/ Communication Department

South Africa June Term

Narratives of Peace, Conflict and Justice

  • A street in South Africa featuring a row of colorful houses in shades of pink, yellow, green, and blue, with a backdrop of mountains and a clear blue sky. Several cars are parked along the street.Exploring beautiful Bo Kap, Cape Town
  • A group of nine students from Hope College, Lebanon, and Slovakia form a human pyramid on a grassy area near a body of water. The students are smiling and dressed in outdoor clothing, suggesting a cool climate.Dr. Deirdre Johnston and students take a moment to unwind during their June Term.
  • A group of African penguins walking on the beach near the water's edge in South Africa.Visiting the penguins at Simon's Bay.
  • A diverse group of students from Hope College, Lebanon, and Slovakia pose together in a classroom setting during their South Africa study-tour, which focuses on transformation and reconciliation processes related to recent conflicts.Students and faculty from Hope College, American University-Beirut, Lebanon, and Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts-Slovakia
  • A diverse group of students from Hope College, Lebanon, and Slovakia pose together inside a large, ornate church in South Africa. At the center, a cleric in green robes sits smiling with the group gathered around. The church features tall stone columns and a red carpeted floor.Students and faculty with Archbishop Desmond Tutu
  • Rocky coastline in South Africa with large boulders in the foreground and a mountain range in the background under a clear blue sky.Enjoying Camp's Bay, Cape Town

An international conjoined course with students participating from Hope, Lebanon and Slovakia, this South Africa study-tour provides a holistic view of transformation and reconciliation processes in relation to recent conflict.

Students will visit and reflect on sites of conflict and peace/resolution to learn the history of South Africa’s apartheid. They will visit villages and participate in local traditions, visit contemporary museums of art to gain understanding of current cultural outlook and expressions, and collect narratives of peace, conflict and justice. Students will also gain intercultural communication experience as they negotiate the relationships within the conjoined group of students from three universities, representing multiple cultural, political, religious, ethnic and historical perspectives.

STUDENT PERSPECTIVES

Erika Ryan

"My favorite communication class has to be the dual class of the South Africa June Term. We studied narratives of peace and justice in the context of post-apartheid South Africa in tandem with other liberal arts students in Lebanon and Slovakia. This class and opportunity opened my eyes to the importance of storytelling as a method of communicating the desire for peace and the path to pursuing justice. Being able to do this while traveling and interacting intellectually with students from around the world widened and deepened my desire to help others communicate effectively through their cultural differences (internationally and locally)."

Jon Tilden

"I was struck by how race and class went hand in hand in South Africa. Upper-class Africans often voiced opinions that were “white.” Race and class must be talked about in tandem sometimes. I believe that economic empowerment must be viewed as a key step in racial advancement in the U.S. However, it cannot be the only step."

Elizabeth Eader

"It helped me to acknowledge the anger that has spilled over in Black communities in the U.S., I have further understood how the system has helped me in society and created privilege."

COURSE CREDIT

Apply four credits for the June term from the following options:

  • Senior Seminar
  • General elective credit toward graduation
  • Communication major 300-level elective
  • Peace & Justice Studies minor elective
  • Social Science Gen Ed 
  • Cultural Heritage II

Interested in South Africa June Term?

Contact Dr. Deirdre Johnston for more information.

Hope CollegeCommunication Department

Martha Miller Center257 Columbia AvenueRoom 107Holland, MI 49423

workP. 616.395.7595