"The similarities between Iraq and Darfur are remarkable. The estimate of the number of civilians killed over the past three years is roughly similar. The killers are mostly paramilitaries, closely linked to the official military, which is said to be their main source of arms. The victims too are by and large identified as members of group, rather than targeted as individuals. But the violence in the two places is named differently. In Iraq, it is said to be a cycle of insurgency; in Darfur, it is called genocide. Why is the difference? Who does the naming? Who is being named? What difference does it make?"

"The Politics of Naming: Genocide, Civil War, Insurgency"
Mahmood Mamdani- March 2007

In times of conflicts like the one we live in, we feel alienated and helpless. This is primarily due to the absence of platforms in which open dialogue can take place. We are bombarded daily with the escalating rhetoric of fear. We watch our leaders resorting to armed conflict to resolve disputes that could be defused through diplomatic and non-armed means. At the same time we are engaging less and less with the political process and withdrawing further and further into despair. As an institution that prides itself in educating women who are highly engaged with their world, we think it is of great importance that we present our community with alternative ways of looking at conflict, provide a forum in which they can feel safe and empowered to discuss these issues and encourage them to engage with each other in how to seek resolutions to some of the ongoing conflicts.

Bringing creative and compelling thinkers such as Dr. Mamdani and using the powerful language of moving images we plan to provide just such a forum. We want to bring together members of the Wellesley College community who are doing work in isolation and who can contribute to the intellectual power of this symposium.