DAVENPORT, Iowa—The challenges and victories of Haitian women is the theme of the fourth annual Ambrose Women for Social Justice (AWSJ) lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Rogalski Center, located at the corner of Ripley and Lombard Streets, one block west of Harrison Street. Following this year’s lecture will be the Midwest film premiere of “The Sugar Babies: The Plight of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry of the Dominican Republic.” The event is free and open to the public.

3:30 p.m.

Lecture

Rose-Marie Chierici, a native of Haiti and associate professor of anthropology at SUNY-Geneseo, N. Y., will talk about social justice for the women of Haiti. Chierici's research focuses on collaborative and grassroots approaches to community development in Borgne, Haiti; the relationship between race, gender, and socio-economic status; and international migration, with an emphasis on migration from the Caribbean and Haiti. She is the author of a number of published journal articles.

Chierici co-founded H.O.P.E. in 1995, a non-profit organization created to assist the people of Borgne, Haiti, in attaining sustainable, equitable and just living conditions. Traveling frequently to Borgne, Chierici is widely known, cherished and respected by the people of this community. Chierici has been on the Board of Advisors for Partners in Health (PIH) since the late 1980s and maintains a collaborative relationship with PIH founder Dr. Paul Farmer and many others in the PIH organization.

6:30 p.m.

Film Screening - “The Sugar Babies: The Plight of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry of the Dominican Republic”

A Midwest premiere, this feature-length documentary examines the moral price of sugar from the perspective of the living conditions surrounding the children of sugar cane cutters of Haitian ancestry. Filmmaker Amy Serrano, who shot, produced, wrote and directed the film, will lead a panel discussion after the film’s viewing.

The Cuban-born Serrano is an accomplished producer whose work includes “A Woman’s Place: Voices of Contemporary Hispanic-American Women;” the award-winning “Adios Patria? The Cuban Exodus” (Berlin Film Festival, New York Independent Film and Video Festival, and PBS); and the Emmy award-nominated “Havana: Portrait of Yesteryear,” narrated by Gloria Estefan. Serrano was awarded a fellowship with the National Hispana Leadership Institute, Arlington, Va., in 2004.

As president of her own production company, Siren Studios, Serrano enjoys merging filmmaking, writing and activism. 'The media and the arts are alchemical prisms through which global human realities may be projected through a seeming veneer of non-reality. For me, there is … the opportunity to witness, document and diffuse the stories of those on the front lines. Whenever possible and even impossible, it is important that I make that difference.'

About Ambrose Women for Social Justice: The legacy of peace and justice initiatives at St. Ambrose anchors AWSJ programs in a historical context marked by faith, scholarship and activism. AWSJ promotes education and action for human rights and for the fair and responsible use of resources. Since 2004, AWSJ has sponsored an annual lecture series, bringing national and international speakers to campus to highlight and discuss some of the most important social and economic justice issues of the day.

For more information, contact Katy Strzepek, adjunct assistant professor of history, at 563/333-6210.