A Conversation with Ofeibea Quist Arcton

Don't you just love the voices of the NPR international reporters?  Sylvia Pugoli and Ofeibea Quist Arcton are my favorites!  When I saw that Ofeibea was giving at a talk at the Radcliffe Institute I couldn't resist.  The Radcliffe Institute hosts a lot of free lectures, panels, and presentations throughout the year and I've been trying to take advantage of these more.  (Added bonus, there's almost always a catered reception afterwards with yummy appetizers.)

Ofeibea was fabulous.  She focused her lecture on why it is important to report on the stories of girls and women in Africa.  Her talk really paralleled the stories that were brought up during the Supreme Court hearings.  The most telling part of her talk came during the Q and A portion.  A man asked her what the consequences of the current president's policies have had on African leaders.  She responded by saying that the bar has been lowered as to what is acceptable.  There's a definite, "If it's ok for the US it's ok for us" attitude overseas.  Human rights violations and decorum are being more widely accepted.  That's a pretty scary thought.

I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to go to these panels and presentations.  It's another perk of living in the city!