December 7, 2011 -- Penn State's Sam Richards, senior lecturer in sociology, and Laurie Mulvey, lecturer in sociology, along with a contingent from their World In Conversation Project (WinC), will travel to Doha, Qatar, to participate in the UN Alliance of Civilization's Youth Day forum on Dec. 10. The event is expected to attract more than 250 youth from around the world.
To watch a video blog about the group's upcoming visit, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyY758fawoE online.
Richards and Mulvey, whose work with the WinC project includes facilitating peer-to-peer dialogues about sensitive issues such as race, gender and faith, have been contracted by organizers to showcase their innovative conversation model by facilitating a series of small group discussions between young people with diverse backgrounds. Current WinC facilitators and WinC alumni also will be in attendance to help the facilitation. In addition, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the UN, is scheduled to attend the WinC sessions, where conversation topics will include the global issues of diversity, intercultural-exchange, peace-building, and development.
“It is encouraging to see the value of conversation validated in such an international forum," said Mulvey, executive director of the WinC project.
Richards, Mulvey, and representatives from the WinC contingent will be posting written and video blogs about their expectations and experiences on the WinC website at www.worldinconversation.org, as well as on the WinC Facebook page, at http://www.facebook.com/worldinconversationproject.
The mission of the World In Conversation Project is to create dialogues about social and cultural issues that expand perspectives and invite greater understanding between people, locally and globally.