Thursday, March 29, 2018

The Swiss Difference: Zurich's Prison




On Friday March 23rd, we visited the juvenile detention center in Zurich. When we arrived at Zurich’s facility, I thought there had been a mistake. The building was located in Switzerland’s rolling hills and looked like a large cottage, complete with Europe’s signature architecture. It did not look like a place where individuals who had committed a crime resided. We began with a lecture by Dr. Evi Forgó Baer, who is a part of the team of 10 psychologists and psychiatrists that work with what they call “clients.” Her specialty is in music perception and empathy in juvenile and young adult offenders, which was the first clue that Switzerland’s system would be extremely different from the one in the U.S. 


Our first impression of Zurich's detention facility


A view into the courtyard that the "clients" can take breaks in


When we sat down for the lecture, each one of us had a small porcelain bunny on the table in front of us, and Dr. Baer explained that her clients had made them for us. She went on to discuss the importance of using ways other than spoken language to get through to her clients, such as music therapy and art therapy, hence the bunnies that they had made. All of the men that reside there are between the ages of 16 and 26 and have committed severe offenses. Her clients do not want to talk to her about their problems and have low motivation to change, and so she uses nonverbal forms of therapy to give her a better understanding of their personalities. After her explanation of the nonverbal therapies, she brought in one of her clients to play the piano for us. She explained that he used to not like to be talked to or touched, and music completely changed his demeanor. He came in, introduced himself, and sat down at the piano. He began to play, and I could not believe how beautiful the song was. It began with light and airy notes that eventually transformed into a deeper, more meaningful tune. It conveyed a sense of sadness with a hint of hope. I looked around the room, and a few of my classmates were wiping their eyes. Once he was finished, we all gave him a standing ovation. Caroline, one of my classmates, described it as “beautiful and touching to watch.” After only being at the facility for two and a half years, he had learned to make music as a form of expression, which is exactly the goal of music therapy that Dr. Baer described. He and his music were shining examples of the nonverbal communication that the facility uses as transformative means of both communicating and progressing.


After the performance, we followed the man who played the piano to the workshop that he works in. He works for 8 hours every week day, and he showed us a few of the pieces that he has created. At the time, he was working on making a bar out of oak wood. We said our good-byes and went downstairs to a shop in which all of the items for sale are made by the men who reside there. There were chairs, tables, flowers that they had grown, and sculptures. Their work portrayed exactly how meaningful and far-reaching the work that is done at Zurich’s detention center, both for the clients and society as a whole. Their goal is to improve these men, despite the crime that they have committed, and release them into society with the intention of bettering it.


Wood pieces available for sale in the shop

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Let the torches light the way

By Cheryl French 

Maryville College students hike down the mountain by torchlight. 


Exhausted from a day spent exploring the breathtaking peak of Mount Titlus, Maryville College students returned back to the hotel to defrost and prepare for dinner. Once ready, the students traveled together through winding roads in a heavy snowfall to a small, homey restaurant nestled onto the side of the mountain. The restaurant overlooked the city of Engleberg, illuminated by streetlights down below. Students spend their time here laughing, sharing stories, and enjoying a home cooked a traditional German meal with one another. A light dessert soon followed, a rich chocolate and plum ice cream made with delicious Swiss milk and topped with a perfectly complimentary amount of whipped cream. 
Homemade chocolate and plumb icecream 

After enjoying their time and filling their hungry stomachs, it was time for the trek back to the hotel. Starting from the restaurant isolated on the side of the mountain, students were given the option to light torches and walk through the snow-covered woods back home. Torches lit the way through the enchanting woods and winding paths, leading back down the side of the mountain. Heart aglow like the flame of the torch, the students took in the gorgeous scenery just barely illuminated on their way. One student observed possible fox prints in the snow, suggesting a furry friend may have been watching their journey from afar. The bitter cold air had no effect on the students as they all excitedly ventured on toward home. Adding to the excitement they then veered from the path and began running free through a field of knee-deep snow. All in all, the adventure took approximately 45 minutes from start to finish. Cold noses and cheeks accompanied them to their arrival back at the hotel in the middle of the small town of Engelberg. 
the view of Engelberg from the mountain trail at night



Saturday, March 24, 2018

Doctors Without Borders and The World Food Program by Ariel Kaylor

Ariel Kaylor


Tuesday morning I woke up, got dressed, and hustled out of Hotel de Geneva running just a little late. The group was groggy and tired from all of the amazing things we did the day before.
Dr. Shratter looked at Dr. Schmied, and asked “Do you want to walk or ride the tram?”
Dr. Schmied “It does not matter to me”
Schratter “Well, you know me. I’ll walk all day.”


So… guess what… we walked for 20 minutes on the VERY VERY windy and cold morning of March 20th in Geneva, Switzerland. We were all bundled up and excited to hear about the amazing things Doctors Without Borders is doing all over the world. When we arrived at the building, we were greeted by a Myriam Haskell who is the Assistant Director of Communications, as well as an Assistant Coordinator of Fundraising, at Doctors Without Borders Geneva. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is the International Name for the organization, and is the prefered name for non-english speaking countries. MSF was founded on December 20, 1971 in Paris, France and operates currently in 88 countries. Myriam had a presentation and video that covered all of the life changing humanitarian actions they are conducting and taking part in. It was eye opening to see the projects they are working on and get a visual of what their lives look like on a daily basis.


After the lecture, we split off into groups, with my group heading to Saint Pierre Cathedral to climb to the top of the North and South towers. We could see the whole city of Geneva and it was breathtaking. We got a little lost on the way (but who doesn’t), and found the life size chess boards and pieces. We climbed over 150 stairs to get to the top of the Cathedral and the wind was so strong, but it was 100% worth every cringing leg muscle. We grabbed some lunch at a burger place before heading back to meet back up with the rest of the group for our lecture with World Food Program.
Geneva view from atop of the tower at St. Piere Cathedral (photo by Stephen Prinzo)
Geneva view from atop of the tower at St. Piere Cathedral (photo by Ariel)

Modern Game of Chess (photo by Dave Peters)

St. Piere Cathedral (photo by Dave Peters)


The World Food Program building was under heavy security, so we went through two locked doors, up elevators, and then we each had to enter a spaceship looking clear tube, that opened one way to the rest of the building and another way into the office of the World Food Program. We met a fantastic woman named Bettina Luescher, who presented on what the WFP does overall for the hungry people of the world.. The most interesting fact was, that they are the largest aid organization in the world, they aid over 80 countries. She explained to us how their operations work; for example, in Syria they learned how to drop food across a wide region from a plane, instead of one specific place, because the Syrian officials would not let them aid the people in need. Bettina talked about their efforts in Yemen, and referenced how “hunger is a weapon of war” because people will do just about anything they have to so they can feed themselves and their families. Bettina was one of the coolest people I have ever met and she has so much life experience, she has traveled all over the world to help those in need, she is a retired news anchor for CNN.






Thursday, March 22, 2018

Bern and Lucerne

Today, we bid farewell to the city of Geneva and headed for the hills, literally. After a quick bus ride featuring some amazing views of the mountains, we landed in the German-speaking city of Bern. While we were only able to spend an hour and a half here, we were able to see some gorgeous sights such as the Schutzenbrunnen fountain and got to eat a fresh soft pretzel from a German bakery. We hated to say goodbye to the beautiful city, but our hearts were quickly recaptured as we entered the breathtaking Lucerne. With close-up views of the snowy mountains surrounded by the water, there was little we didn’t love about this place. Of course we had to check out the famous Lion of Lucerne monument: a beautiful sculpture of a dying lion carved into a stone wall to honor the fallen soldiers of Lucerne as they protected the French King many years ago.
As we traveled from one side of Switzerland to the other, the dominant language changed from French to German. While it has been beautiful listening to these languages be spoken, it posed a problem that I had never encountered before: I was the one speaking a foreign language. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t simply get clear directions to the restroom, I had to make assumptions based upon vague pointing and hand gestures. I had to figure out how to ask the waitress for a to-go box for my food. And while this is of course very frustrating, it allowed me to see things from another perspective. I am not universally understood. I do not universally understand. But isn’t that diversity what makes life beautiful?

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

UN Day




Post By Olivia Caudle:)

March 19, 2018: Today has been filled with valuable learning and networking opportunities. We had the privilege of visiting the United Nations (UN), as well as the World Health Organization located in Geneva, Switzerland. We began our adventurous day by heading to The Palais des Nations (United Nations) by tram around 8:30am, and from there we met up with our private tour guide. 



The International Child Welfare class during their lecture at the UN
For those who may not know, the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) is the second largest United Nations center after the United Nations Headquarters in New York. “The UNOG contributes significantly to the Organization’s efforts to maintain international peace and security, to advance disarmament, to protect and promote human rights, to eradicate poverty, to implement sustainable development practices and to provide fast, effective humanitarian relief in emergencies – to mention just a few of the tasks. A large number of dignitaries and high-level delegations come to UNOG every year to participate in bilateral exchanges, intergovernmental meetings, conferences and other events, making UNOG a centre for information sharing and exchange (www.unog.ch).” 

At Hotel De Geneve, I was fortunate to have met Pietro Stefanini, a representative from London, who is a researcher and advocacy coordinator for the Palestinian Return Center. I also met his colleague, Omar Kachouh, who is also based out of London and is a delegate.

Pietro Stefanini (left), Olivia Caudle (middle), Omar Kachouh (right)
Walking from the entrance to the Council Chamber, where many important historical negotiations have taken place, 
there was a feeling of grandiosity with the tall ceilings and the breathtaking view of the park and Lake Geneva. Once we finally made it to the Council Chamber there were immaculate murals by José Maria Sert. 

Outside of the United Nations
The view of the park and Lake Geneva from the United Nations







Maryville College Senior, Kameron Graves, noted how the architecture and murals really displayed the message of the United Nations: “that what harms human nature is war and hatred. The only way we can overcome it and make progress is through solidarity of all men.” This was displayed through the mural on the ceiling. Kameron also felt that the United Nations relayed the overall neutrality of Switzerland.


The mural on the ceiling of the Council Chamber (UN)


Cheryl French, who is a sophomore at Maryville College, was blown away by how huge of an organization the United Nations was. Prior to visiting the UN, she felt that she had formed some negative opinions, however, after touring and learning first hand she gained an entirely new outlook. Cheryl also said that the work, time, energy, security, and collaborative effort that goes into each meeting at the UN was eye-opening, and made her realize just how huge of an issue some of the problems are that we are facing today.




The set-up for meetings in the Council Chamber (UN)




Post By Olivia Caudle

Check out our video!

Check out our video! It is only a preview of good things to come! 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHRMmY_Kdes&feature=youtu.be

Pictures

We are going to start uploading batches of pictures by our various group members! Not every picture will have captions so if you're interested in finding out more information about what is in a particular photo please leave a comment and we will respond promptly.

We will do a lot of these batch uploads! This is just the first.


Cheryl French



Stephen Prizo



Anna Zander







Dave Peters