MeToo began humbly in 2006 as a way to mobilize grassroots support for victims of sexual violence, but it exploded into a worldwide phenomenon beginning in 2017, exposing crude, harassing, intimidating, and violent behaviors by individuals as well as the systems that allow such behaviors to thrive. A group of prominent feminist scholars will join WorldCanvass host Joan Kjaer on February 1, from 5:30-7 p.m., in a virtual discussion of “The Global Implications of MeToo.” With expertise on MeToo in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, France, India, Korea, and various parts of Africa, panelists will not only reflect on the aspect of solidarity behind MeToo but on the backlash that accompanies it.

WorldCanvass guests and I will put our energies toward connecting all of the October events celebrating 200 years of Dostoevsky. We’ll explore Dostoevsky’s life and writings, the current exhibition, opera and film adaptations of his works, and what it’s like to perform Dostoevsky.

As certified welcoming communities through Welcoming America (a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization), both Iowa City, Iowa, and Johnson County, Iowa, will celebrate Welcoming Week from September 10–19, 2021. The annual celebration is intended to bring community members of all backgrounds together to connect with one another and convey the value of inclusive and welcoming places.

Each day when I walk toward the front door of Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa, a school of fish is there to welcome me.

Hancher, the performing arts jewel at the University of Iowa, will host WorldCanvass on September 10 for an outdoor celebration of community. Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague will join Chuck Swanson of Hancher, Russell Ganim of International Programs, and a host of performers and artists including Brian Williams of Step Afrika! and sculptor Colette Hosmer in an exploration of the power of partnerships to enrich and enliven community life. Wellspring: The Power of Partnerships begins at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. As the program will be held outside, attendees are encouraged to bring chairs and refreshments. Free parking will be available in the Hancher parking lot. Attend in person, join by Zoom, or watch on Facebook Live. Full details here.

Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi was born on Oct. 2, 1869. His sesquicentennial gives us an opportunity to take stock of the legacy of this towering figure of the first half of the 20th century — both his heroism and his contradictions.

Physicians, researchers, and advocates for Iowa’s most vulnerable populations addressed public health and the pandemic, the needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations, and the challenge of vaccine hesitancy.

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most original, impactful, and complex figures of the 20th century.  Revered around the world for his activism, self-sacrifice, and nonviolent methods of confronting a repressive colonial power, Gandhi remains a much-admired figure today.  Gandhi may be best known in America for the influence his teachings on nonviolence had on leaders of the civil rights movement.  But the story of the man and his legacy is layered and not without its contradictions.  Our guests on the April 16 WorldCanvass will reflect on Gandhi at 150.  This event will foreshadow the Provost’s Global Forum planned for November 2021 on “The Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi at 150: Nonviolence, Race, and Politics.”  Join us for this virtual WorldCanvass on April 16 from 5:30-7 p.m.  Free and open to all, the program will be aired on Zoom and on Facebook Live.

COVID-19 has impacted — and disrupted — almost every element of daily life. It has induced massive structural change throughout society.

Renowned author Yaa Gyasi was our guest for “The Ghanaian-American Experience in Literature and Art” on the first WorldCanvass of 2021. Joining her in this special writer-to-writer discussion was fellow author and graduate of the UI Writers’ Workshop D.K. Nnuro.

Nnuro explores the conflicts and delusions encountered in the pursuit of American identity in his forthcoming debut novel, "What Napoleon Could Not Do," and in a WorldCanvass program on Wednesday, Feb. 24, with Yaa Gyasi.

Physicians, researchers, and advocates for Iowa’s most vulnerable populations will address public health and the pandemic, the needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations, and the challenge of vaccine hesitancy on the next WorldCanvass. The program, produced by UI International Programs and hosted by Joan Kjaer, begins at 5:30 p.m. on March 16. WorldCanvass is free and open to all.