Embassy at Work 2011
Celebrating African American and Women's Month with Cypriot Students
March 14-24, 2011
Professor Elder had the opportunity to discuss the contributions and struggles of African-Americans and American women with students
Dr. Elder during her presentation on the history of American music
Professor Rose Elder, a 2007 Fulbright scholar, returned to Cyprus to share her expertise on African-American and American women’s history with local academics and students on a a number of campuses across the island. Throughout her two-week stay, Professor Elder had the opportunity to discuss the contributions and struggles of African-Americans and American women, showcase their musical styles, join participants in playing rhythms, analyze American musical styles and poetical expressions, and engage the students in dialogue about poetry, music, and historical trends.
Professor Elder also met with representatives from the UN Diversity grant at the NGO Support Center and the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR). She assisted groups in the early stages of planning for an international conference “Slavery at the Crossroads” for 2013 in Cyprus. Professor Elder also met with the head of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission and discussed working with the Cyprus national science foundation on research projects, and submitting a grant in conjunction with the Orthodox patriarch in Ghana to try to bring Ghanaian nurses to work in Cypriot clinics. During her school visits, she headed a discussion on “Real Women Have Curves” film on the subjects of patriarchy, women’s empowerment, including how women are portrayed in movies. Dr. Elder also delivered a presentation at Cyprus International University, where several international students from Nigeria and Kazakhstan approached her to discuss the role of religion in music and to exchange emails.
Dr. Elder's lectures in both communities were met with great interest, participants engaged her in discussion and expressed their appreciation for her presentations. Professor Elder described this opportunity to visit and work in Cyprus as amazing. During her stay she helped many Cypriots appreciate the culture, historical developments, and struggles of the American people. Despite having returned to the United States, she has continued to work and support her collaborators in Cyprus, sending presentations to the European University Cyprus and budget drafts to the Cyprus Fulbright Commission about a tour of Ghana with music students in the next couple of years.