INTERNATIONAL HOUSE Spring - Summer TIMES 2008 The Newsletter for Friends & Alumni of International House Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is House Honors 2008 Alumna of the Year Richard Blum Inside Award-winning author and poet honored at I-House Gala Global Citizen of the Year hitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an ichard C. Blum, an internationally award-winning author and poet, recognized business leader who has I-House video whose work frequently explores helped advance peace and improved contest winners Ccross-cultural themes. Her bestselling Rthe health and well-being of people in announced at collection of stories, Arranged Marriage, developing countries, was honored as Global Google event. received an American Book Award and her Citizen of the Year at the annual 20th annual Page 2 novels, The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Celebration and Awards Dinner on April 16. Heart, werewere made into films. Mr. Blum is Chairman of the University of In recognition of her achievements in California Board of Regents, a trustee and promoting cross-cultural understanding and member of the executive committee of The thereby furthering the I-House mission, Carter Center in Atlanta, and Honorary Chitra Divakaruni was honored as 2008 Consul to Mongolia and Nepal. Alumna of the Year at the 20th annual The Greening International House Celebration and Awards of I-House. Gala on April 16. Page 3 “I thank I-House,” says Divakaruni, “for giving me the opportunity to live with and exchange ideas with people from other Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (IH 1978-79), 2008 Alumna of cultures whom I might have avoided under the Year, says that I-House friendships transformed her other circumstances. Some of them became thinking and beliefs. my closest friends. They transformed my Asked how her I-House experiences thinking and my beliefs.” impacted her writing, she says, “Living Recalling her I-House experiences, at I-House made me sensitive to the Festival of Divakaruni says, “I learned to let go of challenges people face when living in preconceptions about different cultures. a different country and how it changes Cultures and I learned to value and feel comfortable people, makes them grow. These are Cal Day. with people different from me. I met so major themes in my work.” The author Richard C. Blum (center) I-House Global Citizen of the Year, Page 3 many wonderful people from so many of fourteen books has been published pictured with his wife, Senator Dianne Feinstein and the countries. I-House connected me with a in more than 50 magazines, including Dalai Lama. wonderful host family with whom I still The New Yorker, and translated into 16 I-House recognized Mr. Blum for the far- keep in touch. I had so much fun!” languages. (Continued on page 5) reaching impact of his work in combating global poverty for more than three decades. Residents Launch Projects for Peace Mr. Blum is Founder and Chairman of the American Himalayan Foundation, Ana Teresa Villarreal Former athryn Wasserman Davis, an which sponsors more than 160 healthcare, Montemayor, a Ambassador alumna of I-House New York, education, environment, and social service celebrated her centenary birthday sociology Ph.D. from projects throughout the Himalayan region. Rudasingwa Kby contributing $1 million to fund 100 Mexico will work (IH 2005-06) Davis Projects for Peace in 2007. “I wanted with Cambodian and In 2006, he founded the Blum Center for speaks at Kenya to use my 100th birthday to help young Vietnamese children to Developing Economies at UC Berkeley. The Center improves the well being of poor program. Page 4 people launch some immediate initiatives promote cross-cultural – things that they can do during the summer sensitivity through people through dissemination of scalable and of 2007 – that would bring new thinking sports and friendship in a Cambodian “Peace sustainable technologies and systems, while to the prospects of peace in the world,” Camp.” educating and inspiring students to become a new generation of global citizens. said Mrs. Davis. Mrs. Davis and her late Aaron Sorenson, a Ph.D. student from the husband, Shelby U.S. pursuing South Mr. Blum is Chairman of Blum Capital Cullom Davis, and Southeast Asian Partners, L.P. and Co-Chairman of Asia of Letter from the US Ambassador South Pole. Studies will conduct TPG Capital, LP. He serves on the boards to Switzerland creative writing of the World Wildlife Fund, the Wilderness “Antarctica feels (1969-1975), workshops in the Society, the Glide Foundation and the Simon as peaceful as both lived in Khmer language in Wiesenthal Center. I-House New Cambodia and publish I-House!” Page 5 To view a slide show of the 2008 Gala and a York while resulting essays in both complete bio of Mr. Blum, visit http://ihouse. working on their Khmer and English. masters’ degrees berkeley.edu/gala. at Columbia Ayse Ercumen from Kathryn Wasserman Davis University in Turkey, who attended 20 years of Gala (I-House New York 1931-32) 1931-32. an Austrian high school Celebrations in Istanbul, is working YouTube shows After many creative projects were completed Over the years, I-House has been privileged to I-House to the towards her Masters in last summer, Mrs. Davis re-funded the Public Health and will honor many notable alumni and friends who world on the program in 2008 and extended participation conduct a clean water help advance our mission. A selection of past I-House Channel. to residents of select International Houses. intervention project in honorees includes: Page 5 Four awards were reserved for I-House Mumbai, India. Berkeley residents who will receive grants of Abdel-Kader Abbadi (IH 1963-67), Harry Sina Akhavan from Belafonte, Richard Goldman (IH 1941-42), $10,000 to implement projects during the the U.S. and of summer of 2008. Maxine Hong Kingston, Norman Mineta, Rita Iranian descent will Moreno, Sadako Ogata (IH 1956-57), David Dr. Liliane Koziol, Director of Programs, work in Kosovo Rockefeller, Steven Rockefeller, Jr., Arun Sarin convened a review committee that selected teaching employment (IH 1975-78), Ted Turner, and Jerry Yang. Alumni News and Notes the four recipients from among resident education skills to Page 6 submissions. As a result, four dynamic Roma children. For a complete list of honorees, visit http://ihouse.berkeley.edu/a/notable/ residents will launch their peace projects this I-House is exploring In Memory summer. ways to make the Peace Projects a permanent Page 7 part of the I-House experience. Executive Director’s Message Living Across Cultures in Students profile I-House Experience in Video the I-House Village Contest on YouTube It was winter of 1969 and I was spending my The Internet has dramatically expanded both the tools and means of sharing multimedia school break in my grandfather’s birthplace. At information. Drawing on this trend, the I-House Alumni Relations Office approached the Resident Council early last fall regarding co-sponsorship of a contest seeking resident created first I was overwhelmed with how different things five minute or less video submissions on YouTube to “vividly convey the I-House experience” were. Mornings revealed foot-long icicles inside my and the House mission: to foster cross-cultural respect, understanding, lifelong friendships and room. Romilda and Bepe spent hours with their leadership skills. feet inside the oven of their wood stove. Rosa’s A prize of $1,000 was announced and ten video submissions were received. A panel of three every fourth word was “eh-eh-eh-eh-eh.” Carlo’s I-House alumni selected the winning films including Kristin Weissman (IH 1989-90), a antics on his perilous Vespa on narrow mountain Board member and Google attorney, fellow Googler and I-House alumna Lisa McIntire (IH roads left me clinging for my life. Aldo lit his ever 2002-03), and Charles Ferguson (IH 1973-76), an Academy Award nominated documentary film-maker. Kristin graciously arranged a reception and tour of Google for video makers present cigars with embers pulled from the fire and when winners were announced. All submissions are available for viewing at always burned his sweater to the lamentations of http://ihouse.berkeley.edu/videocontest/. Lucia. I could consume Mt. Everest in pasta yet the predictable refrain was: “Ah, you eat so little 1st place and winner of $1,000 prize: Martin Brennan, Executive Director today.” Top five “Experience I-House” videos “Life at I-House: A Glimpse” by Kirsty Buck and Eliana Capitani One night a wizened stranger sidled up at Bar Centrale, dumped a pile of dubious “I came here as an American citizen, but I will leave here as a mushrooms on the table and proclaimed: “Mangia! Ti fanno bene” (Eat! These are global citizen.” good for you). Yet, by the time I hopped on the train to return to the university, this “I am on the fifth floor, so all the guys up there are my roommates” warm and accepting community had become home. My relatives and friends had a taught me the value of living across cultures. “Life at I-House: A Glimpse” 2nd place: On December 24, 2007, my family and I joined the I-House village for our holiday “Search and Find” dinner. The gathering of former residents, visitors, and residents quickly became a by Usree Bhattacharya, Niels Hansen, Diogo Oliveira E Silva, familial setting. Thanks to the efforts of Farook, Momen, Mujeeb and Jose Manuel, Cristoph Roling, Tom Zimmermann we ate to our heart’s content before a crackling fire in the Great Hall. Almost “What can you find in I-House? Music...good neighbors...tall everyone was miles from home and yet everyone felt at home.