Live from Beirut
by The Editors on June 27, 2008 in Features
Sharad Venkat blogs about his experience living and working in Lebanon this summer. (Photo Credit: Sharad Venkat)
1948 in Focus
by The Editors on April 30, 2008 in Features
On the sixtieth anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel, two Kennedy School students - one Israeli, one Palestinian-American - reflect on what the date means to them.
Getting on with the Past
by Naseem Khuri, Culture/Photo Editor on April 30, 2008 in Features
There was a famous line delivered by a participant in the all-party talks that eventually led to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which largely brought peace to Northern Ireland: “To hell with the future, let’s get on with the past!” To some, the idea of dwelling upon past grievances was outrageous, representing a direct way to hold back progress that might have been made in the peace talks. To others, however, avoiding acknowledgment of past horrors and blindly moving forward could itself stymie progress. Looking back, they said, was indeed the only way the parties could start to look forward. Read more
Why Celebrate?
by Naomi Krieger on April 30, 2008 in Features
This month, I celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, while my Palestinian friends mourn the same day as the Nakba.
Why celebrate? For many people, the establishment of the modern state of Israel represents the triumph of hope, faith and vision over despair. From a people scattered among nations, dreaming of return to the land of Israel for 2,000 years, an incredible society was built. Read more
Work ‘Til You Drop
by Nik Steinberg, Editor-in-Chief on April 30, 2008 in Features, Snapshot
An exhausted student catches some shut-eye in her books. Credit: Nik Steinberg
Online Forum: HKS Talent Show
by The Editors on April 22, 2008 in Features
On Sunday, April 20, several Kennedy School students performed a satirical skit called the “Leveraged News Hour” at the annual HKS talent show. Earlier today, the HKS Korea Caucus (with the support of several groups) sent an email to the school saying the performance “crossed the line of being funny to being cultural[ly] insensitive and disrespectful.” In a subsequent email, actors in the skit apologized, and the exchange prompted a discussion over school email reflecting the need for further dialogue.
In response, the Citizen has set up an online forum for students to discuss their views on the issue. This is not intended to be the only site of discussion; it is just one platform among many. Read more
“A Time for Reflection” and Response (Email Recaps)
by The Editors on April 22, 2008 in Features
Email from the HKS Korea Caucus Co-Chairs and Executive Board Members
To the Kennedy School community,
This past Sunday marked the 2008 HKS Talent Show, an event created to promote community-building. While the evening showcased the wide range of talents that make HKS so special, it also contained rather troubling remarks that crossed the line of being funny to being cultural insensitive and disrespectful.
Border Crossers
by The Editors on April 17, 2008 in Features
Over spring break, HKS student delegations explored the fault lines and reconciliation efforts in two of the world’s most divided regions - the Balkans and the Middle East.
Tamara Heimur reports on nighttime crossings from Serbia to Kosovo, and a town divided along ethnic lines.
Roshan Paul writes a series of poems inspired by his time in Israel and the West Bank.
Walls
by Roshan Paul on April 16, 2008 in Features
A series of poems inspired by the HKS student trip to Israel and the West Bank
I. Purim
Sun and Moon lean gently together
over the railing, smokes dangling.
The night sea-breeze whips about not just
her yellow mini-dress and his curly black wig
but also a mood. They lean into a kiss,
ashes whisper into the waters below.
Fragments of the union of Day and Night.
Newborn
by Tamara Heimur on April 16, 2008 in Features
Illuminated letters in Kosovo. Credit: Hamakawa
For most of us on the HKS trip, it was an impressionable first encounter. Kosovo is a country that has accomplished its long sought goal of independence, and it is reveling in the achievement. But the road ahead will be difficult and the signs of possible conflicts ahead were never far from view. Read more
