Water Wars
Burlington College is sponsoring a series of public forums on the emerging issue of water resources and its increased scarcity. Guest speakers will discuss the impact that the lack of this essential resource is having, and will have, on a local, national and international basis. Free and open to the public, the lecture & discussion series will be held each Wednesday night in September from 6:30 to 9:00 P.M. These public forums are part of a new three-credit course, Water: Conflict & Cooperation, offered by Burlington College.
The six-week Vermont-Israel-Arab Peace Partners Project will bring ten graduate students from the Middle East to study and work on global water resource issues. The program is being done in collaboration with St. Michael’ s College and is funded by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. The Vermont Council on World Affairs is coordinating the program, arranging for internships and home stays for the students. Champlain College, and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies are also participating in the project.
The students will be arriving from Israel, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza on Labor Day weekend and will be participating in an orientation to the area at Burlington College on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 6th and 7th. They will be staying in homes with local families and interning at various research and science centers in the area during their six-week stay. The project will culminate in an all-day Global Water Resources Symposium at St. Michael’s College, where students will report on their findings.
Water is at the heart of important political debate and discussion on security policy, conflict and war. This series will explore both the current conflicts and controversies surrounding this essential resource and the cooperative citizen efforts to preserve its health, safety, beauty, and public accessibility. As a liberal arts college, we will consider our subject from scientific, political, historical, and artistic perspectives. All events are free and open to the public.
