February 09, 2010

by Emily Matras

Grace Barkley '11 in Italy writing in her journal.

Each spring Davidson students return from fall semesters abroad, bringing back souvenirs, new language skills and life-long memories.

Two students, however, recently brought back something extra - awards for high achievement while abroad. Allison Dulin '10 and Grace Barkley '11 were honored by their respective study abroad programs for taking an extraordinary interest in the economic, political and cultural problems facing their host countries.

Dulin spent fall semester 2008 in Thailand through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), and spent much of her time in villages distressed by human rights violations. Dulin wanted to help the villagers combat problems including the effects of industrial agriculture and poor healthcare for HIV/AIDS victims.

"We wanted to do something that wasn't stagnant, so we asked villagers what would be helpful for them." explained Dulin. "They told us they wanted a human rights report that put their issues in a legal framework, something that would allow them to form a human rights network with other villages."

So Dulin and several other CIEE students set to work drafting reports on the violations of economic, social and cultural rights in the villages. Dubbing their effort the "ESCR Mobilization Project," the students produced a final report that was endorsed by the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand.

Allison Dulin '10 eating breakfast in Thailand.

But Dulin didn't stop there. Once back in the U.S., she helped organize a similar project to aid communities in Floyd County, Ky., that were detrimentally affected by mountain-top removal mining of coal. The U.S. project resulted in a nearly 30-page report on human rights violations there. Dulin's work earned the 2009 CIEE Student Effort of the Year.

Barkley was honored by Syracuse University's program in Florence, Italy, with the Coluccio Salutati Award, which signifies high academic achievement and integration into Italian culture. Once nominated, Barkley had to write an essay describing her cultural immersion, and chose to write about her experience in Corleone, Sicily - a hotbed of Mafia activity.

Barkley made a four-day trip to Sicily with her Italian history class. She learned that when Mafia bosses are arrested in Sicily, the government confiscates their land and splits it between non-profit cooperative farms. But the policy does not lead to entirely positive results for farmers. As leaders of these cooperative farms, they are ostracized by other members of the community who fear getting close to them and ending up as Mafia targets by association.
The students got the chance to talk with the farmers. "I never felt like more of a sore thumb in my life," said Barkley.

Barkley was shocked that that the Mafia is a real threat to the people of Sicily - especially to people who stand up to the organization. "We listened to a local restaurant owner talk about his experience with the Mafia," said Barkley. "He said, ‘I got run over, but I'm okay.' It's crazy to imagine his everyday life - he must always be on alert."

The trip was an eye-opener for Barkley. "I was surprised to find that the Mafia is a living organization in Italian society and globally."

Dulin and Barkley both took the lessons they learned abroad to heart - and each stressed that the lessons they learned could be applicable to their lives at Davidson.

"Students don't have to go abroad to affect this kind of change," said Dulin. "But they should remember that they shouldn't impose their own world view on people they're trying to help. They need to capitalize on the strengths of the community, and become invested in long-term relationships." Dulin will return to Thailand next year to teach for the CIEE program and aid students in human rights work.

Barkley said, "I've learned that you can start with one person to affect change. It might be a while before the Mafia completely disappears, but this is a good start. The farmer's cooperative provided an example to me of what I can do in my own community to make a difference."

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,800 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.
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