Human Movement, Inclusivity, and Our Region

There are more than 250 million migrants in the world today, comprising more than three percent of the global population. The Philadelphia region where we live and work has been created and recreated by human movement. Radical inclusivity is a core goal at the heart of global citizenship work.

According to research by the Pew Charitable Trusts, in the 1850s, 30 percent of Philadelphians were born outside the United States, and the city was home to 1 out of 20 immigrants nationwide. In recent years, more than a quarter of Philadelphians were either immigrants or U.S. natives with immigrant parents. And this isn’t just about the city: in the region, roughly two immigrants live outside the city for every one living in the city.

Through a film and discussion series exploring the multifaceted landscape of migration in the Philadelphia area, the CPGC will welcome to campus local activists, artists, individuals, and organizations who make our region more diverse and inclusive.

Family Detention/Separation & Philly-Based Activism

October 3, 2019
6–8:00 p.m.
VCAM Screening Room
Dinner Provided
RSVP Required

Philadelphia muralist/activist Michelle Angela Ortiz will be on campus to screen her film Las Madres de Berks and discuss her activism that advances migrant rights and inclusion. Las Madres de Berks shares the testimonials of four mothers that were detained for 2 years with their children at The Berks County Residential Center, a family prison in Pennsylvania. The documentary also features the artworks that Ortiz created based on the Berks mother's stories that were unveiled in Harrisburg during a statewide action against family detention led by her community partner, the Shut Down Berks Coalition. The screening will be followed by a talkback to learn ways to take action to end family detention and an interactive workshop with Shut Down Berks Coalition.

The "Stolen Children" of WWII Poland

October 29, 2019
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
DC Bryn Mawr Room
Lunch Provided

During this lunchtime screening of Childhood Denied, local resident Aleksandra Danicki will share her experiences as one of the "Stolen Children"—a group of nearly 400,000 Polish children who, during World War II, were deported to Stalin's Russia. Many of the children, including Ms. Danicki, were transferred through the Middle East to Southern Africa before later achieving adulthood and independence. We will also hear from students who have worked with CPGC Fellowship partners Voice of Witness and Facing History and Ourselves.

Middle East / North Africa

November 13, 2019
5-8:00 p.m.
VCAM Screening Room

Philadelphia-based director Heidi Saman will be on campus to screen her film Namour, a drama centered around an Arab-American Family. We'll hear about the work of our partners at HIAS Pennsylvania, an organization that provides legal, resettlement, citizenship, and supportive services to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from all backgrounds in order to ensure their fair treatment and full integration into American society.

Liberia / West Africa

February 18, 2020
4:30–7:00 p.m.
Stokes Auditorium
Co-sponsored by the Haverford College Gender and Sexuality Studies Program

The closing event in this inaugural series will feature Because of the War, a documentary that centers on several women peacemakers in Liberia who are now Philadelphia residents. We'll learn more about some of Philadelphia's African and Caribbean diasporic communities through The African Family Health Organization and engagement with several of the women featured in the film.

This year's series only begins our focus on human movement and inclusivity in our region. We look forward to partner organizations, community members, students and faculty suggesting additional films, activists, and organizations to profile and collaborate with in future years. The journey toward global citizenship requires ongoing effort to create inclusive spaces—everywhere.