Beyond the Classroom presents the award-winning documentary "EASY LIKE WATER" - Monday, Sept 14, 7:00 pm

Monday, September 14, 7:00-9:00 pm

South Campus Commons Building 1, Room 1102

(http://www.beyondtheclassroom.umd.edu/locationbtc.htm)

Easy Like Water profiles a resourceful quest to fight the effects of climate change in the 8th most populous nation in the world, Bangladesh, through the power of “design for good” – a growing global movement to encourage design-driven social change as a community-based response to the challenges brought on by the new climate reality.

 

The film also provides an in depth look at the impact of climate change in Bangladesh, a country with 160 million people in an area the size of Iowa, where water poses a relentless and growing threat to millions of people. Low-lying areas are flooded every year during the brutal monsoon season, upending entire villages and destroying hundreds of schools, preventing thousands of children from attending classes.

 

In response, visionary architect Mohammed Rezwan is turning the front line of climate change into a community of learning by building floating schools from surplus boats. Outfitted with solar-powered Internet access, the boat schools are bringing education to young people, including girls who previously never had the opportunity because of cultural or religious norms.

 

In a nation where 20 percent of the land may be washed away by mid-century, Rezwan is working to create a blueprint for his nation’s survival, expanding his model to build floating health clinics, climate shelters, libraries and cinemas.

 

By turns witty and heart-wrenching, Easy Like Water presents a different perspective on the developing world as it fights for climate justice, recognizing it as a source for innovative solutions that can help communities in the world’s most-affected regions adapt to climate change.

 

• "Since Bangladesh sits at the convergence of three of the world's great rivers, it is ground zero for climate change....Rezwan's efforts show that Bangladesh is at the forefront of creative solutions from the developing world. While rich polluting countries fritter away opportunities to slow or reverse climate change, local innovators like Mohammed Rezwan devise ingenious adaptations to environmental challenges, like floating schools."-Anthropology Review Database

 

•"Highly Recommended. Puts a very personal face on the global warming dilemma. The film uses dramatic video clips interspersed with interview footage to deliver a very sobering message regarding climate change. However, there is a ray of hope as viewers learn the story of architect Mohammed Rezwan..." - Educational Media Reviews Online

This Seminar Series on “Ensuring a World Fit for Children?” is available for academic credit (UNIV399C, 1-3 credits)

 

For details, go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/1506333679659538/