Luis Nieves has a mission.
A professor in the African American studies department who is known to his students as "Khalil," Nieves is working to raise political awareness in students on campus with his student organization, Institute for Justice and Equity.
The group is currently applying for Student Association club status.
The group was formed about three years ago with the intent of educating and engaging students on current U.S. foreign policy, globalization and corporatism, with the hope that they would take an active interest in the political framework affecting their lives. For the second year in a row, a series of weekly video discussions will take place Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. in 1004 Clemens, to do just that.
According to Nieves, the group also aims to present students with historical information and current facts and documents, so that they have the tools necessary to make informed decisions as voting citizens.
"The goal is to have a clear historical, political and economic understanding of the last 500 years so they have a clear perspective on how the last 500 years shaped the world," Nieves said. "The building of social movements, the critical component is creating strong education and creating dialogue throughout the society."
The first of the three videos, which will be shown Wednesday, Sept. 14th, is Robert Greenwald's "Outfoxed." The video concentrates on Fox News and its coverage and analysis of current events. According to Nieves, the purpose is for students to critically assess the media and the ways in which it is influencing current events.
The hour-long video will be viewed with a packet of handouts circulated containing pertinent information, reading lists and websites worthy of visiting, with audience discussion to follow.
"There are no lectures, we present the information and ask students to discuss it," Nieves said.
The second video, "Breaking the Silence" by Australian documenter John Pilger, takes a look at the reasons the United States attacked Afghanistan and Iraq.
Pilger interviewed individuals in various government positions in the United States and Australia, interviewing both Democrats and Republicans. Footage of the first Bush administration treating the Taliban to a tour of the United States is included in the documentary, according to Nieves.
The third video, "The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm," explores the history of the first Gulf War.
Nieves said that after the first two video discussions, he hopes to gain student support for the anti-war march on Washington D.C., scheduled for Sept. 24.
"We believe U.S. foreign policy has been an imperialistic foreign policy, so we come from that perspective," Nieves said.
Other video discussions in this semester's series will aim to educate students about U.S. foreign policy in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East. There will also be a discussion taking a critical look at IMF and World Bank.
Student organizations on campus will help lead each discussion, according to Nieves.
He said he believes student involvement is important, especially because of a trend of lack of involvement on college campuses across the country.
"9/11 represents a very significant change in the human world," Nieves said. "We're living in a dangerous world."
Nieves said The Institute for Justice and Equity hopes to provide a forum for students to explore how the current world came to be, and how it can be changed for the better in the future, Nieves said.
"Our position is, we're in a dangerous period, let's talk about it, and find a way to deal with this."
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
