“Not My Place and Not My Problem” was an open discussion on ethical issues abroad and at home in Pittsburgh. The event was held on Duquesne’s campus and ran by undergraduates at the university: Kelly Wall, Alexa Brightman, and Hannah Roux. Each young woman brought different ideas and conversations to the table regarding their global experiences in the Czech Republic, Jordan, and Italy, respectively. Some of the topics discussed at the event included homelessness, human trafficking, body image, sexual assault, and much more. One of the goals of the event was to not only create an open, comfortable space for these issues to be discussed, but to also relate ethical issues back to Pittsburgh. The presenters really took to heart the idea of “think globally, act locally” when planning this event. To conclude the CEE, the specific topics of homelessness, human trafficking, and sexual assault were then presented with facts and statistics about the greater Pittsburgh area. Facts and statistics were also presented to the audience to target college students, which was the majority of those in attendance. Finally, resources were provided to the attendees for support or outlets for more research.
It was the hope of these three young women that their event would be sustainable in the aspect that after the attendees would leave the event, they would continue having conversations about the ethical issues at hand. Although it will never be known if this was achieved, it is a form of accomplishment to know that the event was successful in the moment. In a world full of bias, harshness, and prejudice, those that attended came together for an evening of open discussion about some of the most challenging global, and local, ethical issues.