On Syria Week
The Academy’s Syria Week coincided with the joint announcement between the U.S. and Russia on a new Syrian peace deal. As a part of Syria Week, scholars and experts led a Tuesday night panel about the Syrian refugee crisis, and will take part in a panel discussion on Thursday evening about the nature of the Syrian conflict itself. The week will be capped off with an assembly by Tarek Masoud ’93, a Harvard Kennedy School professor. Masoud will also serve as a panelist for Thursday’s discussion.
The Academy, student organizers and the panelists deserve the utmost praise for coordinating these events. Although we enjoy easier access to information than any generation before us, it can be quite hard to find sources that simply report the facts without pushing their own agenda. In a time where every news outlet is labeled as ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative,’ it is incredibly valuable for students to hear from credible individuals who are experts in their fields. Most importantly, none of the panelists explicitly expressed a partisan opinion, save for Liza Williams, who offered a disclaimer before sharing her personal thoughts on the matter. They simply presented the facts, figures and stories of the refugee crisis, and allowed the audience to decide their opinion for themselves.
Tuesday’s panel boasted an impressive breadth of experience and knowledge. Alexandra Chen, a Harvard alumna and psychotherapist, shared numerous anecdotes from her time spent working one-on-one with refugees in a number of Middle Eastern countries. Liza Williams of Brown University chose to focus her remarks mostly on the raw data of the situation and provided the audience with a comprehensive slideshow. Meanwhile, Melinda Negron-Gonzales of UNH balanced the two approaches and offered some of the most interesting responses to audience questions. Each brought something unique and important to the discussion. The panelists also opened themselves up for questions from the audience members, and spoke directly to some Exonians after the event had finished.
Perhaps most importantly, these events have allowed us to escape the ‘Exeter bubble.’ Despite the fact that the world is at our fingertips, our lack of time makes it tough to determine the facts behind the issue. Even more importantly, we can’t truly understand the humanity behind what Chen called “the largest humanitarian crisis in modern history.”
Regardless of anyone’s political affiliation or opinion on the matter of refugee acceptance, Syria Week is a valuable experience for all, and the Academy would be hard pressed to find a better way to spend their resources.