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February 20, 2007 STUDENTS GAIN PERSPECTIVE ON WORLD RELIGIONS THROUGH GLOBAL VIDEOCONFERENCE SERIES
New York (February 20th, 2006) — Global Nomads Group, in alliance with Semester at Sea, today announced the launch of its latest global education videoconferencing series, CURRENTS 2007, to bring American students face-to-face with their peers from around the globe to engage in live, open dialogue about religion, culture, and conflict. In a bold initiative to heighten cross-cultural understanding, hundreds of American and Canadian students will have the opportunity to “travel” to Brazil, South Africa, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Japan to share their ideas and ask fellow students about their religion and the way it shapes their lives. Thousands more, by viewing the videoconferences as they unfold, will experience the sights, sounds, and young voices of each location. Salvador, Brazil, is the first official stop for CURRENTS 2007. On Tuesday, February 20, Brazilian students will join students from New Jersey, Kansas, and Canada to discuss the popular African-based religion Candomblé. Along with discussion, American students will get a live peek at the festivities of Carnaval, one of the biggest and most well-known spectacles in the world. “In this age of religious discord and violence, programs like CURRENTS are helping bridge the gap between cultures and break stereotypes in the process,” said Christopher Plutte, Global Nomads Group co-founder. A GNG team will circumnavigate the planet aboard Semester at Sea’s MV Explorer over the course of the next three months. Through short video clips filmed from nine ports and interactive discussions, they’ll bring a diverse body of cultures into North American classrooms and provide a framework for open dialogue on religion and conflict. The first CURRENTS program, in 2005, focused on the HIV/AIDS crisis and what young people can do to help. Three “ambassador” schools will participate in a series of three hour-long videoconferences at each location while dozens of other schools watch. Students will have the opportunity to explore Candomblé in Brazil, the Church’s role in ending apartheid in South Africa, Hinduism and Hindu-Muslim conflicts in India, Islam in Malaysia, and the different types of Buddhism in both Vietnam and Japan. Guest speakers will facilitate some discussion at each port, offering their expertise, and students will also “visit” a place of worship in each country. As the middle-school and high-school students discuss the role of religion in their countries, they will learn about others’ daily lives and what it means to belong to a particular faith in each country. About Global Nomads Group About Semester at Sea
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