Honors Cultural Council Día De Los Muertos

Having cultural groups on campus is vital to a thriving campus. Students need communities that represent and celebrate their culture. When my friends and I walked into the room, the beautiful ofrenda in the front caught my attention. Students stood near, placing photos and memorabilia on the table of loved ones who have passed, surrounded by bright orange flowers. Across the room, snacks and art supplies were set out for students to enjoy. After a brief introduction by the HCC president, a showing of Pixar’s Coco was put on. As the movie played, students enjoyed their snacks while panting and socializing. I forgot how much I enjoyed Coco, and the nostalgic music and scenes. Behind the sound of Mexican guitar music, I could hear students speaking and joking in Spanish. I noticed how relaxed the students seemed. In the midst of busy college life, room 181 in the DLB had become a cultural haven. The Mariachi blended with the Spanish conversations in the background and I found myself sliding into a peaceful state. It had been a long time since I had watched Coco and it was comforting to rewatch the rich cultural scenes while spending time with friends.

A reflection from IAS-2003-010

The global community is made up of many players. States, nations, cultures, ethnicities, and civil societies, just to name a few. But what exactly is a civil society? Well, when trying to wrap our minds around how each corner of the world affects the other, it can get pretty confusing. After all, the world is very big. Civil societies are voluntary groups of people independent of the government that work for the public good. Civil societies can span across oceans or centralize in one city. Big or small, civil societies make huge impacts on people and governments. Some of the most notable civil societies include the American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and Habitat for Humanity. But civil societies don’t only exist within the global and well-established groups listed previously. Churches, grassroots movements, and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA’s) are also considered civil society. Although separate from the government, civil societies can have huge impacts on elected officials and governments. This makes civil societies very powerful, demonstrating what can be achieved when ordinary people come together for a common cause.

Take the Black Lives Matter movement, for example. The death of George Floyd in 2020 sparked national outrage when Floyd was choked to death by a police officer. Floyd’s death led to protests all over the United States and elected officials began to speak out against the injustice. Those behind the movement brought their outrage to the steps of Capitol Hill, pressuring officials into making statements regarding Floy’d death and the deeper issues that this event revealed about the racial injustices that exist in the United States. On the global scale, ActionAid, a leading Non-Government Organization (NGO) works on “building a just, equitable, and sustainable world in solidarity with communities on the frontlines of poverty and injustice” (https://www.actionaidusa.org/). ActionAid reaches more than forty million countries and actively works to bridge the gap between locals and grassroots movements and their governments. Through the help of allies, ActionAid uses reforms to fight against economic injustices, supports women’s rights movements, protest climate injustices, and sends aid in humanitarian emergencies.

International Government Organizations (IGOs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and Transnational Advocacy Networks (TANs), are strong civil society actors whose separation from the government is a fundamental part of their work. Civil societies give everyday people like us great power to make a difference in our world and fight for what matters to us. As college students, there are countless ways to get involved in civil societies, from the OU Food Bank to staying up to date with Garden of Knowledge, an organization that supports education in Ghana, civil societies strengthen our global community and are incredibly important to building a better future for all.