Students Create Multicultural Journal

Mar 26, 2010

A small group of Concordia students recently launched an annual multicultural journal, Djembe. Led by Nutifafa Yakor ’11 of Ghana, Africa, the publication is designed to share ideas, open minds and explore other cultures.

“We wanted to project culture and understanding of people on a more conceptual and academic level,” says Yakor, who serves as the production coordinator of student editors and designers.

The journal premieres March 26 and 27 during a global studies student conference and the African Student Union “Experience the Motherland” event. It is available in print and online.

Djembe means “all of us come together” in Bamanakan, the language of the Republic of Mali in Africa.

A collaboration of the Office of Intercultural Affairs and the global studies program, the journal features work from students, faculty and staff. The 18 articles focus on everything from pollution in China to what it’s like to be Scottish in America.

 “The whole idea is to get people discussing important global and cultural issues from different perspectives,” Yakor says. “Some of the opinions expressed are controversial. Others are simply interesting. Either way, we hope it creates some kind of discussion.”

Djembe faculty adviser Dr. Amy Watkin, English assistant professor, says one of the goals is to celebrate culture and subcultures within and beyond America. The journal also serves to open the door to conversations that may typically be awkward or difficult.

“We can’t cover everything in the pages of the journal,” Watkin says. “That’s why we want it to be a catalyst for conversations both in and out of the classroom.”

Read Djembe.

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