Algoma University proudly welcomes back eight students who recently participated in a transformative study abroad experience in Colombia. Taking place from March 21 to 31, this unique educational opportunity provided students with invaluable insights into global issues related to peace, decolonial studies, racial and gender justice, and environmental governance/territorial rights.
Led by Faculty of Cross-Cultural Studies (FCCS) professor and Director of the Institute of Peoples, Territories and Pedagogies for Peace (IPTP), Dr. Sheila Gruner, the course Decolonizing Learning: Peace, Gender, and Territorial Rights offered an interdisciplinary, experiential learning approach covering critical topics such as decolonial education, people’s diplomacy, environmental justice, race and racialization, and environmental governance.
Through ceremony, exchanges with social leaders, academic events including a community-based environmental forum, and a visit to the ancestral territories of the Arhuaca nation, students engaged deeply with concepts of self-determination, Indigenous and Afro-descendant movements, and women’s vital roles in education, peacebuilding, and environmental governance.
The journey began in Bogotá, where students engaged in sessions with various Indigenous and Afro-descendant organizations, including the Black Communities Process (PCN), the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), the Ethnic Commission for Peace and the Defense of Territorial Rights, and the Women Returning to the Root collective. Students also participated in an exchange with fellow students from the University of Rosario. Following their time in Bogotá, the group traveled to La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, where they visited the Arhuaco community of Jimaín and the Afro-Colombian community of Guacoche, as well as the National University of Colombia (UNAL).
“This immersive experience not only deepened students’ global perspectives but also enriched their academic journeys, reinforcing Algoma University’s commitment to multicultural and experiential learning,” shared Dr. Gruner. “The knowledge gained through this initiative will continue to inform students’ academic and professional pursuits, strengthening international ties between Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples from Turtle Island to Abya Yala.”
A highlight of the trip was the students’ participation in the inaugural Environmental Indigenous Summit of the Peoples of Cesar. Co-hosted by Algoma University, the Institute of Peoples, Territories and Pedagogies for Peace (IPTP), CorpoCesar, and the Colombian Embassy in Bolivia, the summit built on the foundations laid by the Environmental Forum of Cesar, held earlier this year in January, where an Algoma University delegation was also in attendance.
To learn more about Algoma University’s Faculty of Cross-Cultural Studies, please visit this webpage.
To learn more about the Institute of Peoples, Territories, and Pedagogies for Peace, please click here.
To view pictures from this experience, please click here.
Additional Quotes:
“I’ve learned so much from this experience. Being surrounded by passionate activists, community leaders, and knowledge keepers was truly inspiring. I gained a deeper understanding of biodiversity protection and land rights, seeing firsthand the resilience of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities. This experience has profoundly shaped my perspective.”
- Ruby Cheeseman, Geography student at Algoma University
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