The team participating this year are: Back: Dianna Sinni; Anna ...

International House Students win Projects for Peace Grant for a 2^nd year in a row.

Students from International House, a student residence of the University of Wollongong, have been awarded USD10,000.00 as part of their proposal for the Davis Projects for Peace 2009.  The US project is in its 3rd year and this is the second year running that students from International House have been awarded funding.

The award winning proposal recognises a need for non-Indigenous Australian and International residents to have a thorough and empathetic understanding of Indigenous Australians as the traditional custodians of Australian soil.   Currently, there are no established cultural exchange opportunities with the Aboriginal community and International House.  The project will facilitate a two-way exchange of cultural and personal experiences in order to help build understanding, communication and friendship between International House students and the Aboriginal people.

The students who worked on the award winning proposal are:

Team Leaders:      Manisha Gupta, Graeme Wolgamot
Team Members:    Thanita Rittaporn, Shane Smith,Bryn Stamford,Emily Ivins, 
                           Elizabeth Moses, Tessa Lomsden, Alex Guider, 
                           Rebecca Holmes, Andrew Leach, Scott Baker

Graeme Wolgamot, team leader and International House resident said, “I am pleased with the grant, and I think it reflects International House residents' interest and awareness in the world around them, and a commitment to make a difference.”

A team of students from International House (see photo) will implement the project throughout the semester in three stages, focusing on:

Increasing International House students' awareness of Aboriginal culture, history and current issues
Increasing Aboriginal student's awareness of international cultures represented at International House
Improving access to educational opportunity

The Davis Projects for Peace is an invitation for undergraduates at the American colleges and universities in the Davis United World Scholarship Program.  Students design projects at a grassroots level with the intention of implementing them during 2009.  The projects that are deemed to be the most realistic in implementing are funded with USD10,000 each.  The objective of the Davis Projects for Peace is to encourage  and support today’s motivated youth to create their own ideas for building peace.

The Davis Projects for Peace is made possible by international philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis,who chose to celebrate her 100^th birthday in February 2007 by committing USD1 million for one hundred Projects for Peace.

The project is a perfect fit with the UOW International House mission “Promoting global well-being by enabling UOW students living @ International house to be intercultural leaders”, explained Lindsay Oades, Student Residence Manager, International House.