By Lebanese American University, Special for USDR
The rapid implosion of Syria’s social fabric and the near total collapse of its institutions raise many questions about the country’s ability to remain resilient and hopeful.
This fall, Lebanese American University presents Syria Resilient, a series of events aimed at fostering an understanding of Syria, not as a land of war and tragedy, but as a place of origin and sentiment for over 150,000 Americans whose ancestors began settling in the United States in the 1880s.
The series includes music and art performances, a panel discussion, and film screenings. It takes place in conjunction with theLittle Syria exhibition at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, showcasing the early Syrian community in New York through a rich selection of objects, artifacts, and texts.
Syria Resilient aims to humanize the experiences of everyday Syrians, by offering a platform for Syrian voices to express their own experiences of—and responses to—the war.
“The Lebanese American University is making a dedicated effort to bring arts and culture from the Arab World to a New Yorkaudience,” says Academic Center Director Dr. Lina Beydoun. “Part our university’s mission is ‘the education of the whole person,’ and that means enriching the mind outside the classroom is as important as the learning that takes place in the classroom.”
Syria Resilient is organized by LAU New York, in coordination with Bard College and The New Pen Society.
LAU’s New York Academic Center regularly hosts public events aimed at engaging and informing the community, and nurturing cross-cultural dialogue.
About LAU:
The university, headquartered in Beirut, was first founded in 1835 as a girls’ elementary school by an American missionary named Sarah Smith, who had traveled from Norwich, Connecticut to Lebanon. Through education, she sought to build bridges and traverse cultural differences. Eventually, through a series of evolutions and expansions, the small girls’ school grew to become a fully accredited co-ed university.
SOURCE Lebanese American University
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