ICAR Open House: Facilitating Community Growth and Evolution
On november 11 2010, ICAR held its annual Open House, a tradition that helps our community stay connected and share our current endeavors. This year’s Open House focused specifically on recent practical work and research from our ICAR faculty, alumni, and affiliates. Even within a community as small as ICAR’s, it is far too easy to become absorbed in our personal projects without stopping to take a breath and considering the vast number of accomplishments our Institute has achieved as a whole.
The evening featured a multitude of table displays presenting the most recent faculty and alumni publications, as well as the ICAR Newsletter, Unrest Magazine, information on the China Initiative, the New Malta Program Partnership, the Ben Franklin Institute with Asia, the New ICAR Practice Project, and ICAR’s brand new website and knowledge management system. The undergraduate program displayed a sample of the projects and events that are occurring on the Fairfax Campus.
Throughout the evening, short side bar events allowed guests to hear presentations focused on ICAR’s recent and forthcoming initiatives. Speakers included faculty, staff, students, and affiliates drawn from the Arlington and Fairfax campuses. Topics included Georgian and South Ossetian Confidence Building Workshops, the current work of and guiding philosophies behind our Genocide Prevention Program, an introduction to the new Malta Program, and reflections from the ICAR Liberia trip and this past summer’s Ben Franklin Institute. All presentations were well attended, and sparked enaging and informative discussion sessions.
This year's event was also well attended by ICAR’s student population. As a first year Masters student myself, I can attest to the fact that, while attempting to juggle classes, term papers, readings, research, and some form of gainful employment, it’s immensely difficult to remain aware of all the projects that are constantly going on at ICAR. This evening brought many of these projects into one place, where students could gather information, ask questions, and find opportunities to supplement their education by becoming actively involved in these endeavors.
Such opportunities are not only beneficial but often provide a valuable space for us to come together to share our work, and to facilitate discussion and feed back. ICAR may be a leader in the field in terms of its practical work and research, but only through sharing it with each other can we truly grow and evolve as a community. It is my sincere hope that the Open House provided a space for this sharing process.