Each day 25,000 children are dying and almost one billion people were unable to read a book or sign their names at the start of the new millennium. These statistics, cited by UNICEF, are the intended focus for a new international service learning group on campus.
The project, called Ethics of International Engagement and Service Learning (EIESL), is a partnership between Go Global and the UBC Center for International Health. EIESL emphasizes the importance of implementing positive change in rural and impoverished communities throughout the world. It allows students to volunteer abroad as well as promote equity, community and positive change. Through Go Global and EIESL, students are taught to value the importance of social responsibility by becoming more engaged about international ethical awareness long after their term studying abroad has ended.
“The main goals of the EIESL project are to raise critical consciousness, educate graduates to become global citizens, work for the community and strive to promote equity and positive change,” said Dr Shafik Dharamsi, Associate Director of the UBC Center for International Health and team leader and principal investigator for EIESL. “Oftentimes, students parachute into a country for a few weeks, a time which has very little potential to enable lasting change, and only seeks to use service learning to meet an end, which can be problematic. The challenges that many of the people in these countries face are so significant that they needed to be acted on immediately,” he added.
http://ubyssey.ca/news/?p=10210
http://blogs.ubc.ca/ethicsofisl/about-the-project/
http://www.familymed.ubc.ca/shafikdharamsi.htm
Earlier related at Ismailimail
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