink order.