Glocal Voices Podcast

Peoples Science: Community response to Public Health Crises in Lagos, Nigeria

PART OF THE HUMANITIES IOWA - GLOCAL CONNECTIONS ACROSS IOWA '23 - '24 PROGRAM SERIES
Malaria is a significant health concern in Nigeria, with the country having the highest infection and death rates globally, particularly affecting marginalized communities in "malaria high transmission areas."
Speaker Ebenezer Adeyemi discusses historical and current factors contributing to these disparities while explaining how communities creatively address malaria through locally-made mosquito nets, waste disposal systems, and makeshift hospitals.
Adeyemi advocates for recognizing and integrating these community approaches, drawing on "peoples' science," into global health strategies and discussions.
Ebenezer Olamiposi Adeyemi is a PhD Candidate in the department of anthropology at the University of Iowa (UI), under the advisement of Professor Ted Powers. Ebenezer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies--both from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. He also received a Master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Iowa in May 2021. Ebenezer’s broad research interests center around medical anthropology, infrastructure, the intersection of urban landscape and public health, African studies, and survival strategies in marginalized urban communities. For his ongoing doctoral research, Ebenezer is exploring the strategies that residents of Makoko, a large informal settlement characterized by inadequate public infrastructure, including waste disposal systems, public hospital, in Lagos State, Nigeria, use to access healthcare to treat malaria, the most prominent public health issue in their community. Different statistics show that malaria is the main public health issue in Nigeria, where it accounts for more causes of death than any other country in the world. However, people who live in marginalized communities, which the WHO calls ‘malaria high transmission areas,’ are more susceptible to malaria infection and death due to government marginalization and inadequate public infrastructure, including public hospitals. Adeyemi will explore the concept of “community-developed infrastructure” to explain several ingenious approaches, including the production of locally-made mosquito nets and coils, construction of makeshift waste disposal systems and hospitals, that residents of Makoko employ to reduce their exposure to malaria-causing mosquitos and to treat the disease whenever they are infected. *This program is supported by Humanities Iowa. The views and opinions expressed by this program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities Iowa.
 
Thank you to Iowa City City Channel 4 for the recording and to the Iowa City Public Library for hosting this event.

Jamaica: Holdin’ a Vibe in a Textured Landscape

PART OF THE HUMANITIES IOWA - GLOCAL CONNECTIONS ACROSS IOWA '23 - '24 PROGRAM SERIES
From Lorna Goodison’s third world woman as mystic healer to Reggae and Dancehall pulsing through Kingston nights, Jamaica moves to its own drum beat, making a dance out of its troubles. It is a textured land with its own struggles, secrets and yet an almost inexplicable capacity for lifting the spirit. Get into the vibe with this talk as we pull up the dance and take a closer look at Jamaica’s dualities.
Yashika Graham won the 2019 Mervyn Morris Prize for Poetry from the University of the West Indies, Mona, where she read for a Bachelors degree in Literatures in English.
Yashika Graham [Poetry, fiction and nonfiction writer, visual artist, radio broadcaster; Jamaica] won the 2019 Mervyn Morris Prize for Poetry from the University of the West Indies, Mona, where she read for a Bachelors degree in Literatures in English and twice won the Poetry Clash Competition. An executive member of the Poetry Society of Jamaica, she has been awarded a Centrum Writer’s Residency and has been featured on stages including the Dodge Poetry Festival (USA), Bristol Festival of Literature (UK), the World Festival of Poetry (Venezuela) and the Port Townsend Writers Conference (USA), where she has also delivered craft talks and taught cross-genre workshops.​Her poetry, prose and literary criticism have been published internationally including in Spillway Magazine, Magma, Cordite Review, PREE Lit, Bookmarked, Jamaica Journal, The Caribbean Journal of Social Work and others. Short films for her poems “Directions from the Border” and “Time Travel” – for which she won a gold medal and the Noteworthy Writer award from the Jamaica Creative Writing Competition - premiered in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Her debut collection Some of Us Can Go Back Home is forthcoming from Blouse & Skirt Books.​*This program is supported by Humanities Iowa. The views and opinions expressed by this program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities Iowa.
 
Thank you to Iowa City City Channel 4 for the recording and to the Iowa City Public Library for hosting this event.

Is Brazil at a Tipping Point? Democracy and Climate Change

As an old saying has long held that, "Brazil is the country of the future -- and it always will be." But what future? Join Dr. Smith, an expert on both democracy and the environment in Brazil, to discuss Brazilians’ hard work to control deforestation and shore up the country’s democracy, before it's too late.
From forest fires in the Amazon to a mob storming the presidential palace, scholars warn Brazil could be at a tipping point. Dr. Smith discusses these threats, but also Brazil's hopeful future.
Amy Erica Smith is an associate professor of political science, as well as a Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Professor at Iowa State University. She is also currently an Andrew Carnegie Fellow. Professor Smith’s research examines how ordinary people understand and engage in politics: from Latin America to Kenya to Oman. She is the author of three books and numerous articles, and her research has been recognized with awards including from Fulbright, the Luce Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the National Science Foundation.
 
Thank you to Iowa City City Channel 4 for the recording and to the Iowa City Public Library for hosting this event.
 

What Does it Mean to Be a Good Citizen? A University-Community Collaboration in Rural Iowa

Meet members of the West Liberty Citizenship program. Carolyn Colvin an Associate Professor of English Education at the University of Iowa, Dan Stevenson is an 8th grade social studies teacher and Erica Jennings is a high school English teacher. Nancy Gardner is a retired elementary principal in West Liberty and Jan Koellner is a retired West Liberty elementary reading teacher. Join us and also meet two naturalized citizens who participated in the program.
This event was cohosted by Better Together 2030 in conjunction with Welcoming Week 2023, of which ICFRC is a proud organizing committee member.
Thank you to Iowa City City Channel 4 for the recording and to the Iowa City Public Library for hosting this event.

Cholera in Lebanon: An Old Disease with a New Comeback

Cholera has been a global public health problem that resulted in 7 pandemics since 1961. The first cholera case was reported in North Lebanon on October 4, 2022 in an informal settlement followed by spread across the country; this is the first cholera outbreak in the country since 1993.
Despite the confinement of cases in North Lebanon early during the pandemic, the economic crisis in Lebanon and the weakened healthcare infrastructure exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in the emergence of the cholera outbreak.
Dr. Nada M. Melhem is a tenured Professor of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (Virology and Immunology) at the Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut. Melhem is currently the Director of the Division of Health Professions and the Chair of the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at the Faculty of Health Sciences. 
With a unique background and training in virology, immunology and epidemiology, Melhem developed at AUB a transdisciplinary and translational research program focusing on viral immunopathogenesis and the epidemiology of viruses, and their impact on global human health. Melhem’s research program focuses on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), viral diarrheal diseases specifically noroviruses and COVID-19. Melhem is currently leading the SARS-CoV-2 National Surveillance Genomic Program for healthcare workers and hospitalized patients.
This talk is one of three public events made possible by a Major Projects Award from UI International Programs. Funding for the Major Projects Award provided by the generous support of the Stanley-University of Iowa Foundation Support Organization and UI International Programs.
Thank you to Iowa City City Channel 4 for the recording and to the Iowa City Public Library for hosting this event.

Living in Ukraine: My Story of an Unbreakable Nation

PART OF THE HUMANITIES IOWA - GLOCAL CONNECTIONS ACROSS IOWA '23 - '24 PROGRAM SERIES
Born and raised in Ukraine, Oksana Hirchak landed for the first time in Chicago on August 24, 2021, also the Independence Day of her home country. She came to the United States to study, and August 2023 is the month Oksana graduates with a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa. In Ukraine, she also obtained a bachelor's degree in History and a master's degree in American and European Studies.​Oksana spent a year teaching English to adults in Beijing, China. Her background in History and Psychology and her experience living in three countries provides a unique opportunity to see the world from different perspectives. In October 2022, Oksana received a Global Democracy Ambassador Scholarship from the Institute of International Education for Ukrainian students. She also received the International Student Graduation Leadership Award from the University of Iowa.*This program is supported by Humanities Iowa. The views and opinions expressed by this program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities Iowa.
 
Thank you to Iowa City City Channel 4 for the recording and to the Oaknoll Community for hosting this event.

How the Young Generation of African Political and Business Leaders are Carrying Nelson Mandela’s Legacy

Featuring the Mandela Washington Fellows. The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). YALI was created in 2010 and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020.
Established in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship has brought nearly 5,800 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States for academic and leadership training.
The Fellows, between the ages of 25 and 35, are accomplished innovators and leaders in their communities and countries.
Thank you to Iowa City City Channel 4 for the recording and to the Iowa City Public Library for hosting this event.

Climate Security as National Security: Climate Change and the Hawkeye State

Climate change is at the forefront of both foreign and domestic policy. While often discussed as an environmental issue, there are profound consequences for our national security, the military, and international relations. From an increase in severe weather events to food security and migration – the complexities of climate have far-reaching implications for both Iowans and the nation writ large. Please join the American Security Project, the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, the University of Iowa’s International Programs, Public Policy Center, and Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, and our group of expert panelists as we explore climate as the ultimate “threat multiplier.” 

Glocal Voices Podcast October 2023

Co-hosts Kennedy Lein and Thom Blair welcome you to the Glocal Voices Podcast. In this episode, Thom and Kennedy share clips from a few of their favorite programs from this season and perspectives on what topics mean for them and what other students can do to make an impact on urgent issues, from malaria in Nigeria to dance in Jamaica and renewed efforts to combat climate change in Brazil.

Welcome to the Glocal Voices Podcast!

Co-hosts Kennedy Lein and Thom Blair welcome you to the Glocal Voices Podcast. In this first episode, Thom and Kennedy share clips from a few of their favorite programs from last season and perspectives on what topics mean for them and what other students can do to make an impact on urgent issues, from the war in Ukraine to global warming and the implications of unregulated social media on our daily lives.