The FIUTS blog is updated several times a week with stories and news from the FIUTS community of students, hosts, staff, alumni, and more.
We experienced India’s extraordinary hospitality from so many people, including Gates Foundation colleagues and FIUTS alumni. I hope they all read this and understand how grateful we are. So why am I sharing all this here? Three reasons . . .
Read MoreFIUTS was excited to welcome Bachir Laouali Ousmane and Wanda Heydel to the FIUTS team this winter as Fellows through the Community Engagement Exchange Program.
Read MoreIt was my first day representing my country in front of such a mass of people in the United States. . .
Read MoreWhen Kiwa was little her mother explained the meaning of her name: her parents paired the characters 希和 (ki-wa), ki meaning hope or desire and wa. . .
Read MoreAjuwah Goode, one of FIUTS PAYLP ALL STARS 2023 alumni, reports on her contributions to fostering more equitable health care to all genders, to supplying women with sustainable reuse menstrual pads, and overall, to eradicate inequalities in accessing health care and decision making. . .
Read MoreFIUTS is fortunate enough to learn from the words of former and current students who practice what the UN advocates for this year’s International Women’s Day: Inspiring Inclusion. We are proud to share them with you, too, on this day . . .
Read MorePosters for the community projects designed by participants in the Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) for Student Leaders in Civic Engagement, winter 2024
Read MoreFIUTS presented CulturalFest 2024 to an audience of more than 1000 at Benaroya Hall this past Saturday night. So much pride, full of energy, and total fun were the shared responses from students and the multigenerational, multicultural (naturally) audience . . .
Read MoreFIUTS recently learned of the passing of a beloved member of our community, Sheila Belcher.
Read MoreCulturalFest has helped foster numerous cultural connections in the Greater Seattle Community through students and organizations. We’re proud of the bonds we made with performing groups like Sayaw, which allows us to bring great performances year after year.
Read MoreOver years, groups found CulturalFest as a special occasion to unite people with similar backgrounds while getting their stories out to greater audience. UW Awaaz is using their heavenly voice again to articulate a beautiful story of the blend of South Asian cultures with the Western rhythm …
Read MoreFIUTS CulturalFest becomes a spotlight to acknowledge the beauty of different cultures as people grow accustomed to the diversity around them. It’s also a place for fusion groups, like ESCAPE, to highlight the uniqueness and the harmony across cultures . . .
Read MoreYou never get tired of seeing new cultural dimensions each performing group brings to FIUTS CulturalFest. The newly formed Traditional Chinese Dance group at University of Washington is back with 2 new dances to showcase the diversity of Chinese culture . . .
Read MoreThe dance troupe Caña Dulce is bringing their passion and efforts to CulturalFest’s International Expo by introducing a historical story of Costa Rica through music and dance. How will they portray the history of Costa Rican coffee plantations through folk dancing . . .
Read MoreUW Junoon was founded on the commitment to incorporate diverse styles into traditional Bollywood dance, connecting young women who love to dance with Indian heritage abroad. They are participating in FIUTS CulturalFest for the first time and are going to recreate a sensational Bollywood fusion dance on stage . . .
Read MoreCommunity Engagement Fellow Wanda Heydel of Poland asserts, “I strongly believe that intercultural dialogue can be a way to peace and understanding. Without getting to know other people, their cultures, and their backgrounds, we won't be able to understand their motivations, goals, and opinions. I hope that events such as CulturalFest can help us build bridges, not walls . . . “
Read MoreSangeet Moksha will be performing at CulturalFest for the first time to share with a wider audience the power that binds their team members together - the rich spirituality of Indian music - through which they hope to heal our hearts . . .
Read MoreLaura Ordoñez, a Vallenato Panamericano, dancer shares, “For us, music and dance transcend entertainment; instead, they serve as powerful forms of cultural expression, embodying the traditions, values, and history of our heritage which is a combination of African, First Nations and European influences” . . .
Read MoreCEE Fellow at FIUTS, Bachir from Niger shares, I believe that the CulturalFest makes people from all over the world come and get to know my ‘forgotten’ country . . . Creativity and development in the World is my motto . . .
Read MoreOver the years, CulturalFest has cooperated with many performance groups in the Seattle area with some of them as returning performers. Taiko Kai has been applauded for the most powerful performance every year they are at CulturalFest Performance. We are lucky to have them back this year!
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