GV PS

In Memoriam - Professor Emeritus William Baum

GVSU Professor Emeritus of Political Science William "Bill" Baum passed away on December 25, 2007. Bill taught at GVSU for over 40 years and was known for his expertise on the Holocaust and U.S. Constitutional Law.

Recently, an endowment to fund the William Baum Lecture Series was established. The fund has been used to bring speakers to GVSU including U.S. Senator Ken Salazar. Just this month, in conjunction with Amnesty International at GVSU, the fund was used to bring Bukeni T. Waruzi Beck to speak on Child Soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mr. Beck is the founder of a grassroots organization, AJEDI-Ka, who has been working on the front lines of this humanitarian crisis.

The Grand Haven Tribune published an obituary on Dr. Baum. For the full article, click on the link above. Here are a few excerpts:

He obtained a Ph.D. in political theory from the University of Iowa. He taught for 50 years, starting at Creighton University and South East Missouri State College, and 40 years at Grand Valley State University.

His recognition for academic excellence and awards span his 50 years of teaching, including Teacher of the Year, and being honored by the Jewish community because he "researched, initiated and taught with sensitivity and compassion the depth and drama of the Holocaust." . . . He also published many scholarly articles in his fields of expertise and was frequently sought after for TV appearances.

Bill was a pre-law student advisor, and many partners in law firms locally and in other states credit him for their success as attorneys.

There are many ways that Bill will be remembered. One will be as a true humanitarian. When he was head of the political science department at a southern university, at the beginning of his career, he was told he couldn't hire a black teacher; he submitted his resignation. This began his life-long passion for doing what he believed was right and for fighting the battles that needed to be fought for human rights and dignity. His strength, determination and tenacity inspired those who knew him.

Bill never complained about his personal struggles or pain. He took enormous pride in his independence and he never made excuses. He silently faced and overcame daily challenges; he was humble and valiant in his courage throughout his life.

A memorial service will be held at Christ Community Church in Spring Lake on Saturday, January 5, 2007, at 1 p.m. Please consider Planned Parenthood and the Nature Conservancy for contributions.

Arrangements are being handled by the family.

Study Abroad Guide for PLS and IR

Professor Diven has created a very helpful Study Abroad guide for Political Science and International Relations. Please follow the link to download in Word format.
Download study_abroad.doc

International Human Rights Day

From Amnesty International GVSU:

International Human Rights Day: GVSU for Human Rights (December 10th)

There will be a table in Kirkhof from 2-5 pm. We are collaborating with a number of groups on campus and we will all be coming together in the fight for universal human rights. The evening event will be held in Cook Dewitt auditorium at 7pm. All of the groups will speak about their group and how they support human rights. Amnesty will then show a film titled "Justice without Borders". There will be merchandise and a number of actions that people can take.

Amnesty International GVSU Talk on Child Soldiers

Amnesty International at GVSU has the honor of bringing Bukeni T. Waruzi Beck to speak on Child Soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is an amazing opportunity to hear from the founder of a grassroots organization, AJEDI-Ka, who has been working on the front lines of this humanitarian crisis.

Background: Since 1996, war has ravaged the DRC resulting in four million deaths and tens of thousands of children being recruited as combatants. Bukeni has met with rebel commanders, negotiated the release of child soldiers and started AJEDI-Ka, which works to rehabilitate children once they have left the militia groups. He has also testified before the International Criminal Court against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, one of the perpetrators. In his "spare time" he also directed the film "On the front lines: child soldier in the DRC".

"I've been arrested four times and beaten twice. But we have still managed to demobilize over 300 child soldiers." - Bukeni

When: December 6th.
Where: Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Downtown Grand Rapids)
What: *Screening of the movie "On the front lines: child soldiers in the DRC",
followed by a presentation from Bukeni, ending with Q& A.
Light appetizers and refreshments will be served.
Time: Doors will open at 6:00 with the presentation to follow at 6:30
Cost: $2.00 admission to cover basic costs.

Donations will be accepted at the end of the presentation to go towards the education of former child soldiers.

*Mature content. Not appropriate for young children.