Tag: students

Religious and Cultural Diversity

… As seen through the eyes of 3 Muslim, Hindu, and Christian exchange students

Roseburg, Ore., Nov 21st, 2017 — The Umpqua Valley chapter of the League of Women Voters will present a program on Religious and Cultural Diversity on Tuesday, November 21st, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center, 1624 W Harvard Ave, Roseburg. This meeting is open to the public.

Do you know which country is the 2^nd most populous country in the world, and where Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all originated? Which country is comprised solely of islands, and is the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation? Which country has the world’s only city that spans two continents? What does it mean to be a devout Hindu? How do Muslims, Christians, and members of other religions interact in Indonesia? How does it feel to be an American Christian living in a majority Muslim country?

If these questions interest you, you’re invited to attend a presentation on Nov 21^st hosted by the League of Women Voters Umpqua Valley about religious and cultural diversity. The program will feature two of our exchange students who are in Douglas County as part of the State-Dept. sponsored Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. Also featured will be a U.S. person who went on an AFS exchange to Turkey in 1991.

Presenters will be: Akhilesh Jhawar, 17 year-old student from Kolkata, India, who is currently a senior at Sutherlin High School; Akhilesh is passionate about quantum physics and hopes to be an astronaut someday – last year, his school team from Kolkata won a space shuttle settlement design contest and received an all-expense paid trip to NASA.

Refina Puspita is also a 17 year-old student; she hails from Kalimantan, Indonesia, and is a senior at Roseburg High School. Refina has placed on her country’s debate team, and her passions are history, political science, and writing fiction.

And Amy Nash, a student from Roseburg, who went on exchange to Turkey after graduating high school, and can describe the cultural and religious interactions that she had.

Please attend and bring a friend.