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SUMMARY:The Annual Maya K. Peterson Memorial Lecture with Matthew Bender
DESCRIPTION:“Colonizing Water: Empire\, Commodification\, and Appropriation in Africa” \nIn early 2018\, the city of Cape Town nearly ran out of water. South Africa’s “Mother City\,” renowned for its cosmopolitan population and natural beauty\, faced the prospect of a “Day Zero\,” when it would be forced to close its taps and force millions to queue for water rations. Across much of the continent\, though\, water scarcity is an everyday reality\, with nearly 1 in 3 people lacking access to sufficient drinking water. How did this become the case? This talk explores the history of water on the African continent\, using a historical lens to understand the present-day water crisis. It shows how these resources came to be “colonized” through the mechanisms of imperialism in Africa. European colonial actors in the 19th and 20th centuries attempted to transform the ownership\, management\, and meaning of water with the aim of harnessing its powers to advance their objectives. In doing so\, they created deep seeded inequities and underdevelopment that has persisted in the decades since African colonies gained their independence. This historical analysis shows that many of the present-day obstacles to providing clean\, safe water stem from legacies of colonial rule. Yet it also shows the many ways in which everyday Africans proved resilient\, finding ways to thrive despite the odds. \nMatthew Bender is Professor of History at The College of New Jersey. His research focuses on modern African social and cultural history\, with interest in the environment\, natural resources\, and agriculture. A leading scholar in water history\, he has authored numerous articles\, essays\, and chapters as well as a book entitled Water Brings No Harm: Management Knowledge and the Struggle for the Waters of Kilimanjaro (Ohio University Press\, 2019). \n\nThe Maya K. Peterson Explorations in History Seminar Series at UCSC honors the life and spirit of a brilliant scholar\, teacher\, and mentor whose career was cut short by her untimely death in 2021. A specialist in Russian\, Central Asian and environmental history\, Maya was a valued member of UCSC’s faculty in the History Department and the Humanities Division. The Explorations in History Seminar Series celebrates Maya’s passions for the study of history\, for dialogue between the humanities and the sciences\, and for innovative scholarship across disciplines—passions that she shared generously with students\, colleagues\, and communities around the globe. \n\nThis event is made possible by the generous support of the Maya K. Peterson Memorial Endowment.
URL:https://thi.ucsc.edu/event/the-annual-maya-k-peterson-memorial-lecture/
LOCATION:Alumni Room\, University Center\, CA\, United States
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SUMMARY:The Strait of Hormuz and War in Iran: Film Screening and Discussion
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a screening of Plate It With Silver and a discussion by Nidhi Mahajan (UCSC) and Stephen Zunes (USF) on the Strait of Hormuz. \n \nDoors open at 5:30 PM. Event begins at 6:00 PM. \nFor 50 years\, the Resource Center for Nonviolence (RCNV) has equipped our community with tools to build a just and peaceful world. We’re proud to collaborate with UCSC’s Center for the Middle East and North Africa to host this film screening and discussion. The Center is dedicated to the project of creating community and promoting education and research about the histories\, politics\, and cultures of the peoples who live in the Middle East and North Africa. This event is part of our Santa Cruz United in Love initiative cultivating Beloved Community\, shared learning\, and solidarity. We hope you’ll join us as we continue to deepen our collective integrity and accountability. \nJoin us for a screening of the film Plate it with Silver and a discussion by Nidhi Mahajan (UCSC) and Stephen Zunes (USF)\, two prominent experts on the Persian Gulf region. While recent events have highlighted the centrality of the Strait of Hormuz for shipping routes and oil\, the film explores the deeper ways that global trade and local religious practices intersect. The screening will be followed by a discussion on the current war in the Persian Gulf\, its regional reverberations\, and the longer histories of trade in the Indian Ocean. \nStephen Zunes is a professor of Politics and Director of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco. He has written and lectured extensively about Iran and U.S. Middle East policy and has been one of the few American scholars allowed to visit Iran in recent years\, meeting with top government officials\, leading dissidents\, and ordinary Iranians. \nNidhi Mahajan is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of California\, Santa Cruz. Her first book\, Moorings: Voyages of Capital across the Indian Ocean\, was published by UC Press in June 2025. She has also published in journals such as Comparative Studies of South Asia\, Africa\, and the Middle East\, Monsoon\, History of the Present\, and Island Studies Journal. In addition to her academic work\, Mahajan is a practicing artist\, with her projects exhibited at the Sharjah Architecture Triennial\, Diriyah Biennale (Saudi Arabia)\, Macondo Literature Festival (Kenya)\, Hayy Jameel (Saudi Arabia)\, Khoj Studios (India)\, and other international venues. \nEveryone is welcome. Sliding scale ticket donations ($0-50) support RCNV’s vital work.
URL:https://thi.ucsc.edu/event/the-strait-of-hormuz-and-war-in-iran-a-film-screening-and-discussion/
LOCATION:Resource Center for Non Violence
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