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September/October 2014

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Having Fun and Staying Safe

By Michael Gallant

Don’t Stand By

By Howard Cincotta

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Women’s Studies in the United States

By Sarah Pinto and Wesley Teter

Changing Campus Attitudes

By Steve Fox

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Q&A With Jan Leach

By Raktima Bose

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SMS SOS

By Jane Varner Malhotra

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The Mind of the Undergraduate Admissions Committee

By Don Martin and Wesley Teter

Online Helpline

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Publisher Walter T. Douglas

Editor in Chief David Mees

Editor Deepanjali Kakati Hindi Editor Giriraj Agarwal Urdu Editor Syed Sulaiman Akhtar Copy Editors Raktima Bose, Shah Md. Tahsin Usmani Editorial Assistant Yugesh Mathur Web Manager Chetna Khera

Art Director Hemant Bhatnagar Deputy Art Directors Qasim Raza, Shah Faisal Khan Production/Circulation Manager Alok Kaushik Printing Assistant Manish Gandhi

Front cover: An “I Can We Can” artwork, entitled “Stop Abuse,” created by workshop participant Athena Godoy.

Photograph courtesy A Window Between Worlds

The Healing Power of Art

By Michael Gallant

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News Scape

Research Services Bureau of International Information Programs, The American Library

27 34

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#CityConnections

By Anne Walls

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From Reel to Real

By Carrie Loewenthal Massey

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Small but Powerful Meds

By Andrzej Zwaniecki

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Bhangra Beats

By Momo Chang

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Art

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Travel

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Courtesy SLAP

Community Support

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A Journey of Discovery

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Aaron Hostutler

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Diplomacy

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Courtesy A Window Between Worlds

Courtesy U.S. Department of State

V O LU M E LV N U M B E R 5

Published by the Public Affairs Section, American Center, 24 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001 (phone: 23472000), on behalf of the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi. Printed at Thomson Press India Limited, 18/35, Delhi Mathura Road, Faridabad, Haryana 121007. Opinions expressed in this 44-page magazine do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Government.  Articles with a star may be reprinted with permission.

Those without a star are copyrighted and may not be reprinted.

Contact SPAN at 011-23472135 or editorspan@state.gov

Photographs by KIM LIAO

A Journey of Dis

C

onnecting with people and cultures, sometimes through unusual ways, comes naturally to Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Ambassador Kathleen Stephens. “One of the challenges that you face when you come here as a diplomat—a foreigner, not speaking the same language—is how you are going to feel the pulse of life…. I do believe, seeing makes it more real.”

During her tenure as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2008 to 2011, she was a keen bicyclist, completing several long journeys including a 2011 nineday, 700-kilometer bike trip from Seoul, along the west coast of Korea, all the way to the island of

2 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

Jindo in the far south.

Ambassador Stephens arrived in India in June. By August, she set out to get a feel of India and experience the way the vast majority of Indians travel. Her first train trip was on the Swarnajayanti Rajdhani Express from New Delhi to Ahmedabad. During the 934-kilometer journey, the Ambassador enjoyed the homemade Indian meals on the overnight train.

She found the Ahmedabad-bound train was “very comfortable…I enjoyed it…and had a nice sleep.”

“One thing which impresses me about India is that it has such an extensive railway system and it is so much part and parcel of Indian life,”

covery

Far left: Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Ambassador Kathleen Stephens at the Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati, Ahmedabad.

Below left: Ambassador Stephens on board the New DelhiAhmedabad Swarnajayanti Rajdhani Express (above left).

Below left: The journey gave Ambassador Stephens a chance to see glimpses of Indian rural and urban life along the train tracks.

Bottom left: The meal served onboard the train.

DIPLOMACY

Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador Stephens travels by train to Ahmedabad to feel the real pulse of India.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 3

Photographs by KIM LIAO

Above: Ambassador Stephens reads Mahatma Gandhi’s handwritten letters at the Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati, Ahmedabad.

Above left: The Chargé visits a solar power plant in Ahmedabad.

Left: Ambassador Stephens at the lobby of Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel’s office. She tweeted this photo along with the message, “I just learned that yoga is compulsory in primary school!”

she said in an interview in Ahmedabad.

Watching the sunrise, seeing evidence of Indian urban and rural life along the train tracks was quite an experience.

During the journey, she chatted with followers through her Twitter account @AmbStephens. @dr_pinkesh wrote, “Welcome to Gujarat!! Try Gujarati dishes like dhokla, fafada, jalebi and more...you will never forget taste of it.” @tanvi_madan tweeted, “1962: US amb Galbraith traveled across India, not just riding but ‘driving’ train,” along with a photograph of Ambassador Galbraith.

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In Gujarat, Ambassador Stephens visited the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi, interacted with students and faculty of Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, met with U.S. business firms involved in solar energy, and took a tour of the Sarkhej Roza. She also met Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.

Which places do you think the Chargé should visit to experience Indian culture? Write to us at editorspan@state.gov and we will forward your suggestions to Ambassador Stephens.

Illustration by HEMANT BHATNAGAR

Follow Ambassador Stephens on Twitter https://twitter.com/AmbStephens

U.S. Embassy, New Delhi http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/

Having © Getty Images

By MICHAEL GALLANT

Photographs courtesy Break the Cycle

Left: A student participates in the “Love is...” activity at a resource fair where they define what love means to them in one word.

Below: Student artwork represents WHO’s “1 in 3” statistic at a community resource fair.

Below left: Members of Break the Cycle’s national youth advisory board in Washington, D.C.

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Fun and Staying Safe Thanks to Break the Cycle, teenagers learn to stop dating violence before it starts.

Break the Cycle

http://breakthecycle.org

24/7 dating violence hotline http://goo.gl/eVDEv

Michael Gallant is the founder and chief executive officer of Gallant Music. He lives in New York City.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 7

DATING VIOLENCE

you don’t want certain pictures of you posted publicly on the Internet. We teach that boundaries must be respected—and that if they’re not, you may need to step back and re-evaluate the relationship.”

To keep their curricula relevant to a young audience, Break the Cycle goes to the experts: young people themselves. The organization works closely with a national youth advisory board consisting of 25 members, all aged between 13 and 23 years. “The board keeps us grounded in youth culture,” says Ceja. “We use media references and popular examples from TV in our workshops to help students identify both healthy and unhealthy, abusive relationships.”

Looking forward, Ceja hopes that Break the Cycle’s efforts will catalyze a bigger movement of young people who will engage their peers and spread the word about healthy relationships. “We want to build a network of regional leaders in every state and city,” she says. “We also have lots of our programs centered around having young people themselves becoming leaders in education. We know that young people will listen to friends and peers more than adults and parents, so we try to make them a focus of our prevention work.”

While stopping digital violence is a key mission of Break the Cycle, it’s far from the organization’s only focus. It partners with the National Domestic Violence Hotline to host 24/7 help services through loveisrespect.org where teens and young adults can call in and speak to trained advocates, communicate with peer advocates via online chat or text for help from their mobile phones. The organization also specializes in training counselors at youth centers and police departments, as well as making available staff attorneys who lend their services to abuse and child custody cases.

Go Online

F

rom shopping to entertainment, looking for jobs to learning new skills, countless facets of everyday life have been reinvented by the Internet. Yet, for millions of young people around the world, the most important transformation might involve something entirely different: dating.

Tech-savvy teens everywhere will affirm that texting, social media and other innovations offer exciting ways to connect and have fun. But such tools can also be dangerous, says Jasmine Ceja, and education is key when it comes to dating safety in the digital age.

Ceja works as national youth organizing manager for Break the Cycle, a Los Angelesbased nonprofit organization that teaches young people to embrace relationships that are healthy and ditch ones that aren’t. “Many people are familiar with domestic violence amongst parents and adults and know what that looks like, but with teens, the issues are very different,” says Ceja. “Digital abuse, stalking and cyberbullying can be real problems if someone you’re romantically involved with tries to control or threaten you using technology.”

Break the Cycle hosts specially-designed workshops with students, teaching them the skills and awareness to stop such problems before they start. “We begin by sharing information about what an issue like digital abuse is,” says Ceja. “We also go over what to do if you find yourself in a dangerous situation, if you see a friend dealing with dating violence or digital abuse, or even if you feel like you’re exhibiting abusive behavior yourself.”

Central to Break the Cycle’s philosophy is the belief that every human being deserves respect. And in the world of dating, knowing how to set boundaries within romantic relationships can help teenagers receive the respectful treatment they need. “It’s okay to say that you don’t want your boyfriend or girlfriend to text you after 8 p.m. because you have to study for an exam,” Ceja says, “or that

Photographs courtesy Blank Noise

Blank Noise

http://blog.blanknoise.org http://blank-noise.tumblr.com

Courage Through Noise, Safety Through Action

F

or years, public sexual harassment of women in India has been dismissed by many as a harmless prank. Over the last decade, though, Jasmeen Patheja has seen attitudes change for the better—and it’s an evolution that the 34-year-old Bangalore artist has worked hard to make a reality.

Patheja facilitates the groundbreaking multimedia initiative, Blank Noise, which she describes as “a community arts collective working with individuals and citizens to take ownership of sexual violence. Blank Noise intervenes to shift the fear-based relationship women have with their cities.” She attended the “Vital Voices of Asia: Women’s Leadership and Training Summit” in New Delhi in 2010.

Blank Noise uses Facebook, Twitter and the Blank Noise blog for purposes like building and sharing testimonials about abuse, reaching out to the community with information and volunteer opportunities and generally spreading a message of courage and respect, but also relies on initiatives that manifest on the streets themselves.

Between 2006 and 2008 in Bangalore, for example, Blank Noise created a campaign called “Being Idle,” which organized female volunteers—dubbed Action Heroes

by Patheja—to occupy public spaces, relaxing and making eye contact with people walking by. “In doing so, Action Heroes confront their own fears and assert

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their presence in city spaces,” says Patheja.

“They shift the nature of the place also through collective action, [making] the place familiar and therefore, less fearful through new association.”

Another Blank Noise campaign, “Talk To Me,” took things a step further, earning widespread visibility. “ ‘Talk To Me’ invited strangers to an hour-long conversation with each other, over tea and samosas,” describes Patheja. The catch? The conversations happen in a Bangalore street known as “Rapist Lane” due to the high number of assaults that happen there. “The event was designed to fight fear, get rid of biases and prejudice,” she says.

Upcoming Blank Noise initiatives include “I Never Ask For It,” a global campaign that will use YouTube, billboards and other mediums to “build testimonials of clothing,” Patheja says. “We’re asking people to send a photo of the clothes that they wore when they experienced sexual violence or intimidation. These garments will be placed on a world map. It’s a participatory, fact-building way to say that there is no excuse for sexual violence.”

The campaign is being designed for a three-year period and will also be used for a mobile installation of garments, Patheja adds. “Each garment is a witness and a rejection of blame. Each garment builds resonance in saying, ‘I never ask for it.’ ”—M.G.

Women’s Studies in the United States

EDUCATION

Illustration by QASIM RAZA and RAKTIMA BOSE, photograph © Getty Images

By SARAH PINTO and WESLEY TETER

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 9

A major in women’s studies provides a strong foundation in research methods and communication tools.

G

ender is at the heart of many pressing global concerns. Around the world, women’s issues are on the minds of many, from scholars and politicians to the people who are most affected by inequality. Recent media coverage of sexual assaults in India and on U.S. university campuses show that where gender is concerned, there is urgency everywhere. We all share the responsibility for understanding our societies and imagining strategies for change.

This dual goal is at the heart of the disciplines of women’s studies and gender studies.

Women’s studies, a field of scholarly study founded in the late 1960’s, brings together knowledge and methods from different disciplines to build an understanding of the place of gender in lives, histories, politics and knowledge. In many universities, programs have been renamed to better reflect the scope of studies. These include programs in gender studies; women’s and gender studies; women’s, gender and sexuality studies; and feminist studies. By any name, the field has at its core the idea that gender is socially constructed. Exploring the diversity and impact of ideas about gender, it turns its gaze outward as well, to injustice more generally. It directs insights gained by thinking about gender to questions about the world and our knowledge of it.

Women’s studies is a diverse field and scholars explore topics such as the history of divorce and inheritance law, women 10 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

artists and filmmakers, reproductive health interventions, women’s religious practices, sexual identity and state regulations of it, the history of women’s movements, gender in music performance and gender-informed design and engineering, among many other topics.

Some people with training in women’s and gender studies direct their energies into activism. For others, taking a feminist perspective is activism in itself.

And for others, studies enhance knowledge for knowledge’s sake.

Opportunities at undergraduate and graduate level There are many opportunities to pursue this field of study in the United States, ranging from short-term exchange programs, undergraduate and graduate degree programs up to the Ph.D. level and postgraduate research positions and internships. One of the most attractive features of a bachelor’s degree program in the United States is that it is highly flexible. This encourages undergraduates to explore a range of fields such as women’s studies, computer science or their own mix of interests. Although this is especially the case in liberal arts programs, most U.S. universities require students to take courses in a range of areas while they pursue their degree in a chosen field.

Like students pursuing other majors, women’s and gender studies students may be asked, “What are you going to do with

that degree?” What many students, and parents, may not realize is that a major in women’s studies, in being an interdisciplinary degree, provides a strong foundation in research methods and communication tools that serve people throughout their life and career. Women’s studies students learn to be excellent writers, speakers and critical thinkers.

They may also learn skills related to specific fields such as economics, engineering, business and health care.

While degree programs are highly diverse, an undergraduate student majoring in women’s studies will often take courses in feminist theory and research methods, social theory, queer studies, history, literature, sociology and anthropology, and might also take courses in film, law, art history, music and science and engineering. Many programs also offer an international focus, allowing students to concentrate on a region of interest and develop their foreign language skills while developing a solid foundation in the ideas and tools of gender study.

For some students, an undergraduate degree in women’s studies or gender studies is just the beginning. Many U.S. universities offer master’s degrees in these fields and there are a number of doctoral programs as well. Some universities offer joint degrees, pairing women’s studies with programs in law, business and health sciences as well as other academic fields. Many students find that further developing their skills in women’s

Go Online

U.S. Colleges Offering Women’s Studies programs http://goo.gl/vQSOf2

National Women’s Studies Association http://www.nwsa.org

Women’s Studies Career Path Photographs courtesy Gettysburg College

http://goo.gl/bteTw0

studies prepares them for gender-focused careers in law, medicine, public health, social work and public service. Others are interested in a career in academia.

Prospective graduate students in women’s studies can expect a research-intensive program of study, including fieldwork and often a thesis or dissertation.

When searching for a program at the graduate level, it is important to begin by seeking out faculty with interests similar to yours, those with active research projects and who are in departments with graduate programs. If you have been especially inspired by a scholarly book or article, look up the author—chances are, they are a professor at a university, and may be in a department that offers graduate degrees. Most master’s programs do not offer funding, but many doctoral programs provide assistance ranging from tuition remission, teaching fellowships and living stipends to full scholarships. Most of the latter will

Above far left: A representation of Marilyn Frye’s birdcage metaphor.

Frye is a philosopher and feminist theorist. Her essay on this metaphor can be read at http://goo.gl/TnbyAo. Above left and left: Students of the women, gender, and sexuality studies program at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

expect a master’s degree, but in very special cases, students may apply for Ph.D. programs directly after the bachelor’s degree.

Regardless of your intended major or career goals, if you have an interest in gender or are passionate about social justice, seek out opportunities to learn more about women’s studies. Even if you don’t end up with a Ph.D. in this field, you will undoubtedly find your world has been expanded and its people, places and issues connected up. You will develop the tools to understand and address the most vital of matters around the world and in your own backyard.

Sarah Pinto is an associate professor of anthropology and the incoming director of the women’s, gender, and sexuality studies program at Tufts University in Massachusetts.

Wesley Teter is a senior consultant and former regional director for EducationUSA. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

11

The Mind Undergraduate Admissions Committee

of the

By DON MARTIN and WESLEY TETER

Admissions officials in the United States consider various factors before accepting or rejecting an international application.

H

ere are some of the key issues that admissions officials must consider when deciding whether to accept or reject an applicant from another country.

1. Attract talented students The first thing on the mind of the admissions director is to attract and admit talented applicants in order to meet the enrollment goals of the institution. These goals are often set by the senior administration and, in some instances, by the faculty. Many factors are taken into consideration while determining enrollment goals—the number of male and female students, the number of U.S. minority students, the number of international students, average GPA (grade point average), average for standardized tests, and more.

There will almost always be an international student enrollment target number provided to the admissions director.

Sometimes this number will be flexible; most of the time, it is set in stone. Let’s say, for instance, that the enrollment goal for incoming international students at the institution is 20 percent and the overall incoming class size goal is 500. That means the director will be responsible for the enrollment of 100 international students at the start of the academic year. If that number is 95 or lower, or 106 or 12 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

higher, the administration will most likely not be happy.

And let’s say that between 500 and 600 international students apply for that incoming target of 100. This means a very difficult selection process for that director, who will most likely have to deny many more applicants than can be admitted.

music and performance, athletics, etc.

The college experience in the United States includes a blend of both academic and nonacademic experiences. Life outside the classroom is just as important and meaningful as life inside the classroom. So, the admissions director will be looking for applicants who have distinguished themselves in both ways.

2. Promote diversity on campus

4. Focus on “fit”

Diversity is a major theme for admission directors. That includes enrolling international students from as many countries as possible. This means that for countries like India, from which there are thousands of applicants every year, the selection process among these applicants may be even greater than from another country from which fewer apply.

Among directors of admissions there is a generally positive impression of international applicants, especially of those from India. The impression is that international students consider studying abroad to be a real privilege and they are committed to making the most of that opportunity. It is also expected that international students will make every effort to become part of the educational environment they join. Most international students take great pains to “fit in,” make friends and become part of the institutional “family.”

3. Holistic assessment In addition to the diversity of the incoming class, there is another type of diversity that will be considered: the background of the applicant. Undergraduate applicants need to demonstrate that they have a broad background that encompasses more than their academic success. There needs to be evidence of participation in extracurricular activities—student leadership, student clubs,

5. Ensure compliance and fairness In most cases, it is assumed that international students complete good applications and that they are able to follow directions well. This is extremely impor-

© Getty Images

tant. In the mind of an admissions committee member or the admissions director, someone who cannot follow directions as an applicant will be less likely to follow directions as a student.

6. Succeeding once enrolled A major concern of most admissions directors has to do with the ability of the international applicants to communicate in English and succeed academically.

While this concern is not as great for applicants from India, it is taken into consideration. Obviously, the ability to communicate effectively is critical to the success of their students and faculty.

Sometimes international students view English requirements at various institutions as prohibitive or even punitive. This could not be further from the truth. It is

actually a step taken to help guarantee their success. Admissions, student affairs and academic personnel are extremely concerned about creating an environment in which their students will thrive. The last thing anyone would want is for an undergraduate student to come to the United States and fail, especially if that can be prevented. Determining the level of English proficiency is critical to an international student’s application.

Don Martin is a former admissions dean at Columbia, University of Chicago and Northwestern; and author of “Road Map for Graduate Study.”

Wesley Teter is a former regional director for EducationUSA in New Delhi. He is also the editor of the multimedia outreach campaign, 10 Steps to Study in the United States.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

13

It takes a community effort to prevent gender violence.

Don’t

Courtesy Prevention Innovations

By HOWARD CINCOTTA

Go Online

Prevention Innovations http://cola.unh.edu/ prevention-innovations

14 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

Know Your Power

www.know-your-power.org

Stand By

W

hen we think of violence against women, we typically think of victims and perpetrators. That may be accurate in a specific case, but to address the broader issue of gender violence—a phenomenon that crosses borders and cultures—we need to focus on the community at large.

That’s the founding principle for an innovative program to combat gender violence at the University of New Hampshire that has drawn attention across the United States. It is called Bringing in the Bystander and features an associated social marketing campaign called Know Your Power.

The Bystander program was created by Prevention Innovations, a research, training and advocacy organization founded at the University of New Hampshire in 2006. Its co-director is Jane Stapleton, who first became involved in gender violence issues after a case of gang rape on the campus in 1987. The assailants received minor sentences, the victim dropped out of school and disappeared.

“It was such a different time,” Stapleton recalls. “We didn’t even have words like date rape or acquaintance rape. I changed my graduate studies to focus on gender equality and violence issues.”

Today, Stapleton’s work draws upon those experiences and upon years of extensive research in the causes and prevention of gender violence.

The Know Your Power social marketing campaign is a research project developed and evaluated by Prevention Innovations at the University of New Hampshire.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 15

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Bystanders

“

Photographs courtesy Prevention Innovations

Women are not approached as potential victims nor men as potential perpetrators. Instead, we use a community approach to prevention, where everyone has a role to play in ending sexual violence and stalking.

”

—Jane Stapleton

“The field now has shifted from attempting to end the problem of assaults on campus by just talking with women about how to stay safe and asking men not to rape,” says Stapleton.

“Bystander intervention is different. Women are not approached as potential victims nor men as potential perpetrators. Instead, we use a community approach to prevention, where everyone has a role to play in ending sexual violence and stalking.”

Prevention Innovations, which include university experts in sociology, psychology, social work, law and women’s studies, has developed a variety of programs for dealing with violence against women. Equally important, in this

16 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

context, is that they have also rigorously evaluated the programs.

“What’s unique about our work is the research we conduct on the effectiveness of our program,” Stapleton says. “Everything is based on evidence-based research.”

Many of the best practices derived from that research have been formulated into a series of training modules sold to colleges and other organizations throughout the United States.

“The Bystander program uses a public health model—that violence can be identified and prevented,” says Stapleton.

In workshops that can last 90 minutes or half a day, participants learn the concept of

Left and above: Know Your Power, the social marketing campaign, has created a series of images that capture tension-filled scenes designed to raise awareness of situations in which harassment, stalking, sexual violence or rape have occurred.

bystander intervention and how to make a decision to intervene in a case of sexual assault before, during and after an incident.

The workshops, which consist of discussion, group exercises and role-playing, are designed to empower participants with the confidence to act when necessary, while remaining safe themselves, to aid victims. In this way, participants are trained to be part of a larger process of community change in which gender violence is unacceptable.

Know your power The social marketing effort, Know Your Power, has created a series of images that capture difficult and tension-filled scenes designed to raise awareness of situations in which harassment, stalking, sexual violence or rape have occurred. The images, which number more than 20, come in every possible format—web photos, screen pop-ups, postcards, bookmarks, posters and even bus ads.

In an age of branding, especially for young people, the campaign slogans— “Know Your Power. Step In, Speak Up. As A

Bystander You Can Make A Difference.”— can also be placed on items like water bottles, buttons, gym bags and flashlights.

In an online video, Stapleton says, “We work with communities to adapt and modify the campaign…So, it’s a collaboration from the very onset of the project. We really find out who the target is. What things are important to them? What do they look like? What is the language they use? What are the examples of a problem that resonates most with them?”

From Stapleton’s perspective, the evidence is clear that an approach like the Bystander program can raise awareness of the issue of gender violence among participants and increase their willingness to intervene in situations of actual or potential violence.

The key is to understand that someone in such a situation is not alone, but part of a much larger, caring community determined to end violence against women, and the attitudes that allow it to exist.

Howard Cincotta is a freelance writer living in Virginia.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

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Go Online Street Level Awareness Program

Photographs courtesy SLAP

https://www.facebook.com/ slaponline

SLAP

Empowering Women, Combating Gender Violence

L

ike people in India and around the world, Mriganka Dadwal was deeply shocked by the “Nirbhaya” gang rape case in New Delhi in 2012. But unlike others, she decided to launch a program to protect and empower Indian women

Above and above left: SLAP conducts selfdefense workshops for girls and women of all ages and professions.

Left: A presentation on SLAP and gender violence at a government school in New Delhi.

through a new initiative—the Street Level Awareness Program or SLAP. “We wanted to go beyond candle marches and Facebook activism and do something practical to change the face of our city scarred with rapes, assaults and public harassment of women,” says Dadwal. She is an alumna of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program and traveled to the United States in March 2014 for a program related to the theme, Combating Gender-Based Violence.

Since its founding in 2013, SLAP has conducted dozens of workshops in several cities—New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai—for people ranging from business professionals to college students and housewives.

Dadwal is also planning to extend the program’s reach by establishing SLAP clubs in

schools, colleges and smaller communities.

SLAP has three self-defense trainers and a counselor, along with a large number of volunteers. Initially, SLAP conducted open workshops with 100 or more participants, which helped raise public awareness, but was limited in benefiting the women themselves, says Dadwal. “So we opted for smaller groups of 25 to 30 participants, where everyone could get personalized attention.”

SLAP seeks to empower women both physically and psychologically. Dadwal cites the example of women who have endured groping or lewd comments on public transport, but were afraid to protest.

In the workshops, she says, “We throw open these kind of situations and when they get support from other women, they walk out confident to take a stand the next time it happens. Even better things happen when men stand up impromptu and say they are sorry or ashamed that this happened in their city.”

Dadwal and the SLAP trainers take a very practical view of the effectiveness of their training by running through a checklist for every participant:  Do you have emergency contacts on your mobile speed dial?  Have you downloaded an emergency, lifesaving app on your phone?  Do you carry pepper spray?  Have you learned basic self-defense?  Do you have a plan if you find yourself in trouble?

“While we have been able to break the ‘these things happen to other women, not me’ mindset,” says Dadwal, “it is still difficult for many women to act on that realization.”

—H.C.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

19

Changing

By STEVE FOX

Courtesy Rhonda Henry

“ ”

—Rhonda Henry

20 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

“ ”

On a college campus, about 90 percent of victims know their perpetrators.

Courtesy University of New Hampshire

Our focus is on harnessing the power of the majority and getting them to exert social pressure on their peers.

M —Amy Culp

ay 1 is known by college-bound high school seniors as “National Decision Day” because it is traditionally the deadline to choose which one of the schools they will attend. This year, on that day, the U.S. Department of Education released a list of more than 50 colleges and universities under investigation for their handling of sexual assault complaints. The specific timing, and the fact that this was the first time the Department of Education had publicly identified the schools—among them some of the nation’s best-known universities—was widely seen as a way of pressuring colleges to do more about the problem of gender violence on campus.

Three days earlier, the White House released a report by a sexual assault task force that urged universities and colleges to institute programs like those at two institutions it named—the University of New Hampshire and the University of Kentucky. Both the universities not only offer compassionate help to victims of sexual violence, but go further by educating students about the issue and by training bystanders how to intervene—with the ultimate goal of fundamentally changing campus attitudes and behaviors.

“Early educational efforts for women focused on how they could protect themselves and for men it was ‘Don’t Rape,’ ” says Rhonda Henry, director of the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center at the University of Kentucky.

“In many ways, that was missing the mark altogether. If one woman is at risk and she’s able to fend off the attacker, that doesn’t change expectations—and of course we don’t want the man to go hurt

ask. You can’t just do what you want.”

Alcohol is a factor in most campus sexual assaults, Henry and Culp point out, making it important for bystanders to intervene when they see women drinking too much—either on their own or with the encouragement of others.

“Many young people are experimenting with alcohol and other drugs in a big way for the first time and that raises the risk of dangerous behaviors,” Henry says. “But, if men are getting pushback from their peers— ‘Hey, taking advantage of someone who’s drunk is not O.K. Making those kinds of comments is not O.K.’— that’s where we’re more likely to achieve real social change. Most men are good men. Most men do not rape.

So, our focus is on harnessing the power of the majority and getting them to exert social pressure on their peers.”

Tech-savvy students are pressuring colleges and elected officials, says Anne Hedgepeth, government relations manager for the American Association of University Women, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women that has 170,000 members and 800 university partners.

“The problem itself is not new,” Hedgepeth says. “What is new is we are hearing from students and activists who are using social networks to bring forward examples of gender violence, work with schools to change policies and elevate the issue in the minds of thought leaders and Congress.”

Steve Fox is a freelance writer, former newspaper publisher and reporter based in Ventura, California.

“What They’re Saying: New Steps to Protect Students from Sexual Assault” http://goo.gl/BLeyV0

Go Online

someone else,” Henry explains. “What we’re saying at the University of Kentucky is, ‘Our cultural norms aren’t going to accept that.’ We don’t want to just move the perpetrator from Victim A to Victim B. We want to stop that behavior.”

University of Kentucky now requires every freshman to complete a survey on their attitudes and experience regarding sexual violence.

It has also instituted a program called Green Dot, with each green dot on a figurative campus map “representing any single moment in time when people choose to state their intolerance of power-based personal violence through words, choices or actions.”

Green Dot emphasizes that bystanders “are contributing—one way or another.

You are acting to stop or interrupt violence or you are remaining silent, allowing it to go on and modeling to others that silence is okay.”

Sexual assaults at universities don’t fit the stereotype of rapes and, therefore, must be approached differently, says Amy Culp, director of the Sexual Harassment & Rape Prevention Program at University of New Hampshire.

“Generally speaking, on a college campus, about 90 percent of victims know their perpetrators,” says Culp.

“So what we decided to do is educate the majority. We go into the residence halls and the fraternity houses. We talk to the athletic teams. We open their eyes—getting them to think about, ‘What is assault and what is consent?’

We encourage them to have conversations while they’re in a sexual act, making the point that you have to

Violence Intervention and Prevention Center, University of Kentucky http://goo.gl/Jjb4Vk

Sexual Harassment & Rape Prevention Program, University of New Hampshire http://www.unh.edu/ sharpp

American Association of University Women

http://www.aauw.org

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 21

CAMPUS SAFETY

Campus Attitudes

Some U.S. colleges stand out in combating gender violence.

Jan Leach

Photographs by HEMANT BHATNAGAR

What is the media’s role in raising awareness about gender-based violence (GBV)?

The biggest role is the role of responsibility.

The responsibility of how do we report this, whether we can effect any change, whether we can call people to action, whether we have accurate context for the issue, whether we have been providing enough privacy for the victims and suspects, whether we afford them a measure of dignity in telling their stories. We have the responsibility to report, to tell the truth with accuracy and then we have the responsibility toward our audience.

Does GBV reporting actually bring positive results?

I don’t have any statistics but here’s what I would hope: that by reporting instances of GBV, we could make some measure of change. Maybe we help people feel less victimized; maybe somebody sees a story and says, “I can tell my story now;” maybe we help them to feel less shamed; maybe we hold people accountable, meaning legislators, victim rights activists and the police.

Can we make a difference? I don’t know!

But can we try? I am sure we can and if we do that, we have fulfilled our responsibility and perhaps given one more person one more way to make a difference.

What ethical considerations should journalists keep in mind to maintain credibility in coverage of gender-based violence?

The first one is privacy—having to do with naming victims, affording them a measure of care and concern while interviewing them,

22 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

using neutral language, not calling them victims if they want to be seen as survivors.

The second one is privacy for suspects. One of the things to consider is, once you accuse someone, what does that do to that person, now and in the future? And the third one is affording both the reader and the source an element of dignity. We can approach the story with a lot of sensationalism, but who decides what’s sensational? What happens in the community when there are such reports?

Do people raise questions, do they talk shamefully or shun the victim, do they call for help, do they approach people who can offer the victim assistance and do the courts respond immediately?

Does the rush for “breaking news” compromise accuracy and sensitivity?

I don’t think “breaking news” compromises sensitivity, but it’s a thing we always need to be aware of. I think this rush to get things reported, to be first, to be competitive and to post things online can really affect factchecking and verification. So, as responsible journalists, we have to be sure that we have the facts, it’s all verified and it’s authenticated or substantiated before printing, broadcasting or posting.

Jan Leach is an associate professor at Kent State University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She visited Chennai, Hyderabad and New Delhi in July and interacted with students, women rights activists, mediapersons, law enforcement personnel and nongovernmental organizations.

Excerpts from an interview with Raktima Bose.

What are your views on the American media’s coverage of gender-based violence?

I think it’s very interesting because we don’t call it gender violence per se. But we have a lot of issues like harassment in the military, date rape cases on col-

lege campuses and mothers hurting or killing their children. I would suggest that all media need to provide context for these things, but not all media do.

How can media help battle stereotyping of women?

The first thing we should do is recognize there are so many ways women are stereotyped in the media. There are stereotypes of women in advertising, in newsmakers, women victims, women politicians. We should be aware of it, be sensitive to the language and really take an audit how are we doing what we are doing. Do we have enough women sources quoted in our newspapers?

That’s a stereotype in itself if all the sources are the same men in power.

are doing what you are doing.

Here’s a disclaimer about this: some of this news may have been provided by citizens who are not trained journalists or here’s why we selected this photograph to run with this story. In the United States, we are doing that all the time. Transparency can also eliminate potential conflicts of interest.

What would be your advice to journalists on maintaining accuracy and transparency?

Accuracy is the biggest aspect of credibility. Being very attentive, being unrelenting about checking your sources, verifying the facts, going to multiple sources for all sides of the story. We frequently hear that we need to have both sides of the story. No! We need to have all sides because someone may be helped, someone may be hurt, someone may be positively affected and someone will be negatively affected.

Transparency is one of the big new issues in the new ethics of journalism, you really need to tell people why you

What is the importance of media ethics?

It’s ultimately important. Why does it matter? Because we could influence!

We have such incredible responsibility.

We are influenced by lots of things— our family, friends, teachers, where we grew up and our ethnicity and we are influenced by the media. That gives us the ultimate additional responsibility of influencing others. If I see an ad on TV, which is media, I am likely to buy that product. If I read a story in the paper about corruption, I am likely to not vote for that person. If I read a story about GBV, I may be moved to say, “We should do something about this.”

MEDIA

What are the challenges posed by social media in coverage of genderbased violence?

The major ethical concern, in my opinion, for online journalism, not necessarily for GBV coverage only, is when you are not accurate, it diminishes your credibility in ways that you can never quantify. So, being accurate, in my opinion, is more important that being fast. The second one will be the idea of commenting. So, be very mindful of what you post online and what comments it’s likely to generate, whether you are going to moderate your comments or if you are going to use your comments for reporting later. The third thing is tweeting. The idea of retweeting indicates a measure of endorsement. So, you have to be careful that you attribute your retweets as opposed to just sending them out. The fourth element is the whole issue of user-generated content.

You want to be really careful about where the information has come from, who said it was true, is this all sides of the story, does someone have a conflict of interest or does someone have an ax to grind.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 23

© Getty Images

RAINN’s 24-hour hotline offers support for survivors of sexual assault.

SMS SOS

By JANE VARNER MALHOTRA

S

exual assault affects one in six women in America. For support, many victims turn to confidential telephone helplines.

Twenty years ago, the first national 24-hour sexual assault hotline was founded to help meet the needs of victims across the United States with one toll-free number: 1-800-656HOPE(4673). Partnering with over 1,000 local rape crisis centers around the United States, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) has provided free, confidential support to over 1.5 million callers since 1994.

Calls to the national number are automatically routed to the nearest local support center, where hotline volunteers offer emotional support, crisis intervention and advice about everything from local laws to community support services such as hospital accompaniment. From the caller’s perspective, the seamless service means a knowledgeable, understanding and supportive volunteer is ready to listen and help around-theclock and in the community.

According to RAINN, the vast majority of sexual assault victims are under 30, with nearly half under the age of 18. Because today’s youth are more inclined to communicate through instant messaging rather than voice calling, RAINN created the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline in 2006. Some were skeptical

24 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

Courtesy RAINN

RAINN

https://www.rainn.org

National Sexual Assault Online Hotline https://ohl.rainn.org/online

Department of Defense Safe Helpline https://www.safehelpline.org

PCVC

http://www.pcvconline.org

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 25

ONLINE HELPLINE

Many callers also struggle with some element of self-blame, says Berkowitz. “Part of our goal is to help them understand that they were a victim of a horrible crime and it wasn’t anything they did or contributed to.” Many have questions about the process of reporting to the police and what their legal options are.

Victims are encouraged to get a medical exam as quickly as possible to collect forensic evidence. In addition to providing direct victim support, RAINN works to educate the public about sexual violence, improve public policy to prevent sexual assault and support anti-rape legislation.

In response to the growing concern about sexual assault in the armed forces, RAINN was hired to operate the new Department of Defense Safe Helpline. The dedicated online helpline offers 24-hour anonymous support for members of the military, in addition to a mobile app that lets survivors develop a personalized self-care plan. “When troops are stationed abroad, they may not have access to a phone network or privacy, but an app offers something on their phone that they can access at any time,” Berkowitz explains. The program guides victims through a series of short questions about symptoms and emotions, and offers visualization and relaxation exercises.

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about the service in the beginning, and in the first month, just seven people per day turned to the online support. But the number increased steadily and by 2012, online helpline users had jumped to over 400 per day.

RAINN president and founder Scott Berkowitz explains that verbalizing what happened in an assault can be very difficult for the victim. The online hotline offers a secure way for the survivor to communicate, with complete privacy, and still have a one-on-one interaction with the support staff. Users of the online service skew toward younger victims, who may be more comfortable with the online format. “It feels more private,” says Berkowitz, “and for students living in dorms or people in communal apartments or for kids abused by a family member, no one will overhear them.”

Whether online or on the phone, Berkowitz notes that many people who contact the helplines have never told anyone about the assault before, and fear they will be judged.

“One of the most common questions is how to disclose this to friends or to parents. We encourage them to find that right person to tell. Like any major trauma, it will be valuable to have a strong support network. Having close friends and family to talk to is important to recovery.”

U.S. MARINE CORPS SGT. AARON HOSTUTLER

According to the Department of Defense, the DOD Safe Helpline now has more than 20,000 users.

Berkowitz admits that it can be difficult to measure success in this line of work. Does an increase in reported sexual assaults indicate a growing problem or just a higher percentage of crimes being reported? “We rely on an annual report from the Department of Justice,” he explains, “the National Crime Victimization Survey, which estimates the number of sexual assaults each year, compared to the number reported to police, based on interviews with tens of thousands of households.” Since 1993, Berkowitz

Rebuilding Lives in India V

Scott Berkowitz (left) and U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel at RAINN’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

says, the number of sexual assaults each year has dropped by about half, but the percentage reported has gone up from 30 percent to 40 percent in the last five years. Going forward, RAINN hopes to see an environment where every sexual assault survivor chooses to report to the police.

In addition to live support available from the telephone and online hotlines, RAINN’s website includes comprehensive information to help survivors of sexual assault and their friends and family, whether immediately after an incident or many years later. The site also offers free online courses on treating and supporting victims, state laws and on self-care for volunteers, who face a high burnout rate due to the stress of the work. In the past year, www.rainn.org served about 3.4 million unique visitors from the United States. The second highest numbers came from India, at 366,000.

Sexual violence in America is a problem with no easy solution, says Berkowitz, yet he remains hopeful. “We’re still trying to figure out the answers. The last 20 years show there’s a way to make progress, there’s a way to fight this crime.

But it’s a slow process.”

Jane Varner Malhotra is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C.

26 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

Courtesy Prasanna Gettu

Prasanna Gettu

ictims of domestic violence in India find support through a toll-free, 24-hour hotline operated by the International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC). Based in Chennai, the organization helps domestic and sexual abuse survivors empower themselves to rebuild their lives.

Founded in 2001, PCVC works to provide emotional and practical support structures for women with abusive partners.

The first interactions with survivors usually involve crisis counseling by telephone, explains founder and director Prasanna Gettu. The telephone counselor shares ways for the caller to help stop the abuse and then the caller chooses which options she wants. The organization helps survivors realize that the solutions reside within themselves.

Gettu opened the victim assistance center after completing her Ph.D. in criminology, and postgraduate work in victimology in Japan.

“After the first year, we could see that most were domestic violence cases and we didn’t know how to help,” recalls Gettu. While there were programs for distressed women in Tamil Nadu, no organization focused specifically on domestic violence. Gettu and her colleagues began researching how to address this need and found many training programs available in the United States. They contacted the U.S.

Consulate General in Chennai in 2002 and were selected to join the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program, an exchange opportunity for professionals in a variety of fields. Gettu and another PCVC staff member spent three weeks visiting domestic violence organizations in New York and Washington, D.C. “We got a lot of support from people there and after we came back also, they continued to send us information. All the learning came from that visit. How and why we needed to set up an undisclosed shelter, how to document cases, how to talk to victims and batterers. The training we attended in that program was our foundation,” says Gettu.

The organization has expanded its services over the years to provide life-skills workshops for survivors, legal assistance, medical aid, support for children in abusive family situations, and more. PCVC also works in close partnership with the burns unit of the Government Kilpauk Medical College—providing support, once survivors leave the hospital, with treatment and physiotherapy at a recovery and healing residential facility.

For more information on domestic violence victim support in India, visit www.pcvconline.org or call PCVC’s 24-hour hotlines—toll-free: 1800102-PCVC (7282) or landline: +9144-43111143.

—J.V.M.

HEALING

POWER ofART

By MICHAEL GALLANT

Courtesy A Window Between Worlds

The

Through creative workshops, A Window Between Worlds

empowers survivors of abuse, trauma and violence.

ART

An “I Can We Can” artwork, entitled “Patchwork,” created by workshop participant Leah Saxeny.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 27

Left and below: Participants create artworks using their hands and share photographs of their creations on the A Window Between Worlds’ website as part of the organization’s “I Can We Can” international campaign.

28 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

Photographs courtesy A Window Between Worlds

Left: A son helps decorate his father’s hand as part of the “I Can We Can” initiative.

Below: Art created by participants of the “Funeral of I Can’t” workshop, using paper from shredded journal entries.

t first glance, making collages out of shredded paper may seem like simple arts and crafts—but for thousands of men and women who have survived traumatic acts of violence, the activity can mean so much more.

“Engaging in the creative process can help survivors of abuse start to heal,” says Christy Turek, community engagement manager for A Window Between Worlds, a California-based organization that sponsors therapeutic, art-based workshops in the United States, Australia, Iran and beyond. “Many people who encounter abuse get stuck into feeling like they can’t live a future that’s free of violence, that they can’t be inde-

pendent, that they can’t do you-name-it. Art allows folks to move past that type of thinking.”

That’s exactly why the shredded-paper workshop, entitled “The Funeral of I Can’t,” as well as hundreds of other creative and effective programs supported by A Window Between Worlds, were created.

“The Funeral of I Can’t” follows a framework similar to many of the organization’s other workshops. Participants, all of whom are dealing with histories of abuse, begin by journaling—in this case, about things they feel they cannot do.

In front of the group, they share what they’ve written “as a way of getting rid of shame and

“

Christy Turek

Everybody experiences

trauma differently

and people need

specialized ways

to heal from their trauma.

Our organization tries to provide many different directions to help anyone who needs it.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

29

An “I Can We Can” artwork, entitled “Transforming Tragedy,” created by workshop participant Summer Harlow.

self-blame,” Turek describes, before feeding the journals through a paper shredder, symbolically destroying the thoughts and ideas that hold them back. Finally, participants make artwork with the shreds, creating a visual representation of a funeral for all their “can’t do’s.” They leave the workshop with their art in hand, a powerful reminder of their growth, progress and ability to move beyond their traumatic pasts.

A Window Between Worlds was created in 1991 after its founder, former Los Angeles art teacher Cathy Salser, took a road trip across the United States, conducting art workshops with, and painting portraits of, children and

30 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

Courtesy A Window Between Worlds

The website currently features over 1,500

pieces of original art,

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all created by survivors of abuse as well as friends, politicians and other community members who support them.

A Window Between Worlds http://awbw.org

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

31

Courtesy A Window Between Worlds

adults who were at domestic violence shelters. “After having those experiences and coming back to California, Salser began a pilot program where she trained people who were working with domestic violence survivors in other organizations around the country,” says Turek. “Very quickly, with all of these folks giving feedback on what worked and what didn’t in their own communities, she started creating workshops that proved to be highly effective and helpful for survivors.”

To date, the vast majority of the group’s programs have grown directly out of such collaborations with partner organizations in the United States and around the world. The result? Nearly 600 workshops, all instantly accessible by a network of counselors and caregivers via the A Window Between Worlds’ website. “Everybody experiences trauma differently and people need specialized ways to heal from their trauma,” Turek says. “Our organization tries to provide many different directions to help anyone who needs it.”

Such broad outreach was the motivation behind one of its newest and most widely

32 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

visible initiatives, “I Can We Can.” “We wanted to create a community of support online where survivors all over the world can be inspired by other survivor stories, a meeting spot where we all can say that we can end abuse,” says Turek. The website currently features over 1,500 pieces of original art, all created by survivors of abuse as well as friends, politicians and other community members who support them.

Audrey Salzburg, the organization’s chief operating officer, encourages everyone to consider participating online—whether you’ve experienced abuse yourself or just want to help support those who have.

“Anyone can use the toolkit on the website, complete the workshop and upload the art as part of this community gallery,” Salzburg says. “We would love to have friends in India participate online, put their creations up there and describe them in their own languages, so we can reach survivors in India as well.”

Michael Gallant is the founder and chief executive officer of Gallant Music. He lives in New York City.

Above: A billboard featuring the “I Can We Can” initiative at New York City’s Times Square.

he National Geographic Explorer magazine was launched in India at the New Delhi American Center Library in July. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Ambassador Kathleen Stephens (right) was the guest speaker at the event, which was attended by teachers from several schools in New Delhi. The magazine’s vice president and publisher Fran Downey (left) said the magazine aims to be an instruction tool for teaching social studies, science and the English language to students. He added that it would provide a combination of global and local content, and there are plans to bring out editions in local languages as well. http://ngexplorer.cengage.com/

SCAPE

Courtesy National Geographic

PAN magazine organized a Hindi blog contest on how Americans and Indians working together in the field of education are influencing and shaping the U.S.-India partnership, in August. The winners were announced on the SPAN website on September 14. The first prize, an iPad Mini, was won by Debashree Dattaray, assistant professor at Jadavpur University, Kolkata. Praveen Gola, a freelance writer from New Delhi, won the second prize, an iPod Touch. Rajiv Jaruriya, a student of IIT Bombay, and Abhijit Upadhyay, a student of Dyal Singh College in New Delhi, won the third prize of SPAN gift hampers. http://span.state.gov/education/hindi-bblog-ccontest-w winners

ashington University in St. Louis (below) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, will offer a joint Executive Master of Business Administration program from 2015 following a memorandum of understanding signed by the institutions in June. The 18-month program is meant for executives, professionals and entrepreneurs with minimum seven years’ experience. Classes will be held in Mumbai and will end with a two-week capstone experience at Washington University in St. Louis. The courses will be jointly offered by faculty from Washington University’s Olin Business School and IIT Bombay’s Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management. http://www.olin.wustl.edu/

S. EHLERS/Courtesy Flickr

Photographs by RAKESH MALHOTRA

ichael Pelletier, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, advocated healthy eating habits among school children at an event organized by the U.S. Embassy in a Delhi school in September. Speaking at the event, “Promoting Healthful Eating among School Kids,” at Ahlcon International School, he said that though grabbing a quick bite of junk food when hungry is an easier option, children should eat fruits and nuts, exercise and play sports to stay healthy. Allan Mustard, Minister Counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy, was also present at the event. https://www.facebook.com/India.usembassy

33

#City

E

By ANNE WALLS

© Getty Images

veryone knows cities are rapidly changing.

But what’s changing even faster is the way these cities are communicated about and especially the way they communicate with us. Besides the fact that the spread of social media enables city dwellers to share important information more freely than ever, a number of American cities have decided to get in on the action themselves.

Seattle and New York City scored the highest marks in a study released in 2012 by the University of Illinois at Chicago, which ranked use of social media by city governments. Other digitally-savvy cities are Portland, San Francisco and Austin.

These cities are using everything from Twitter to Vine to connect with their citizens.

Seattle in Washington state is home to some of the United States’ most innovative technology companies, so it’s not surprising that it ranks high on the list of active civic Facebook and Twitter users. The city administration recently launched a mobile app called “Find It, Fix It” that makes it easier for Seattle residents to report issues like graffiti, potholes, burned out streetlights, abandoned vehicles and more.

All users have to do is shoot a picture through the app and upload it. The pictures are all geotagged, so city officials can accurately respond to each and every report. The Seattle City Council even sponsors “Find It, Fix It” walks—one walk was recently led

by Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole.

“Of course we are concerned about violent crime and gun battles, but quality of life

34

Connections How local governments are using social media to stay plugged in.

Best Social Media Cities http://goo.gl/hkXGR4

Find It, Fix It app http://goo.gl/bhHpb3

e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government http://www.erepublic.com/

Digital Communities http://goo.gl/4LVSZ

Anne Walls is a writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 35

SOCIAL MEDIA

also there in times of emergency. New York City Fire Department’s social media manager Emily Rahimi recalls the trying weeks in October 2012 when Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast.

“Once the emergency calls started coming in, I was surprised and it took a second to figure out how I was going to handle it,” Rahimi told the publication Emergency Management. “I didn’t think about the fact that with cell service down, they’d still have access to Twitter.”

In the absence of the Internet, Twitter users can activate Twitter text messaging on their cellphones and update their status by sending the message to 40404. So, Rahimi used the official Twitter account in a way it hadn’t been used before, sharing emergency info and calming storm-struck citizens.

But don’t worry, Twitter is still being used for more light-hearted communiqués, like when comedian and TV host Stephen Colbert challenged New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio to appear on his show by tweeting: “I demand you come on my show! Stop dodging me, Mr Mayor!” He was happily surprised when the Mayor quickly tweeted back: “Sure.

How about Wednesday?” And, indeed, De Blasio appeared as a guest on Colbert’s show on July 16.

Now that’s what you’d call successful social media outreach.

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issues are important, too. If we don’t address those, it will lead to more serious crime,” says O’Toole.

Another city with a large and diverse social media division is Austin, Texas.

This city’s social media department includes resources like “Art In Public Places,” “Bicycle Program,” “Live Tobacco Free Austin” and even a “Music Division.” Each of these resources has its own Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr accounts. Some even have a Pinterest page. It’s no wonder that in 2013, Austin was declared one of the top tech-savvy digital cities in the United States by e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government and the Digital Communities Program.

According to Todd Sander, executive director of the Center for Digital Government, “The top digital cities are leaders in open data and transparency efforts, as well as innovators in deploying mobile applications to citizens while conforming to fiscal standards.” Among the specific digital programs that Austin was recognized for were its use of the 31-1 system online, which is a single point of contact for every Austin city department, the Austin Public Library’s online catalog and the use of the Combined Transportation, Emergency and Communications Center, which organizes seven emergency response and communication resource agencies in one facility.

But city administrations aren’t on Facebook to just score “likes,” they’re

Photographs courtesy Leigh Trapp/Hunger Games Unofficial Fan Tours

Right: An actress portraying Katniss Everdeen outside Swan House in Atlanta. The landmark mansion was used as President Snow’s house in the movie “Catching Fire.”

Below: Actors re-enact a scene from “The Hunger Games” in DuPont State Forest, North Carolina.

Bottom: A local actor plays the role of a peacemaker from “The Hunger Games” on the Henry River Mill Village tour.

Far right: Picturesque Henry River Mill Village in Hildebran, North Carolina, where scenes of the fictional District 12 were shot.

36 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

Reelto

Real

From

By CARRIE LOEWENTHAL MASSEY

Fan tours bring “The Hunger Games” movies to life.

Bear Creek Studio/Courtesy Flickr

Those traveling to North Carolina can relive the first movie of the series, “The Hunger Games,” by visiting the fictional District 12, hiking through the set of the Arena, camouflaging themselves like Peeta, learning archery a la Katniss, ziplining through the trees to commemorate Rue, firing slingshots and eating the food the tributes ate. Local actors portray Katniss and other key roles, re-enacting movie scenes and interacting in character with the fans.

There are two separate North Carolina day tours. One covers DuPont State Forest and focuses on the Arena and the other focuses on life in District 12, which takes To share articles go to http://span.state.gov SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 37

TRAVEL

Y

our country has a morbid tradition. Every year, it selects young people from each of its regions to battle in a fight to the death.

Twenty-three entrants perish. A lone victor survives.

This year, your government has drafted you.

If this scenario from “The Hunger Games” makes you eager to channel your inner Katniss Everdeen or Peeta Mellark, your chances await in the wilderness of Transylvania County, North Carolina, or the urban jungle of Atlanta, Georgia.

In these locations, which served, respectively, as sets for the first two movie adaptations of “The Hunger Games” book series, fans can re-enact the games and their fanfare—this time for points instead of body counts.

“Just like the real games, we start with a reaping, where everyone fills out ID cards and gives thumbprints,” says Leigh Trapp, co-creator and director of Hunger Games Unofficial Fan Tours. Trapp and her staff offer daylong and full weekend immersions in all things Panem.

From the reapings to the ends of the tours, the fans’ experiences are authentic.

http://goo.gl/3rXwdu

The Hunger Games http://goo.gl/hl5btp

The Capitol

MARKEMARK4/Courtesy Flickr

http://www.thecapitol.pn/

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Unofficial Fan Tours

Courtesy Leigh Trapp/Hunger Games Unofficial Fan Tours

Right: Participants of the DuPont State Forest tour that focuses on the tour of the Arena in “The Hunger Games.”

Right center: Swan House in Atlanta, which was used as President Snow’s headquarters in “Catching Fire.”

Far right: A signboard at Henry River Mill Village, where scenes of the fictional District 12 in “The Hunger Games” were shot.

fans through Henry River Mill Village where the District 12 scenes were shot.

On the weekend-long version, participants also learn to build shelters in the woods and start fires using flint.

“That turned out to be way more difficult than it looks, but we had a great time trying in the pouring rain,” Teresa Fields, a fan who has gone on both weekend adventures, says in an email.

The Atlanta excursion, which commemorates the sequel, “Catching Fire,” focuses more on life in the Capitol, says Fields. A makeup artist preps participants’ faces for a lavish dinner like the one in the film and fans wear elaborate costumes as they explore Swan House, a mansion and Atlanta landmark that doubles as President Snow’s headquarters in the movie. Fans see the platform from which Donald Sutherland speaks as President Snow and witness a peacemaker doing his job. They also do some other “great VIP things,” Trapp says, though she prefers to keep those secret.

38 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

BRIAN LEON/Courtesy Flickr

EVILARRY/Courtesy Wikipedia Wikipedia EVILARRY/Courtesy

ANOLDENT/Courtesy Flickr

Courtesy Angie Webb

“

This was the first time we had ever been to North Carolina and Georgia and the locations of the tours really showcased the beauty of both states.

In addition to their indulgence in what Trapp calls “ridiculous fandom fun,” the tours make for nice vacations.

“This was the first time we had ever been to North Carolina and Georgia and the locations of the tours really showcased the beauty of both states,” Angie Webb, a fan who did both weekend adventures, writes via email.

Being with like-minded people who love “The Hunger Games” books and movies resulted in new friendships as well.

“My husband and I still talk to people from the North Carolina tour we took two years ago,” Webb says.

Both Webb and Fields say they’ll sign up for the tour of the sets of “Mockingjay,” the conclusion of the series, which the movie studio has split into two separate films. The first installment will open in U.S. theaters this November. Trapp is busy designing the tour now and plans to have it ready by spring or summer of 2015. It will take place partly in Atlanta, but the specifics remain unknown as the first movie was also shot in Massachusetts and Part 2 goes to Berlin and Paris.

No matter where Trapp takes the tour,

Above: Bridal Veil Falls on Little River in DuPont State Forest, North Carolina. After fleeing a firestorm, Katniss Everdeen splashes down into a pool at the bottom of the falls in “The Hunger Games”.

Left: Angie Webb stands on the pedestal Katniss Everdeen had to dive off of in “Catching Fire,” as part of the Atlanta tour at Clayton County waterpark.

Far left: Triple Falls in DuPont State Forest was a backdrop for action scenes in “The Hunger Games.”

it’s bound to satisfy fans, considering the success of the first two. More than 5,000 people from all over the world have done the tours since they began in 2012, she says. Trapp knows what she’s doing when it comes to fulfilling fans’ dreams. She has designed and led “Harry Potter”-themed tours in London—complete with fans walking the city wearing capes and holding wands—and she recreated the world of “Twilight” for vampire fanatics traveling to Seattle.

According to Webb, Trapp’s “Hunger Games” tours offer everything a fan could want.

Well, maybe one thing is missing.

“Of course, being able to see the cast,” Webb writes. “Oh wait, that is asking too much! We would not have added anything.

It really exceeded our expectations.”

Carrie Loewenthal Massey is a New York City-based freelance writer.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

39

A

pplications of tiny bits of matter in medicine promise breakthroughs in diagnostics and treatment for major diseases, but they won’t become available in doctors’ offices or hospitals near you anytime soon.

These potential cures, collectively known as nanomedicine, take advantage of matter properties that are evident only at an atomic or molecular level.

Particles from one billionth to 100 billionths of a meter in size can be used to help diagnose an illness faster and more accurately than current medical tools and techniques allow and administer medicines directly to the diseased cells, according to medical experts.

“These drugs would be available in the body only where they are needed,” says Edward C. Lawrence, professor of finance at the University of Missouri at St. Louis.

Targeted treatment

Doxil, the first nanodrug to treat different types of cancer, was introduced in the United States in 1995.

Since then, more drugs based on relatively “simple and straightforward” applications of nanotechnology have been approved, according to Jeffrey McCullough, a professor of laboratory medicine at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Now, nearly 250 nanomedical products are in use or in clinical trials worldwide, according to a 2013 study by the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. McCullough was a co-author of the study.

In the future, nanomedicines may take the form of novel compounds or of delivery vehicles for existing medicines such as chemotherapeutic drugs. The most advanced nanomedicines would work as microscopic robots. Once inside the body, they would identify a disease, deliver a drug directly to its site and monitor the treatment’s progress while evading the body’s immune system to prevent adverse reactions.

Many researchers view nanomedicine as having

Nanomedicine Initiative http://goo.gl/l8cJwz

The Big Picture on Nanomedicine http://goo.gl/nLt4Ui

Nanomedicine: Big Potential for Small Products http://goo.gl/Gv8fLS

40 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

great potential for improvements in cancer treatment.

“Cancer therapy is probably the most exciting [application] and promises the most dramatic breakthroughs,” McCullough says.

Nanobarrier

The field of nanomedicines is still in its early stages. Experts claim that the largest obstacle to the mainstreaming of nanomedicines is toxicity. Nanomaterials have unique properties that make assessing their toxicity challenging, according to W. Shane Journeay, a Toronto-based physician and nanotoxicology consultant.

Still, experts believe research will improve scientists’ understanding of toxicity and overcome other barriers.

Nanocures in development

Cancer antibodies: The body’s weapon against germs, antibodies carrying chemotherapy drugs would detect, invade and kill cancer cells. It is being developed by Seattle Genetics Inc. and ImmunoGen Inc. Diabetes nanoparticle: A solid core of insulin and other agents inside the particle would mimic the pancreas, enabling users to maintain healthy sugar levels. Research is on at North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston Children’s Hospital.

Rheumatoid arthritis remedy: Joint mobility would be restored thanks to a nanoparticle delivering drugs directly to diseased cells. Northeastern University is developing this technology.

Bionic retina: Designed to restore sight to patients with diseases causing vision loss, nanosize components incorporated into a tiny implant would be placed in the eye. It is being developed by Nano Retina Inc.

“

Andrzej Zwaniecki is a staff writer for the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs.

Cancer therapy is probably

the most exciting [application] and promises the most dramatic breakthroughs.

—Jeffrey McCullough

Courtesy University of Minnesota

By ANDRZEJ ZWANIECKI

Small but Powerful Meds

Bhangra Fever B

Go Online

By MOMO CHANG

Cal Bhangra

https://www.facebook.com/ calbhangra

NYC Bhangra

http://nycbhangra.com

Bhangra Blowout http://bhangrablowout.com

havi Vohra started dancing bhangra as a child at family gatherings in San Jose, California, not knowing that she would one day lead her university’s bhangra team.

“It was just something that I enjoyed doing,” says the University of California, Berkeley student, who comes from an Indian family.

Bhangra originated in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan and remains an essential musical genre in the region. Once a community folk dance celebrating the harvest, it gained in popularity and was performed at weddings and local fairs. Today, interest in bhangra has spread across the seas, fusing tradition with Western music in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Like hundreds of other young adults, Vohra joined her bhangra team in college to be a part of something bigger. She found a sense of belonging as well as an opportunity to continue learning about her Indian culture.

At first, she didn’t realize that people besides her family members and the Indian community also enjoyed bhangra. “I was shocked that this scene existed,” she says.

Manreet Sandhu, co-captain of Cal Bhangra, did not have a strong connection with his Indian heritage until he discovered bhangra videos on YouTube as a teen. He was enthralled by the movements and music.

“I wanted to speak Punjabi. Otherwise, I couldn’t understand the lyrics,” says Sandhu, who grew up in the United States and whose parents emigrated from India. “That first spark turned into a fire.”

Dozens of college bhangra teams exist in the United States today and many compete in intense competitions catering to the growing dance scene. The Cal Berkeley students

Photographs by SEBASTIAN JOHN

Dozens of college bhangra teams exist in the United States today and many compete in intense competitions catering to the growing dance scene.

Dancers of the New York University team perform at the “Bhangra Blowout” competition in Washington, D.C.

rehearse up to four times a week for two to three hours at a time. In the parking lot by the school’s gym, they practice new steps to gear up for the student-run competition in Pittsburgh called “Bhangra in the Burgh.”

They often teach themselves new choreography—kicks, leaps and body bends—by studying videos of Indian university teams.

As a result of their dedication, Cal Bhangra became the first West Coast-based team to win “Bhangra Blowout” in 2012. Debuting 21 years ago, it is one of the largest student-run South Asian events in the United States and remains the biggest collegiate-level bhangra competition. The Cal Bhangra team’s elaborate eight-minute routines feature not just quick feet, but the rhythmic beat of the dhol and traditional clothing in vibrant hues. The dancers also play instruments like the sapp, which opens and closes like an accordion and mimics the sound of a storm—a nod to bhangra’s roots in Baisakhi, the harvest festival. “It’s nice for students to share this culture with other students,” says Amita Achutuni, who helped organize “Bhangra Blowout” with George Washington University’s South Asian Society for four years.

In New York City, NYC Bhangra includes “Mommy and Me” classes, where the youngest students are 2-year-olds. Megha Kalia, who emigrated from India to the United States as a teen, founded the group.

She hopes more people get into bhangra.

“You may have two left feet,” she says, “but you can bhangra.”

Momo Chang is a contributing writer for the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs.

JSK PHOTOGRAPHY

Registered under RNI-6586/60

The Cal Bhangra team participates in the “Warrior Bhangra” competition at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California.