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INTERNAT I ONAL NEWS Published by THE UNIVERSI T Y OF FLORIDA IN T ERNA T IONAL CEN T ER www.ufic.ufl.edu V OL U ME 4 NO. 1 W IN T ER 2008 Dean’s Message Global Culture 2007 Photo Contest Awards recognize UF’s top international faculty Ambassador Dennis C. Jett (Ret.), Ph.D. Dean of the UF International Center This edition of the news- letter includes an article on the International Educator of the Year Awards and the ceremony where the Provost presented them. Accomplishing any goal at an institution of higher education, especially a large research university, requires the full support ENGLISH by Brandi Hill and active participation of Winner its faculty. Study Abroad Category This is particularly true Location: Sand Sloot, South Africa when the objective is the further internationalization of the campus and the curriculum. Some believe The UFIC recognized photographers in the 2007 Global Cul- that international involvement will detract from ture Photo Contest. Read about the contest on page 4. their research or their teaching responsibilities. Oth- ers may have doubts about the degree to which such Learning tropical biology on site: efforts are really valued. The purpose of the International Educator Award The REU Program in Ghana is to recognize the most outstanding work done by BY DANIEL A. WU B AH , PH.D. faculty members to promote the greater interna- Will the Ghanaian mangrove oyster become tionalization of UF and to show that such achieve- one of our next delicacies? Can the seeds of a ments are highly valued and rewarded. By serving pepper plant in West Africa be used as a crop as examples to other faculty members, the award insecticide in the U.S.? What is the necessary winners demonstrate in a wide variety of ways how environment for the survival and propaga- an international dimension can enrich teaching and tion of a stingless bee? These are some of the enhance research. questions that U.S. undergraduate students The diversity of the ways in which the awardees tackle when they take part in a unique summer Wubah accomplished this is another example of the research program in Ghana. breadth, as well of the depth, of the scholarly activi- In the past six years, 34 students have spent the summer ties at UF. Hopefully it will also demonstrate that working on carefully selected projects at the University of any faculty member can engage in internationaliza- Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana. The program was funded by tion and incorporate a global perspective in all that the Office of International Science and Engineering and the they do. Directorate of Biology at the National Science Foundation See Ghana, p. 7 International News 1 Speakers ... Ret. Col. Ann Wright discusses officials who practice dissent Retired Army Col. Ann Wright came to the University of Florida to talk about people who spoke out about il- legal activities and policies of the United States and paid with their careers, their reputations and in cases, their security. She is among them. Wright, author of “Dissent: Voices of Conscience,” also signed copies of her book during her visit and pre- Retired Army Col. Ann Wright signs copies of her sentation on Jan. 29. book, “Dissent: Voices of Conscience,” at a UF presenta- Wright grew up in Bentonville, Ark., and got a mas- tion. ter’s degree and law degree from the University of or conceal its actions. She complained, and less than Arkansas. She joined the Army during the Vietnam War a year later she was fired. The Justice Department’s to get out of Arkansas and to see the world. She spent 13 Inspector General’s report showed that her whistle- years in the military and 16 years in the Army Reserves. blowing activities were the most significant factor in She joined the Foreign Service in 1987 and served in her firing. Only recently have media reports docu- numerous countries, the last being Mongolia. mented her struggle. That is where she was based when the Bush adminis- Major communications companies have allowed tration was preparing for the invasion of Iraq, which took the United States government to illegally monitor place in 2003. Wright did not like what she was hearing private phone calls for the past five years. Two and a from the White House about the case for weapons of half years ago, Russ Tice, an NSA insider, spilled the mass destruction. Ultimately, she resigned her post and beans that the United States was illegally spying on became an activist against a war she considers illegal its citizens. He was fired. The practice continues. The and an administration that does not respect the rule of communications companies have not been punished. law. Her book chronicles the lives of other government “You can commit illegal acts, in fact the govern- employees who have sacrificed their careers to speak out ment can encourage you to commit illegal acts, and about illegal government activities. nobody is being be held responsible for it, nobody One of them was Joe Darby, the Army specialist who except perhaps whistle blowers who even dare say brought to light the photos in Abu Ghraib showing the anything about these illegalities,” Wright said. abuse of prisoners. Because of his actions, the United Wright was deeply troubled by the U.S. treatment States had to confront its illegal treatment of prisoners of prisoners in Guantanamo. Because most were ap- and change the way they were treated. prehended by bounty, their actual involvement in If that were the end of it, the story could be considered See Wright, p. 3 positive. But Darby was sitting in a mess hall in Iraq when Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was dis- International News cussing the photos. Over the air, Rumsfeld sarcastically is published by the University of Florida Interna- thanked Darby for bringing them to light, and Darby tional Center. became known in the Army is the guy who squealed. Dean: Dennis Jett Why did Rumsfeld disclose Darby’s name, Wright Executive Editor: Sandra Russo asked the audience. “You think he might want to intimi- Editor: Larry Schnell date anybody else who has the nerve to speak out against We welcome submission of articles and photo- the things that are going on, torture, a policy of torture graphs on international themes from faculty and that Donald Rumsfeld was approving?” Today, Darby’s students. Send to [email protected]. life is in danger and he is in a federal witness protection The University of Florida International Center program, she said. P.O. Box 113225 Sibel Edmonds is another. The Turkish-American Gainesville, FL 32611 worked as a translator for the FBI after the terrorist at- (352) 392-5323, Fax: (352) 392-5575 tacks Sept. 11, 2001. She complained that her translations www.ufic.ufl.edu were being altered, apparently to suit government policy 2 Winter 2008 . and Presentations COL . W I LKERSON G I VES 6 RE C OMMENDAT I ONS FOR RESTOR I NG U.S. I NTEGR I TY Retired Col. Lawrence Wilkerson presented six rec- with other tools. Less than ommendations he would give to a new president in the 1 percent of the 300 million wake of seven years of administration that he described Americans are bleeding and as appalling. dying in Iraq and Afghanistan Wilkerson, who visited the University of Florida and a few other places in the Nov. 7, 2007, gave a speech entitled “How to Fix our world. “Our president has not Foreign Policy – An Open Letter to the New President.” asked us to make one sacri- “Foreigners … judge us by what we do, not by what fice.” we say, and what we have done in the world in the past 6. Return to basics, spe- few years has mostly been quite appalling,” Wilkerson cifically the U.S. Constitution. said. Wilkerson That is the document that every UF International Center Dean Dennis Jett introduced soldier takes an oath to support. Return to the rule of Wilkerson, who shared some of Jett’s career moves, in- law and provide due process to people we have made cluding a career in diplomacy and in higher education. prisoners. The practice of incarcerating people without Wilkerson’s 31-year career in the U.S. Army included legal rights has been the biggest recruiting tool for al serving as deputy executive officer to then-Gen. Co- Qaida. “Because of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, in lin Powell. After retiring from the military, Wilkerson part, we are now the laughing stock of the world.” served as chief staff to Secretary of State Powell. He is now widely quoted in news media and is Wright, from p. 2 professor of government at the College of William and Retired Army Col. Ann Wright came to the University Mary as well as professional lecturer at George Wash- of Florida to talk about people who spoke out about il- ington University. legal activities and policies of the United States and paid In his speech at the Reitz Union, he outlined his six with their careers, their reputations and in cases, their recommendations for a new president and criticized the security. She is among them. Bush administration’s policies at home and abroad. Wright, author of “Dissent: Voices of Conscience,” 1. The foundation of power is not just our ideas and also signed copies of her book during her visit and pre- values but also our economic might. Good armies and sentation on Jan. 29. navies are costly, but with a debt at the time of $45 tril- Wright grew up in Bentonville, Ark., and got a lion, the economic picture is precarious.