Elon University students will have a chance to see life from the perspective of different cultures through a global village that will be created on campus Jan. 6-10. The village, which will be located in McKinnon Hall in the Moseley Center, is co-sponsored by Heifer International, an organization which focuses on sustainable development, and a grant from Project Pericles, an initiative which promotes community service.
The village will have structures representing Ghana, El Salvador, Vietnam and a migrant farm worker camp in North Carolina. Students will be able to participate in a variety of activities, including peasant meals representing each of the four cultures, a simulation in which students assume roles as villagers and discussion groups about topics related to sustainable development.
A cluster of special courses during the month-long Winter Term in January is centered around the theme of Globalization and Culture, offering students the chance to explore the various ways today’s world is connected. Some of these courses include The Impact of Disease on Humanity; Globalization, Culture and Media; and Sustainable Development in a Global Economy. Students in these and other courses will visit the global village as part of their coursework.
Based in Little Rock, Ark., Heifer International uses animals as a tool for development in countries around the world. The organization provides livestock to families and communities, teaching them how to care for the animals and the land to become self-sufficient. Heifer also operates a 1,200-acre ranch in Perryville, Ark., which includes a global village. The Elon village marks the first time Heifer has duplicated its village on a university campus.
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