United States Institute of Peace Reps hold videoconference with Cate School Students

Nov. 10, 2009 - PRLog -- On Wednesday, History teacher Jim Masker and his AP Comparative Government class in Carpinteria, CA gathered for an hour and a half video conference with US Institute of Peace (a congressionally funded nongovernmental organization) representatives in Washingon DC to discuss issues related to conflict in the Niger River Delta, the impact of ethnic identity on Nigerian elections, and the impact of multinational oil companies in Nigeria and West Africa. The representatives were:

   * Dorina Bekoe, Senior Research Associate, Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention
   * Jacqueline Wilson, Senior Program Officer, International Education and Training Center
   * Judith Asuni, Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow specializing in conflict and development in the Niger Delta

Cate teacher Jim Masker and senior program officers in USIP's Education and Training Center, David Smith and Jacqueline Wilson organized the video conference as part of USIP's outreach program and Cate's School commitment to exceptional academic experience. The 12 students in the class had the opportunity to discuss the questions generated by their study of West Africa with professionals who are actively engaged in many of the critical political, government, economic, and environmental issues confronting Nigeria today.

"Any comparative politics class can learn from a text book," said one student, "but this conference brought comparative politics to life—these issues don't only happen in history, but today, and now."

Students and USIP representatives engaged in dialogue for the full 90 minutes. "It was a virtual field trip into the real world," said another student, "where speculation ends and real change begins. It was an honor to discuss issues with people who are making a difference." Many requested more time for the next conference to delve into the issues more deeply and draw even more from the speakers' wealth of experience.

"This video conference actually fits well into our curriculum," said Masker after the class, "but the opportunity to speak with individuals who are living and breathing the issues we study is remarkable." The College Board mandates that Nigeria is one of the six countries that are required to be studied in the AP Comparative Government and Politics course. The class plays the role of Nigeria in the International Negotiation Project, a multi-school online, international-issues problem-solving simulation managed by the University of Maryland's Center for International Development and Conflict Management and Whittier College to provide students with further understanding of the issues facing Nigeria.

"The response from our students was overwhelming," answered Masker when asked about a repeat performance of this kind of video conferencing in his class. "It is not a question of if we will organize another conference like this, but when."

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Located one mile from the ocean, in the foothills of Santa Barbara County, Cate School is a coeducational college preparatory boarding school of 265 students. Founded in 1910, the School delivers a demanding academic program.