W E L C O M E

May 3, 2006
The Impact of The War on Iraq forum- Latinos and African Americans speak out!

Evaluation of Cultural Enrichment Through
an Examination and Celebration of World Cultures

introduction
Started through a grant nearly 10 years ago, with a mandate given by a joint administrative and faculty committee to celebrate the ethnic and cultural diversity at City College and to enhance the curriculum and campus life, the World Cultures Program exposes students, faculty, staff and the community to a broad array of global cultural diversity found in people, groups, beliefs, traditions, and customs, plus the best in music, drama, literature, lecturers, and art.

The World Cultures Program accomplishes this mission by providing a forum for artists, musicians, singers, dancers, actors, writers, historians, spokespersons for numerous causes, athletes and educators from all over the globe. Events come in a variety of formats, including large and small multimedia presentations, exhibits, concerts, debates, dramatic performances and speakers. All of our on campus events are provided to our campus community FREE OF CHARGE. In addition, students frequently receive free or discounted tickets to cultural activities and performances throughout San Diego through as the result of our community partnerships with such organizations as as the Old Globe Theatre, Common Ground Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre and others.

Each year the World Cultures sponsors approximately 40 on campus events, with an average yearly attendance of more than 5,000. Each semester, additional events are often added to the schedule as the result of World Cultures Grant funding, yet another benefit offered by the Program which enables faculty, staff and students to propose program ideas which meet an established criteria, and receive funds based upon committee approval.

The World Cultures Program also sponsors programs that add meaning to holidays, historic events and specially designated months of the year, such as Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Holy Week in Spain, Cinco de Mayo, French Mardi Gras, and more. These activities often feature costumes, food, traditional activities and music representative of the highlighted culture.

Currently, World Cultures events are only offered during the Fall and Spring semesters. Each season is planned at least three to six months in advance by our Co-Directors who make every effort to offer a diversity of programming that adequately represents the needs and desires of our campus community.
Past programs have included a Masaai warrior, a neo-modern jazz quintet, a Klezmer band, a renowned Korean ceramist, an Irish fiddler and storyteller, internationally renowned filmmakers and screenwriters, Flamenco dancing, an African drum and dance ensemble, Taco Shop Poetry Slams, controversial political debates, Finnish folk music, Holocaust survivors, a Steel Drum Band, national touring Photography exhibits, plus much much more. It is our hope that the programs offered by World Cultures, as well as our influence on our campus and surrounding community, will increase each year so that we can better accomplish our mission to increase the understanding, appreciation and celebration of global human diversity on our campus and in our world.