By Chloey Norris

In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly selected March 21 to celebrate the International Day of Forests annually. The goals of celebrating this important day include raising awareness of the importance of forests in addition to educating people on what they can do to contribute to reforestation. The UN encourages individual countries to take action with activities locally, nationally, and internationally to promote reforestation.

On the United Nations website, a summary of the International Day of Forests stresses the necessity of healthy, flourishing forests of all types across the globe. Despite the infinite benefits forests provide the Earth, its ecosystems, climate, and resources, deforestation continues, and the human population remains unaware of the devastating effects that will soon result. Thus, the theme for this year’s International Day of Forests is “Forest Restoration: A Path to Recovery and Well-Being.” Reforestation and forests’ sustainability are crucial to combating the ever-worsening crisis of climate change and threats to biodiversity.

Dr. Catherine Duckett, the Associate Dean of Monmouth University’s School of Science, is an expert on the subject and provided an informative explanation in regard to the International Day of Forests and its significance. She stated that this day “emphasizes and celebrates the forests that humans and other creatures need for a healthy life. Stability of a healthy forest allows much less susceptibility to pandemic disease or pest outbreaks. Moreover, healthy forests are important to maintain water systems that people and agriculture need. Forests transpire, which promotes local rainfall, and forest root systems filter and retain water ensuring a steady distribution of clean water in their watersheds.” This explanation describes forests’ crucial benefits as well as why it is so important to maintain them.

In an interview with the IGU Director, Professor Randall Abate, who also has extensive experience with this topic from a law and policy perspective, he expanded on the human population’s ignorance of forests’ importance, their significance as a resource, reforestation and sustainable management’s benefits, and what readers can do to contribute to reforestation.

He first explained that the reason people often underestimate the significance of forests is that they appear to be a vast, unlimited resource. Deforestation is not an issue close to home, so the urgent reality of the situation is not visible for them. Humans are also unaware of the integral role that forests play in promoting biodiversity and mitigating climate change. On the issue of individuals who are aware of issues affecting the world’s forests but continue to destroy them, he explained that this cognitive dissonance is motivated by “short-term, profit focused thinking” in efforts to drive the economy and to make as much money as possible.

Professor Abate identified the dual efforts for reforestation and sustainable management as the solution to all the issues affecting forests. Reforestation and afforestation are both necessary; reforestation refers to rebuilding forests in places they once existed, and afforestation is the introduction of forests to locations where they did not previously exist. These healthy, thriving forests’ presence will serve as a hub for increased biodiversity and are a valuable weapon in mitigating and adapting to climate change. A healthy ecosystem is resilient, and its resilience can better adapt to the effects of climate change. Moreover, photosynthesis in forests draws carbon out of the air, which makes intact forests valuable carbon sinks in the fight against climate change.

Finally, you can contribute to these efforts! You can donate to help others plant trees, spread awareness, conduct research on the Rights of Nature Movement, continue to educate yourself and others, and be mindful of your own contributions that affect the environment.

Professor Abate identified the following resources for readers to learn and contribute more:
Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund
The Nature Conservancy

Additionally, here are other websites dedicated to reforestation that you can financially support:
National Forest Foundation
United States Forest Service
The Gifted Tree

All in all, the UN National Day of Forests is an extremely important celebration of the forests, which are the backbone of our planet. It is our responsibility to raise awareness, educate, and contribute to the causes of reforestation, afforestation, combating climate change, and protecting biodiversity. We can make a difference!

By Madison Hanrahan

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began one year ago, colleges and universities have struggled to maintain a calendar of social events and activities to bring their students together. The tides are changing, though, as students and administrators slowly reintroduce more events to campus life. One upcoming event, sponsored by the Institute of Global Understanding (IGU), will surely bring a breath of fresh air to Monmouth’s campus community. As the three-day 2021 IGU Biennial Symposium approaches with its kickoff on Thursday, March 25, an entirely student-led social activity is in the works: the inaugural Open Mic Night.

Spearheaded by IGU graduate intern Emi Intili, Open Mic Night will be the highlight of student participation in the symposium. The IGU encourages all Monmouth students, staff, faculty, family, and community members to share expressions of their views on human rights and the environment. These can include singing a song, performing a dance, reciting a poem, displaying artwork, or simply sharing a thought about a deeply held perspective on the intersection of human rights and the environment. All students will perform via Zoom, so participants can engage from any location and inject more creativity into their performances than when they perform on a stage.

Those who are not comfortable performing live or who are unable to be synchronously present at the event can submit a recording or a TikTok video. The top three most creative pieces will win gift card prizes! Central to this event is that Monmouth University and the IGU are offering an opportunity for students’ voices to shine artistically and in dialogue with an attentive audience. In addition to the performances, the event will feature a Kahoot trivia game focused on topics related to human rights and the environment.

The Open Mic Night will take place on Friday, March 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. If this event intrigues you, register as either a performer or an audience member here until the start of the event. If you have any questions, e-mail Emi Intili at s0672455@monmouth.edu.

By Madison Hanrahan

On February 24, the Institute for Global Understanding (IGU) co-hosted a virtual discussion of the film The Odyssey. Hosted by Dr. Thomas Pearson, Professor of History, the discussion featured UCI Director Tony MacDonald, Esq. and Dr. Jason Adolf, Associate Professor of Biology and Endowed Associate Professor of Marine Science. The virtual discussion was an invigorating and highly educational reflection on the current state of the oceans and how they impact human life and activities.

The Odyssey is a 2016 French film directed by Jérôme Salle. Salle is a former art director and filmmaker who began working on The Odyssey in 2012, using two biographies of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the French explorer, conservationist, television star, filmmaker, and innovator. Producing this film proved challenging for Salle, as the film takes place on the world’s oceans and focuses heavily on cinematic underwater shots below the ocean’s surface. Additionally, creating a plot for this film was difficult because Cousteau was such an accomplished and complex character, which is why the movie focuses on his son Philippe and on their father-son relationship.

The sea fascinated Cousteau, who created a television show to document his awe of the oceans. The film follows Cousteau’s son, Philippe, who works on the show with his father and realizes that human pollution harms the ocean and believes humans should protect and conserve the ocean rather than try to conquer it. Cousteau’s and Philippe’s contrasting ideas and priorities create tension throughout the movie, driving the narrative. Throughout the film, both father and son discover that they must come together to protect the oceans and become advocates to protect the planet from human pollution.

Approximately 40 participants attended the discussion and provided their insights on the film. Tony MacDonald first offered his commentary, stating that the film’s main theme is perseverance. He drew comparisons to the recently launched Mars Rover to demonstrate how a government agency heavily funds space exploration, costing $2.7 billion annually, while ocean exploration has an annual budget of only $45 million a year. This comparison highlights how neglected our oceans are in terms of research and science. He then explained how the work at the Urban Coast Institute (UCI) helps fill the gaps of what we know about the oceans. For instance, the UCI focuses on both ocean exploration and underwater philanthropy and has a 47-foot research vessel for major research at the university.

Next, Dr. Jason Adolf offered his comments about the film and on oceanic research. He discussed how little is known about the ocean due to the lack of funding and exploration. As his research focus is on phytoplankton and light in the ocean, he discussed the technology that one would need to see and photograph the ocean at different depths, as well as the bioluminescence of marine life. With less light in the water at greater depths, there is less color in the environment. Additionally, there is a special bioluminescence in plankton and in other sea creatures, though little research is available. There is a wide variety of marine animals that use bioluminescence, but since humans can see blue light, the blue light disguises the special fluorescence.

Dr. Adolf then explained how coral reefs are the most threatened marine habitats due to climate change. These reefs are susceptible to temperature change, as 90 percent of Earth’s excess heat is held at the oceans’ surface. As a result of rising temperatures, there will be a mass coral bleaching that will destroy all coral reefs.

To raise awareness and support for protecting the oceans, Tony MacDonald suggested engaging everyday citizens in science and the environment, especially to give youth a voice in the matter. Youth activist groups are passionate about and dedicated to their goals, and they will be the ones to inspire great change for ocean research. Educating and organizing groups on a local level to focus on environmental issues would be a valuable first step to raise awareness about the oceans’ status and research gaps.

By the end of the discussion, it was clear to all that climate change is a topic that demands our urgent attention. Preserving the planet, and in particular the oceans, needs to be a high priority for governments around the world as pollution affects us all. Pollution has become such a devastating problem to our environment that humans are killing the oceans faster than we can uncover their mysteries. By not preserving the oceans, the Earth and its people will struggle to survive. Cousteau and Philippe were the first two people who understood the value of protecting the oceans from pollution.

By Chelsea Franchette

The United Nations created World Wildlife Day in 2013 to promote awareness of wild animals and plants, as well as to celebrate these species. This commemorative day is celebrated on March 3. It is now recognized as the most important global annual event dedicated to the world’s wildlife. It draws attention to endangered species and the work that people around the world are doing to save these species and their ecosystems.

On World Wildlife Day, various events occur around the world on different topics in relation to the environment. Some of these topics include wild animals, national parks, nature conservation, plant life, climate change, oceans and marine life, and forests. The events throughout the day are meant to help spread awareness and educate a global audience about the different issues our environment faces.

This year’s World Wildlife Day theme, “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet,” focuses on how forests, and their species and ecosystems, help sustain people’s livelihoods. Forests affect indigenous peoples’ livelihoods more than any other ecosystem and help indigenous peoples meet their basic needs, including food, shelter, energy, and medicine.

The indigenous peoples and the forest ecosystems are highly interdependent. Forests are also facing the challenge of COVID-19’s impacts, which affect indigenous peoples’ health, social interactions, and economic well-being. The forest and the species within it are also battling crises like climate change and biodiversity loss.

Forest ecosystems and forest species can have a significant effect on humans, just as humans can detrimentally impact forests. Humans are the reason for the crises that are affecting our forests all over the globe. Deforestation is perhaps the most significant crisis that forests are facing today due to many factors; however, one main factor is humans’ use of wood. In an interview, Dr. Jonathan Scherch, the Founder and Executive Director of Pacific Bamboo Resources, described his work with this international non-governmental organization (NGO). He explained that bamboo is a resource for people that can be used for other applications to replace wood. This can lead to a reduction in deforestation, which benefits wildlife’s habitats and, ultimately, our planet. Dr. Scherch continued that replacing bamboo for wood not only helps our habitats and wildlife but also has an added benefit in that bamboo has the ability to reproduce quickly. One of Pacific Bamboo Resources’ projects is growing bamboo with farmers near the boundaries of gorilla national parks in Uganda in order to save the mountain gorillas from farmers intruding onto their land to extract the resources they need. When the farmers trespass on the gorillas’ land, they remove the gorillas’ resources and introduce them to diseases. The hope for this project is that farmers can learn how to support themselves without ravaging the national parks, further supporting the species within the parks’ lands.

World Wildlife Day strives to promote forest and forest wildlife management practices. These practices are meant to improve humans’ well-being and forests’ long-term conservation. The United Nations encourages the education and awareness of how our forests and forest wildlife contribute to peoples’ livelihoods all over the world. This year’s IGU symposium has a similar goal.

“UN Wildlife Day is highly relevant to the ‘human rights and the environment’ theme of this year’s IGU symposium. By recognizing the relationship between human and non-human communities and the need for human communities to protect wildlife populations and ecosystem integrity, UN Wildlife Day goes to the heart of the symposium theme. Harm to the environment not only threatens the vulnerable non-human communities on the Earth, but also presents a severe human rights crisis for vulnerable human communities around the world.” — Prof. Randall Abate, Director, Institute for Global Understanding, Monmouth University

The IGU Symposium and the UN World Wildlife Day both highlight our environment’s importance, and how it affects humans and, more specifically, human rights.

By Emily O’Sullivan

On February 16, 2021, the Institute for Global Understanding (IGU) co-sponsored the Tuesday Night World Music Record Club’s discussion of Love Letters (2020), Anoushka Shankar’s most recent release. Nominated for a Grammy in the Best Global Music Album category, the EP consists of six songs: “Bright Eyes,” “Those Words,” “Lovable,” “Space,” “Wallet,” and “In This Mouth.” Dr. Meghan Hynson, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, led participants through a thoughtful discussion spanning Shankar’s musical evolution as well as the intricacies of each Love Letters track. She contributed a substantive context to every song introduced, facilitating an immersive and collaborative listening experience for all in attendance.

Without question, Love Letters showcases Shankar’s mastery of the sitar. Shankar’s father, legendary Indian musician Ravi Shankar, first introduced her to the instrument at the age of seven. By the time she turned thirteen, Shankar’s professional career had taken shape and she had already performed on stage and produced an album. As her musical prowess grew increasingly evident, she opted not to attend university and instead followed in her father’s footsteps as a musical pioneer and performer of the sitar.

Love Letters epitomizes her ingenuity quite well, for it functions, in Dr. Hynson’s words, as a “fascinating fusion of the sitar and a number of other musical instruments.” For example, the single, “Bright Eyes” integrates the ghatam, a traditional water pot percussion instrument that is played with the mouth pressed against the player’s stomach. The player taps the surface of the ghatam with the fingers and the base of the palm and changes the pitch and resonance of the instrument by varying the pressure of the pot against the stomach. In this way, the EP incorporates a classic Indian aesthetic of sitar, ghatam, kanjira, and tanpura with modern Western pop instrumentation, to create a hybrid sound appealing to a variety of listeners.

Notably, Love Letters could not exist if not for the efforts of a host of trail-blazing women. The album featured a number of female musicians and writers, as well as a female musical engineer from Brooklyn, Heba Kadry. Ayanna Witter-Johnson plays the cello on the second track, “Those Words,” and Shilpa Rao (Indian vocals), Alev Lenz, Nina Harries, and twin sisters Ibeyi are all featured vocalists on the record. Their collaboration was integral to the EP’s creation, supporting Shankar both musically and spiritually. In reflecting on the EP’s production, Shankar explained, “I really got to experience the way women show up for each other when crisis strikes. That’s really where this music came from: the shared experience of women, holding my hand and helping me find a safe place to put some of my feelings.”

Love Letters signifies a departure from Shankar’s typical releases. Indeed, according to Dr. Hynson, the EP serves as “documentation of this profound period of upheaval” in Shankar’s recent history. From health issues to divorce, Shankar has grappled with losses that transcended her personal narrative and made their way into her songwriting. As a result, Love Letters emits a rather “somber,” “introspective,” and “cathartic” tone. At the same time, Shankar was careful not to craft her songs in an idiosyncratic manner, instead aiming for lyrics equally poignant and unspecific so that listeners could interpret her music in their own way. Therefore, Love Letters embodies a journey to healing, meeting listeners exactly where they are in hopes of elevating their spirits to some better place.

Love Letters is available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify, and Shankar’s YouTube channel. To further encounter musical genius from around the world, be sure to leave your Tuesday nights open!

By Madison Hanrahan

On Friday, February 19, the Institute of Global Understanding (IGU) and the Urban Coast Institute (UCI) co-hosted a panel for the most recent installment of the Global Ocean Governance series. This panel featured global perspectives on adapting marine shipping governance and maritime sovereignty to respond to climate change. Moderated by Professor Randall Abate, this panel featured three prominent speakers who are passionate about climate change: Dr. Beatriz Martinez Romera, an associate professor of environmental and climate change law at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark; Dr. Samira Idllalène, professor of law at Cadi Ayyad University in Safi, Morocco; and Dr. Joanna Siekiera, an international lawyer and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Bergen in Norway.

Dr. Martinez Romera began her presentation with some troubling statistics: emissions from ships and maritime transport currently account for three percent of annual global greenhouse emissions. She stated that by the year 2050, emissions could increase anywhere from 50 to 250 percent. Dr. Martinez Romera explained how international regulation of emissions has caused an oversight in limiting the amount of carbon emissions ships can release. Prior to the 2015 Paris Agreement, there was an “unequal treatment of ships and the amount of carbon they emitted,” and this unequal treatment hurt developing countries. When the Paris Agreement was created, shipping was not included in its terms, and unregulated carbon emissions persisted. Dr. Martinez Romera noted that there are now small steps underway to regulate carbon emissions from ships, such as strengthening the International Maritime Organization and with new policies implemented by the European Union to seek to comply with the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.

The next speaker, Dr. Samira Idllalène, addressed how the “atmospheric waqf principle” can be applied to the marine environment to respond to climate change impacts. Dr. Idllalène stated that the atmospheric waqf principle is a belief in the Muslim religion that values the idea of trusteeship and can be utilized in a way to respect animals and the natural environment to which they belong. She supported her argument by noting that waqf is an existing legal tool in Muslim countries as well as an ancestral institution with ecological applications. Moreover, “[T]here is a growing spiritual ecology movement happening across the globe, and atmospheric waqf allows animals additional protections by ensuring climate change does not affect their environment.”

Lastly, Dr. Joanna Siekiera delivered a presentation focusing on the legal consequences of sea level rise and climate change on islands and their sovereignty and what can be done to protect these islands. Places such as the Pacific Islands, Oceania, and Bangladesh are just a few examples of states at risk of impacts to their human security, state security, and food security as climate change continues to affect the oceans. Global maritime sovereignty is governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982. This treaty protects international peace and security in the maritime environment. One way to change maritime laws and regulations to protect island and coastal states from instability linked to climate change is to amend UNCLOS. This task is challenging as countries that are not as significantly affected by sea level rise do not want additional regulations, while also claiming that amending UNCLOS will “threaten the security and stability of their countr[ies].” It is important that regulations and maritime sovereignty are established for all states because, as outlined by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Bangladesh v. India (2014): “Maritime boundaries, just like land boundaries, must be stable and definitive to ensure a peaceful relationship between states in the long term.”

Given that it is highly unlikely that a majority of states will agree to amend UNCLOS, another option for protecting island and coastal states is to issue political declarations that create maritime laws that only affect a specific region. This is the optimal solution as states that do not want to change their laws will not be subject to new regulations that will address island states’ concerns. This idea of changing maritime laws at the regional level has worked before through the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States. The laws outlined in this convention only applied to states in South America but, over time, the Montevideo Convention became international “customary law.” By implementing new maritime laws and regulations at the regional level, it provides safety to coastal and island states as it would outline maritime boundaries that “once established, would not be challenged or reduced as a result of sea level rise and ocean change.” These maritime regulation and sovereignty protections are extremely important as the security and stability of these states are highly dependent on the ocean.

The recording of the lecture is available to view on the UCI’s Global Ocean Governance Lecture Series webpage. The next lecture in the series, which will address issues in global fisheries governance, will be co-hosted by the IGU and UCI on Thursday, April 8, 2021.

Dr. Joanne Jodry, Ed.D., D.M.H., Assistant Professor of Professional Counseling and the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Director, presented her talk on “Educational Transformation: Finding Your Meaning through Service to Others” during a TEDxAsburyPark salon on Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

Dr. Jodry shared her passion for service during an intimate discussion of her first meeting with Courtney Deacon Lalotra, the founder of One Life to Love, a nonprofit organization and orphanage that provides education, nutrition, and health care to migrant children with mental and physical disabilities in New Delhi, India. A mutual friend introduced Dr. Jodry to Ms. Deacon Lalotra shortly after Dr. Jodry received a cancer diagnosis in 2015 that she says created “a new identity” for her, leaving her “more fearful.” Ms. Deacon Lalotra’s selfless and courageous devotion to offering basic necessities, love, and care to children of the greatest need inspired Dr. Jodry to find meaning and healing in service.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Dr. Jodry developed a faculty-led program for the students in her graduate program to embark on an annual service trip through northern India, including to One Life to Love. The students serve food at the Golden Temple, provide care to children, and, in Dr. Jodry’s words, learn to “answer the call of suffering,” as they expand upon their training for therapy and counseling and engage in spiritual growth. Monmouth students will participate in the program for the third time this summer.

Dr. Jodry refers to service as “the cure” for our own suffering and encourages her students and audience to “live in action.”

Dr. Jodry’s presentation from the TEDxAsburyPark salon is available to view on YouTube.

“Be inspired by people who show meaning in their lives…. Really look at the suffering of other people… and ask yourself, ‘Why can’t I help?’” — Dr. Joanne Jodry, Ed.D., D.M.H., Assistant Professor of Professional Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Director

Co-authored by Emily O’Sullivan and Madison Hanrahan

Throughout the Fall 2020 semester, students in Dr. Alison Maginn’s FS300A Advanced Spanish Conversation and Oral Discourse course collaborated with the Long Branch Free Public Library on a co-creative, reciprocal service-learning storytelling project that adapted to pandemic-related restrictions and fostered lasting connections among all parties involved. Though students enrolled in Dr. Maginn’s course during previous semesters participated in an intercultural mentoring program based within the library’s facilities, COVID-19 forced the latter to close its doors to the public in March. Accordingly, Dr. Maginn consulted with the Children’s Librarian, Nekesha Marshall, to devise an alternative service-learning structure that would best assist Long Branch in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Ultimately, Marshall identified a need for virtual storytelling content that would provide Spanish-speaking children with educational resources during the library’s closure. Given the growing immigrant populations within Long Branch and in nearby towns, many families increasingly rely on such resources to help their children successfully navigate school systems in which the language of instruction differs from their primary languages spoken at home. With this in mind, Marshall suggested that each Monmouth student select a children’s book written in Spanish from the library’s collection so that they could practice reading and performing the story. After working on their oral presentations throughout the semester, students would then record themselves reading the stories and upload these videos to the library’s webpage and YouTube account for local children and their families to view remotely.

Notably, this exercise entailed immense benefits for the project’s student participants, challenging them to refine their oral communication skills for a purpose greater than themselves. As Dr. Maginn explained, “Storytelling is quite a task, even in your own language. You have to really practice enunciating clearly and delivering a bit of dramatization so that the story is accessible for little kids.” Moreover, the project demonstrated how foreign language instruction functions as a critical component of promoting global understanding. In Dr. Maginn’s words, “Language is never just language: language is language and culture. So, when students study language at Monmouth, they are always studying a language in context, and one of the big things we emphasize in language instruction is that there are both similarities and differences amongst cultures that we should embrace rather than be afraid of… Whether it be through readings, videos, or live discussions with native speakers, we encourage students to engage in critical thinking and to move beyond initial gut reactions, and language allows us to do this so well because it necessitates that one try to understand things that may be different from what they’re used to.”

When asked about the project’s relevance to the IGU’s core value of cross-cultural awareness, she continued, “Even though [with this project] we were only a few miles away from the library, we definitely crossed borders because our students were working with a community that most of them did not know much about. Many of our students had never previously worked with recent immigrant families, so there was a great opportunity for them to open up a conversation and dialogue. Then, in class, we supported this learning experience with readings about social issues for immigrants in the United States, always making sure to back up the service learning with meaningful context.”

Despite Monmouth students’ inability to meet the children for whom they read, their participation in the project greatly enhanced both their Spanish-speaking skills and connection to Monmouth’s surrounding communities. When recalling her experiences while completing the project, freshman Isabella Leak detailed, “Every day, I would go through my story and practice enunciating all of the words to make sure that I would be able to speak clearly for the kids on the video… Just by reading the book, practicing the vocabulary, and making sure my accent was good, my Spanish improved… but I also developed a greater understanding of how Spanish connects us to our community and to other people.” Though facilitating such connection during a pandemic may seem daunting, the service-learning experience proved a remarkable success, with Leak concluding that, “This project definitely opened my eyes and made me realize how lucky people who speak English as their first language are, and I think we overlook that privilege and do not really acknowledge it. However, it’s really important for us as students to understand that point… being able to teach [Spanish] and connect to other people was my biggest takeaway; I really learned the value of language and connection with other people.”

In short, Dr. Maginn’s course allowed Monmouth University students to practically apply their Spanish language skills while promoting awareness and understanding of Spanish-speaking communities in and around West Long Branch. Ultimately, its model of community-driven work could be a steppingstone toward a substantive addition to Monmouth University. The project reinforced her students’ language skills, all while granting them new experiences that helped them grow as people and empowering the communities around them. Following this lead, service-learning practitioners should seriously consider adopting similar approaches and understand that rich cross-cultural connections are possible and transpiring daily, even in the midst of a pandemic.

To access Monmouth University students’ finished products, please visit the Long Branch Free Public Library website or the library’s YouTube account.

By Courtney Gosse

Introduction
The Institute for Global Understanding (IGU) co-hosted a film discussion based on Ravi Kumar’s 2014 film, Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain, as part of the 2020-2021 World Cinema Series on January 26 at 7:30 p.m. This event was moderated by Dr. Thomas Pearson, Professor in the Department of History and Anthropology. The faculty discussants for this film were Dr. Datta Naik, Professor of Chemistry, and Dr. Marina Vujnovic, Associate Professor of Communication and a specialist in global communications.

The film was released on the 30th anniversary of the Union Carbide disaster, which occurred December 2-3, 1984 in Bhopal, India. The film analyzes the causes of the chemical leak and vapor spread that killed as many as 10,000 people in Bhopal, along with Union Carbide corporate leadership’s responsibility, its local operatives in Bhopal, and local officials’ complicity in creating the conditions that led to the environmental catastrophe, their efforts to avoid accountability, and the disaster’s legacy. The film allows viewers to adequately examine the interdependence among human communities and the natural world; if one side of the relationship is affected, both sides then become affected. As disasters continue to persist today, due to climate change and human errors, there are many lessons that can be learned from analyzing what is considered the world’s worst industrial disaster: the catastrophe of Bhopal.

Information About the Film
The director, Ravi Kumar, is a famous Bollywood actor and director. He was inspired to make the film as early as 2004 after reading Sunjoy Hazarika’s Bhopal, the lessons of a tragedy. He discovered that few members of the younger generations knew about the Bhopal disaster, which fascinated him, and pushed him to believe that this was a film that needed to be made.

In 2010, unfortunately, Kumar ran into the problem of getting the film released. His efforts to release the film were plagued by controversy as the Dow Chemical company, which acquired what had been Union Carbide in 2001, blocked efforts to screen the film. Local activists in Bhopal also had real concerns about the film’s message. However, this did not stop Kumar from completing the film’s production. Next, when the film was considered complete, Kumar then faced another problem: getting a distributor to finance the film’s release. A film in which thousands of people died in the most horrible ways would prove to be a difficult endeavor in this regard. Kumar eventually managed, with the help of actor Martin Sheen, to screen the film at a few different international film festivals. As a result of these events, the film began attracting a larger audience, which simply provided more attention to the Bhopal tragedy. Therefore, Kumar decided to show the film on the 30th anniversary of the event with a premiere in Bhopal.

Discussion with Dr. Datta Naik about Toxicity
Dr. Naik provided viewers with an explanation of what happened logistically regarding the Union Carbide product’s toxicity and why it had killed so many people in Bhopal in 1984. To begin, Union Carbide was making and selling a toxic pesticide, Sevine, made from MIC (methyl isocyanate), which was made at the plant, and 1-naphthol, which was outsourced from another location. The chemical compound MIC is extremely toxic; the threshold limit value set by the American Conference on Government Industrial Hygienists is 0.02 parts per million (ppm). Although the MIC’s odor cannot be detected at 5 ppm by most people, its potent lachrymal properties provide an excellent warning of its presence. (At 2-4 ppm, subjects’ eyes are irritated, the first sign of exposure.)

Next, MIC was created in large quantities at the Union Carbide plant and needed to be kept cool (near the freezing point) when not in use, which was the case in Bhopal. The chemical was then kept in large 60-ton tanks while waiting to be utilized properly. The chemical leak started from these storage tanks due to lack of specific protocols being followed, as well as the event itself, which was the MIC reacting with other chemicals and escaping into the atmosphere. Several protocols were not followed: (1) the tank’s refrigeration was off, (2) one out of the three tanks was empty, and (3) the other two tanks were filled more than halfway (~30 tons of MIC). The chemical reaction that took place was due to an operation error during the rinsing of the vent pipes; water flowed into the MIC storage tank, which is when everything started to go wrong. An exothermic reaction between MIC and water occurred, producing intense heat in the tank’s confined space. The temperature and pressure started to rise, which caused part of the MIC distillates to decompose and to generate hydrogen chloride gas. This gas formed hydrochloric acid with water (another exothermic reaction) and corroded the stainless-steel tank, dissolving it into iron. The dissolved iron, acting as a catalyst, caused a trimerization reaction to produce trimethyl isocyanate (a solid). This trimerization reaction did not go into the atmosphere, but rather was exothermic and produced extreme heat, which simply increased the temperature and pressure in the tank, reaching 250 °C (482 °F), causing the tanks to rupture. Eventually, the toxic MIC gas along with several other toxic gases, all heavier than air, leaked out of the tank and into the plant, and then finally into the low atmosphere of Bhopal.

Lastly, due to misinformation and lack of education regarding the chemicals being held and produced at Union Carbide, essential workers, staff members, and even the local community knew nothing about how to treat the symptoms that were present during the gas leak. Also, Union Carbide had not conducted emergency drill or training prior to the incident, which is unfortunate because all that needed to be done to escape the inhalation of the toxic gas was to run to higher ground. Therefore, due to lack of education and training, thousands of people were then greatly affected by this horrific event. In fact, the official immediate death toll was 2,259. Then, in 1991, after being reassessed, the total count was 3,928 deaths. However, unofficial total deaths are estimated to be around 14,410. Also, the amount of people injured during this event is estimated to be 574,000. To put this into perspective, Bhopal’s population in 1984 was 850,00; therefore, over half of the population was affected. Overall, there were many potential efforts that could have prevented this disaster.

Discussion with Dr. Vujnovic on Corporate Social Responsibility
Dr. Vujnovic helped viewers better understand Union Carbide’s failure to exercise responsibility (now called Dow Chemical Company) for this event that occurred more than three decades ago. She also explained how the attitude portrayed toward this disaster, along with the lack of a coordinated response, shows exactly how not to do crisis management: “delayed, denied, and deflected.” The story of Bhopal is simply about collusion between governments (both Indian and American), along with large corporate powers. The groups involved continue to obstruct justice for the Bhopal disaster’s victims due to lack of enforcement regarding liability. For example, even today, the company continues to refuse to provide basic information regarding the disaster to reporters, constantly giving excuses and blaming the local government as well as the Bhopal community for the crisis. However, legal documentation indicates that everything is traced back to Warren Anderson, the former CEO of Union Carbide. Anderson had signed the paperwork knowing that there would be safety issues at the Bhopal location simply for the purpose of cost-saving measures. The documents eventually surfaced in 1981 proving this, along with the number of employees hired and fired, as well as the lack of safety training protocols throughout the company’s locations.

Another example of corruption is the settlement to which Union Carbide agreed with the U.S. and Indian governments. The company agreed to this settlement to save its image and reputation, but the money was given to the Indian government to provide each victim and family with proper compensation (around $1,000 per victim). However, the Indian government enacted the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster Act in 1985, which enabled the government to act as a legal representative for the victims. Therefore, once this money was paid, the Indian government did not give all the money to the victims and instead kept most of the estimated $370 million in its own coffers. The victims and their families continue to campaign in the hope that they will one day receive proper compensation for the disaster.

On a more positive note, although there was a lack of global support and attention given to the Bhopal disaster, a nonprofit organization, the Chingari Trust, continues to help combat the disaster’s effects on the local community. Founded by survivors Rashida Bee and Champadevi Shukla in 2006, the organization provides economic and livelihood support programs primarily to women and children in the affected area.

Overall, what can be taken from this film and the event that it depicts is that there is absolutely no justice without proper accountability. Multinational corporations, like Union Carbide, always seem to be in the race for the bottom line, yet, where are the ethics in this approach? It seems that the bottom line is always put first, before human decency or proper respect for human rights. The U.S. approach to conducting international business must change. It cannot be about what is allowable; it needs to be about what is a proper and safe way of conducting business (i.e., protecting people and protecting the environment). Although the role of governments is important in these situations, the ultimate responsibility lies with the corporations themselves. It is simple: Do not take advantage of vulnerable communities and adopt ethical practices in your work.

By Deanna Venezio

On November 20, 2020, we welcomed Dr. Migalí Armillas-Tiseyra, an Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Penn State University, for her lecture, The Dictator Novel: Writers and Politics in the Global South and discussion as the inaugural Scholarly Speaker Series event. The English department’s Graduate Director, Dr. Mary Kate Azcuy, described the newly developed Scholarly Speaker Series’ relevance and importance for Monmouth University: “We started this Series to introduce students to scholars who are working in critical new fields of inquiry and discovery in which we engage our graduate programs—in literature, rhetoric and writing, and creative writing—and interdisciplinary conversations with gender, intersectionality, and global issues; thus, our collaboration with PGIS and IGU. These scholars introduce their current work via a short lecture and then discuss their research, writing process, and scholarly endeavors via a question-and-answer period with the audience.”

Dr. Armillas-Tiseyra’s Zoom presentation delivered astute discourse for our students. Her lecture included the opening pages of The Dictator Novel,’ where she discusses the importance of the dictator being a “fictional character removed from historical references”:

To read the dictator novel solely for its attack on the dictator obscures its examination of the systems within which dictatorship takes shape. Such readings risk overlooking the complex ways in which novels about dictatorship also intervene in larger debates, whether on the internal difficulties of national consolidation, the role of external and global force in sustaining dictatorship, or even the political function of writing itself. (Armillas-Tiseyra 4)

Not only does she suggest a more open mind when understanding African and Latin American literature, with a focus on the “intersection of large-scale comparative frameworks and political system,” but she applies theoretical discussions and debates regarding the systems.

She taught us that the dictator as a character is often absent in a majority of a novel’s content and focuses on the narrative and how characters work their way through these environments through “socially charged” rhetoric. We come to learn how these dictatorships came to fruition in the first place. With that being said, she has a compelling ability to tell crucial stories with grace and conviction.

“We don’t really see the dictator novel being written in America, but Magali’s work is so important because it highlights the parallels we do have in our political system. It’s as relevant as ever. Her work also reminds us of what great art and literature are supposed to do.” — Assistant Professor Alex Gilvarry, Director, MFA in Creative Writing

Additional dictator novels recommended by Dr. Armillas-Tiseyra:

• Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa
• The General in His Labyrinth by Tomás Eloy Martínez
• Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa The General in His Labyrinth by Tomás Eloy Martínez Wizard of Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong’o