GSIS Summer 2023

FAQ and Operational Plans

2023 Information Forthcoming Soon!

Previous Program Pictures - GSIS Students In Action

GSIS students meet with U.S. Diplomat in Residence, Vallera Gibson. Diplomat Gibson currently serves as the Diplomat in Residence in Atlanta. Diplomat Gibson shared stories of her assignments in Haiti, Guinea, and Congo and opportunities for students at the U.S. State Department. 

Culture Day - students participate in games and activities from other cultures - "death" mask making, henna body art,  and international board games. 

Above:  Arabic language dinner cultural dinner

Buddist Monks lead a mindfulness activity. 

 Limbo Dancing at the Portuguese language cultural dinner 

 Instructor Clay Francis leads a State of the World activity.

Working With Operation Broken Silence

For the past few years, GSIS students have worked with the nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, Operation Broken Silence (OBS).  OBS is headquartered in Memphis and founded by University of Memphis International Studies alumnus Mark Hackett.  The people of Sudan are overcoming two of the greatest challenges facing humanity today: war and genocide. Operation Broken Silence is working to accelerate their ability to generate lasting change through storytelling and movement-building, education and emergency relief, and grassroots advocacy programs.

This year, our staff spent an evening with the students having an open discussion about Sudan's crisis and how they could be involved. The next day, students brought their newfound passion for the Sudanese people and their creativity into the campaign design process.

This year, the students split into two groups and focused on the following campaigns for our organization:

1. Refreshing the Heart of Nuba fundraising campaign, which supports the Mother of Mercy Hospital in the oppressed Nuba Mountains of Sudan.

2. Creating two statewide advocacy campaigns for a House resolution and Senate resolution, both of which focus on the ongoing and most recent Sudan crisis that began in December 2018.

Below are a few pictures of the day's activities. For more information about the 2019 GSIS class's involvement with  Operation Broken Silence, check out the Movement Spotlight on their website here.