By Kiran Sidhu
Special to the Chronicle
Day of Dialogue consisted of a number of panels and discussion on issues pertinent to the current state of the world and took place on Wednesday, Oct. 28. A panel moderated by Professor Doubleday of the history department aimed to inform Hofstra of the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Students and professors attended the panel to hear professionals who spoke about the history and of culture of Syria. The panelists included Professor Stephanie Nanes of the political science department, Professor Ala Alryyes of Queens College and Professor Mario Ruiz of the history department.
The plight of Syria and its displaced citizens was brought to the attention of the world when three-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi’s drowned body was photographed on a European beach.
Fatimah Mozawalla, a freshman pre-health major with a concentration in global studies said, “The inequalities that refugees face are multitudinous. Refugees have been stripped of their basic right to human dignity and as their numbers increase it is imperative that we as nation create solutions to help alleviate this humanitarian crisis.”
From a sweeping history of hundreds of groups and their international backers who are fighting for regional power, to art and an intense puppet show created by Syrian activists, as well as the importance of narrative in general, the audience learned a lot about the state of Syria. Doubleday also thought it was a success. “I think Stefanie Nanes and Ala Alryyes did a superb job of trying to distill an incredibly complex conflict and an equally rich culture, and counterculture, into the short time we had,” Doubleday said.
Though this panel didn’t deal directly with the refugee crisis, as Nanes explained, “We knew that from the beginning we didn’t really fit into the theme of inequality, but we felt it was an important issue to bring to the students. It’s really important to not reduce Syria to a refugee crisis.”
Doubleday admitted that it is impossible to talk about it all. “Enough would happen when the war ends, when the last refugee finds a safe home and when we can all travel to a stable and democratic Syria to appreciate what remains of its extraordinary culture,” Doubleday said.
The discussion was started among the Hofstra community, and Mozawalla is optimistic about it continuing. She said, “Hofstra has begun to talk about the issue, which is wonderful, but raising awareness is only beneficial if it leads to action.” She suggested that students start by writing letters to politicians, have bake sales, fundraisers and clothing drives in order to raise money for organizations. She also advocated for volunteering for refugee organizations directly. Mozawalla added, “It is important that everyone gets involved because in our small world of globalization, issues seven thousand miles away affect us at home as well.”
