Carnegie Mellon

International Festival

Global Exchange: Trade, Rights & Welfare in a New World Economy
November 1-3, 2007

Welcome!

Throughout its seventeen years, the International Festival has provided the community with a unique opportunity – a chance to engage and explore world cultures, pressing issues, and fascinating traditions through a wide range of mediums. This year will be no different. It is with great pleasure that I invite you to attend the 2007 International Festival: “Global Exchange: Trade, Rights, and Welfare in a New World Economy.”

With a full schedule from Thursday, November 1 through Saturday, November 3, 2007 Carnegie Mellon’s University Center will be transformed into a world of exploration with workshops, lectures, performances, food, and films. The International Festival planning committee, comprised of students, faculty, and staff has put together three days of captivating programs and events intended to bring to light the changing economies of the world.

Do not miss the keynote lecture by Charles Fishman, award-winning journalist and author of The Wal-Mart Effect, on Friday, November 2 at 12:30pm in Rangos Ballroom.
By influencing the way we shop, the products we buy, and the prices we pay everyday, Wal-Mart continues to purposefully drive the American economy. On the other end, it affects the operations of the suppliers and changes what is sold, how these products are packaged and presented, and the very lives of the factory workers who make these products around the world. It is, as Fishman describes, the most powerful and influential company in the world. Find out more about the phenomena, the lives it has touched, and what it means for the future of globalization. The lecture will take place over lunch and will be followed by time for Q&A. Tickets for the lecture are free and include lunch for all attendees.

For a truly entertaining and cultural closing to the festival, be sure to attend Bhangra in the Burgh, a national Bhangra dance competition hosted by Carnegie Mellon’s Mayur-SASA and Chak De, on Saturday, November 3 from 7-10pm in the Soldiers & Sailors Museum and Memorial in Oakland. Bhangra is a lively and energetic folk dance that originated in an East Pakistan and Northwest India region known as Punjab. It is typically performed while celebrating the annual harvest, but after spreading its popularity, particularly in the United Kingdom, Canada and the US, it has fused with Western elements including hip-hop and reggae. The competition will boast Bhangra dance teams from universities around the country competing for the top prize. All proceeds will go to the Homeless Children’s Education Fund, a non-profit organization that provides access to education for homeless children of Allegheny County. By attending, you are supporting a worthy cause and will most certainly be entertained and given a glimpse of the Punjab and South Asian cultures. Tickets for Carnegie Mellon community members are $10 and bus service will be provided from the UC Turnaround to Soldiers & Sailors.

There will be something for everyone at this year’s International Festival – from an art gallery depicting wage inequality to a lecture on the embrace of globalization in India and China. Be prepared to learn about the significance of fair trade, the exciting prospect of micro-lending, and the tales of illegal immigration in the United States. Take a look at the schedule and see what sparks your interest. I look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,
Emily Half
International Festival Coordinator