By Andy Murphy ’17
More than 50 students, professors and people from the Capital Region gathered in Siena’s Standish Library earlier this month to discuss historic boycott posters on display. The exhibit and accompanying panel discussions were sponsored by the College’s Fair Trade Steering Committee.
Committee chair and Professor of Political Science Vera Eccarius-Kelly, Ph.D. said that the artwork presented in the exhibit used powerful images to illustrate how nonviolent methods have contributed to ending social and economic injustices.
“Students who returned from studying abroad in South Africa, Guatemala, and Israel/Palestine found these posters particularly compelling and thought-provoking. They discussed their impressions and ideas in meetings with regional activists,” said Eccarius-Kelly.
“Movement of art mobilizes people, not legislation,” said Jamie Desrosier ’15, a political science major who studied abroad in Israel. “Political, legal actions don’t change things, the people do.”
The regional activists who engaged in the discussion included David Letwin, the co-founder of Jews for Palestinian Right of Return, Jacqueline Hayes, a doctoral candidate from the University at Albany who discussed the importance of speaking out against corporations that employ unfair labor practices and African-American activist and politician Colia Clark who spoke about her involvement in the Civil Rights movement during her teenage and college years.
Clark explained how artistic impression can have a profound impact. “We use art to build movements and to build allies,” she said.
Siena College Assistant Professor of Economics Aaron Pacitti, Ph.D. and Professor of History Karen Mahar, Ph.D. also talked about the importance of economic activism and social justice during the two-night event.
