GIC Talks for November

1. November 2.

Speaker: Matt Furlane (U.S.A.)

Matt Furlane graduated from college with a degree in Political Science and Electronics Engineering. He grew up in a middle-working class neighborhood near Chicago and attended both private and public schools. He held several jobs before and during his college years that allowed him to travel throughout much of the Chicago region. He worked in housing construction and landscaping and installed doors/windows in numerous suburban neighborhoods. His dream someday is to have the opportunity to create a new type of living environment in the United States that will replace the suburbs.

Topic: The American Suburbs: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. 

America is one of the best and largest nations on earth, having one of the largest and most innovative economies, one of the strongest militaries and some of the most breath-taking landscapes on earth. But in contrast, in the speaker’s opinion, America also has one of the largest and most poorly-designed living arrangements in the world – the Suburbs. The speaker wants to look at the history and original purpose of the suburbs and examine its impact on subjects like climate change, the recession, crime, food, drug use and culture. Additionally, he wants to draw a contrast from the urban planning in Korea, which does not have the space for sprawling style suburbs and the attendant problems of American suburban life. Lastly, he wants to discuss possible solutions for a better, more efficient model of living in the United States.

 

2. November 9:

Speaker: Yiombi Thona (Congolese)

Yiombi Thona was an agent in the National Intelligence Agency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was caught when he attempted to hand over evidence of the regime’s corruption to the opposition party and spent time in prison on charges of treason. After narrowly escaping from prison, he arrived in South Korea in 2002.

Topic: My Name is Yiombi.

The talk is an autobiographic story of Yiombi Thona, recounting his life in Korea from being an illegal worker and surviving, fighting to gain a political refugee status and his life as a refugee in Korea. The talk will also raise awareness about refugees living in Gwangju. He wants to make use of his experience and background in economics to work for an NGO and to contribute to the human rights of other refugees living in Korea.

 

3. November 16:

Speaker: Fahmiranti Wida Zulfia (Indonesian)

Fahmiranti Wida Zulfia, who goes by Ranti, is an Indonesian youth currently attending Chonnam National University. She came to Gwangju as an exchange student from Airlangga University in March 2013. She is now living in Gwangju to complete her fall semester for the next four months. This Communications student is really passionate in promoting Indonesia to everyone, especially in Korea. She believes that it is her responsibility as an Indonesian to promote the country to the world, since Indonesia has many beautiful sites to explore, and Indonesia is not as bad as the mass media sometimes states.

Topic: Good News From Indonesia

Citizens of some countries will try to promote their countries through the world, not only through tourism but also through providing a positive image of that country. But when we are talking about Indonesia, there are still so many people who think about Indonesia from a negative perspective. The mass media, in particular, contributes to that viewpoint. Yes, even our own local media prefers to cover the bad news, rather than showcase the good news.

In this talk, the speaker will show that today listeners can have a reliable source and find good news from and about Indonesia. The website: www.goodnewsfromindonesia.com is provided in English and Indonesian. The news coverage varies between politics, art, entertainment and fashion. The website’s news can also be accessed through its Twitter account @GNFI, which has more than 300,000 followers around the world.

 

4. November 23:

Speaker: Ishwar Arnold Rocke (French Consul)

Topic: French Presence in South Korea (For more information, refer to the GIC Preview article)

See our GIC Talk Preview in the print or PDF edition of this month’s GWANGJU NEWS.

 

5. November 30:

Speaker: Hamisi Tindwa (Tanzania)

Hamisi Tindwa is currently enrolled as a doctoral student at the graduate school, college of agriculture and life sciences at Chonnam National University. He has been working in that capacity since his arrival to Korea in March 2011. He has an undergraduate degree in Agronomy, with a preference for Soil Microbiology, and a Masters of Science degree in Soil Science and Land Management from Sokoine University of Agriculture, in Morogoro, Tanzania.

Topic: Peaceful cohabitation of Tanzania’s diverse cultural and religious groups, a rare example in the conflict torn central and east Africa

The speaker will attempt to share his experience and facts on why and how Tanzania’s 50 million citizens present a rare example of peaceful cohabitation in a region where there are daily stories about conflicts related to religious and tribal differences. The talk will also demonstrate that this path is not without taints, and how the nation is addressing the roadblocks. Shortcomings on approaches used and an open-ended discussion for the best future hopes of the beautiful people of Tanzania will be discussed.

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