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aculty and staff traveled to Ghana July 24-Aug. 3 to re-establish a study tour to Ghana in West Africa. Charles Martin-Stanley, CLS associate dean, will lead a 14-day study tour in January 2014 to explore the relationship between culture and mental health in the context of Ghanaian society. “Before I visited Ghana, I was unsure what to expect. What I found was friendly people and culturally immersive experiences that made me want to return again and again,” says Martin-Stanley. “I know UW-L students will benefit immensely from the experience.” On the tour, students will examine the key factors impacting the mental health community and challenges of the developing African country. The trip allowed Martin-Stanley to explore how to imbed more meaningful
material and activities into the course abroad. For instance, he and Kabee Vue, interim assistant director for study abroad, visited slave castles in Ghana where millions of Africans were sent into slavery during the TransAtlantic Slave Trade. They wanted to see if the sites would be appropriate for future students. MartinStanley says viewing the castles had a large impact on him — one he would want to share with students. He found it difficult to walk through the dark and dank dungeons in the castles, imagining hundreds of men, women, and children packed in the
“I learned many important lessons from my trip to the slave castles. Our tour guide urged us to encourage others to come to the castles so that they will also learn about the mistakes of the past so as not to repeat them. Inscribed in stone on the walls of both castles, aptly describes what we all should do: ‘In everlasting memory of the anguish of our ancestors. May those who died rest in peace. May those who return find their roots. May humanity never again perpetrate such injustice against humanity. We the living vow to uphold this.’” Charles Martin-Stanley, CLS associate dean
A procession of local chiefs in Assin Masso, Ghana during Emancipation Day. Celebrated on Aug. 1, Emancipation Day commemorates the abolition of chattel slavery worldwide.
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