Projects
For the joint project, students from each of the Bard campuses—at Al-Quds Bard, the American University of Central Asia, Bard-Annandale, Bard-Berlin, the European Humanities University and Smolny College—collaborate with each other on a project that examines an exemplary global citizen. Groups of two or three students from each class are paired with a group from another class. Each group will “introduce” one person, group or organization that they believe provides a helpful model of global citizenship because of the person or organization’s response to a borderless problem. To share with others in the class, each group creates a visual essay/presentation, a short film or a podcast.
Featured projects
NADIA MURAD AS A GLOBAL CITIZEN
Lily (BCA), Risolat (AUCA), Ayesha (AUCA), and Ana (BCA)
This project argues that Nadia Murad’s work on the borderless issues of human trafficking and sexual slavery make her an exemplary global citizen. She has helped reshape what it means to be a refugee, expanded criteria for victims of gender based violence to qualify for asylum, and pushed for government accountability for failures to address human trafficking issues. Murad has been a global voice for survivors and ensures victims of mass atrocities, sexual enslavement, and human trafficking are heard. Her expansion of definitions through work with the United Nations and other NGOs makes her an example of both denationalized and post-national citizenship.
REFUGEES AS GLOBAL CITIZENS
Adam (AQB), Liyan (AQB), Nasry (AQB), Zurab (BCB), Danny (BCB)
This project was created with the understanding of the roles of individual persons in the shaping of their own reality. Thus, when government is incapable of addressing the major issues concerning our times, migrants should embrace their right to citizenship even when it is denied to them, by working within civil society. Any politics truly committed to change is a politics of disruption, and this can never be followed through if one becomes stuck in the mainstream narrative that portrays the refugee crisis as a mass of people. Mindful of this, we are deeply skeptical of the word “refugee” as an oversimplification of a group of persons whose diversity can’t fit inside any kind of spectrum. We tried to use portraits, names and faces through the visual essay to reiterate that the only acceptable category is human, and we will take no less.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION AS MODEL OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
Aigerim (AUCA), Sadia (AUCA), Bektur (AUCA), Maddie (BCA), Emily (BCA)
Our project is a visual essay/video that details our global citizen, the World Health Organization, and explains how and why it embodies that role. The World Health Organization is a non-profit intended to reconcile global health-related problems that afflict vulnerable individuals. Many of the health complications to which the WHO responds can be considered borderless, as they are often overarching and create multiplicative effects. For example, pollution as a global security threat transcends borders and implores governments and non-governmental organizations to creatively respond to reducing emissions and carbon footprints worldwide. we focused on access to clean water as exemplary of the WHO’s mission to ensure basic quality of life to in-need populations. For these reasons, the WHO is an exemplary global citizen.
NO BORDER COLLECTIVE AS GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
Tinca (BCB), Emma (BCB), Jehad (AQB), Nadeen (AQB), Shorook (AQB), Adele (AQB)
Being a global citizen is someone who doesn’t put his people first but rather the human race; moral priorities are what counts. That’s what the ‘No Border Collective Network’ is doing by defending such a cause. They are not only defending the freedom of movements and rights of those who are deprived of mainly as a result of the border regime but are also providing these refugees, migrants and immigrants with the needed accommodations, awareness and education about their legal rights and what should they expect to be provided with from the state. They are fighting a borderless problem that isn’t connected with a certain race, religion, culture or identity. It’s a problem that any human may encounter.
GLOBAL EDUCATORS AS GLOBAL CITIZENS
Carolyn (BCB), Abel (BCB), Abhijan (BCB), fatima (AQB), Malak (AQB), Raghd(AQB)
This project argues that global educators are true global citizens. They have the resources to create global networks of young citizens, connecting youth across borders.
ELON MUSK AS A GLOBAL CITIZEN
Breski (EHU), Khachaturava (EHU), Radtsevich (EHU), Christine (Smolny), Cesar (Smolny), Alina (Smolny)
This project argues that Elon Musk is an example of global citizenship because of his technological ambitions, many of which involve transcending borders and making travel faster and more accessible.
POPE FRANCIS AS A GLOBAL CITIZEN
Shishkina (EHU), Zhohla (EHU), Anissia (Smolny), Dima (Smolny)
This project focuses on Pope Francis I’s religious work, arguing that even though religion has the potential to divide humanity, Pope Francis uses it to unite people. Pope Francis has focused on social inequality, emphasizing class divides as a problem. Finally, the project argues that Pope Francis is a global citizen because of his concern for the environment, citing his efforts to persuade President Trump against leaving the Paris Accords and his policy work around sustainable energy.