CULTURAL AGENTS

Upcoming Congress: Collective Justice – Defending Afrodescendant Territories
2025-01-24 08:00 - 2025-01-25 17:00 (America/New_York)
On January 24 and 25, 2025, join us at the Afro-Diasporic Museum of Stanford, Uolaba, in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, where Afro-descendant leaders, scholars, and legal experts will discuss ancestral territories, ancestral pilgrimages, maritime rights, and collective justice.
What can you expect?

Keynote presentations by prominent figures such as Quince Duncan, Agustín Lao-Montes, and Pastor Elías Murillo Martínez.

Innovative workshops Pre-Texts, led by Dr. Doris Sommer (ALARI, Harvard University).

Cultural activities and historical tours at key sites in the Southern Caribbean.

Register now!

Artificial Intelligence Needs Humanity
2025-02-27 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Humanities Center, Plymont RM, Plympton Room, Mahindra Humanities Center, Harvard University, Boston, United States
Mike Pell, inventor of the PDF and a continuing disrupter of technological habits, will speak on the relationship between AI and the Humanities. To manage the present ecosystem of technology and to prepare for the future requires imagination and judgment, the core faculties of a humanistic education that is currently sidelined and threatened. Paradoxically, the most forward looking approach to technology is to promote humanistic education, as training to build the capacity to understand, to experiment, and to think by abduction.
Sign up, here!

Taller Pre-Textos en Uniandes
2025-03-03 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Acupuntura pedagógica holística

Bastan solo 15 horas de formación para preparar a los facilitadores a fin de involucrar las artes y las humanidades en una educación rigurosa y placentera, así como en el desarrollo profesional. Los textos se convierten en materia prima para la creación artística, lo que transforma las dificultades: dejan de ser obstáculos y se vuelven desafíos artísticos.
Esta es una forma de acupuntura pedagógica holística, ya que una única consigna—“crear arte a partir de los textos”—activa facultades cognitivas, emocionales y cívicas.
Siguiendo a John Dewey, José Vasconcelos, Augusto Boal, Maria Montessori (médica y científica que desarrolló su método en los barrios marginados de Roma), y muchos otros mentores, demostramos que la inteligencia y la creatividad abundan en todas partes.

Inscríbete aquí: https://live.eventtia.com/es/taller-pretextos

Meet a founding member of the Nuyorican Poets collective: Víctor Hernández Cruz
2025-03-04 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Join EMR and the Latinx Studies Working Group for a beautiful evening with Víctor Hernández Cruz, a Puerto Rican-born poet based in Morocco and a distinctive voice in the Nuyorican arts movement of the 1970s. Named one of the greatest American poets by Life Magazine, Cruz is the author of several acclaimed poetry collections, including Guayacán (Ishmael Reed Publishing, 2022) and Beneath the Spanish (Coffe House Press, 2017). His poetry focuses on African cultural retentions in the Americas while also engaging with African politics of decolonization.

Arts and Culture as Renewable Human Resources for Health
2025-03-05 14:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Sign up: https://shorturl.at/oXwyx

Enjoying Difference (Pre-Texts)
2025-03-06 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)

Teach With
2025-03-07 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
You are warmly invited to a demonstration of the advances in cognitive and socioemotional development achieved through Pre- Texts, a pedagogy adopted by the Heritage School, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, and shared with Sarvam Shakti, New Bal Bhavan Model School (New Delhi), Swami Vivekanand Arunoday Vidyalaya (U.P.), Shalom Hills International School (Haryana), Shalom Presidency School (Haryana), Rockwoods International School (Rajasthan), Central Public School (Rajasthan), Rockwoods High School (Rajasthan), in a train-the-trainers dynamic.
Come to meet teachers and their students as we celebrate and certify the Pre-Texts facilitators. You may be inspired to join us in this user- friendly and rigorous approach to education at all levels and in all communities.

Pilgrimages for the Planet We will walk together for Colombia
2025-03-07 08:00 - 2025-03-11 17:00 (America/New_York)
March 7 – 11, Nuquí, Colombia.

Stay tuned to our first Camino por Colombia, a transformative pilgrimage starting in Nuquí, Chocó. Reflect, walk with others, and reconnect with nature to heal both spirit and land. Follow the journey as we explore how to create a future filled with love and dignity.
Check our website

Heat Immersion Pre-Conference Excursion to Ahmedabad, India
2025-03-17 08:00 - 2025-03-18 17:00 (America/New_York)
SECOND EDITION: AHMEDABAD, INDIA
17-18 MARCH.

This two-day immersion will provide several unique opportunities to dive more deeply into heat adaptation policies and practices in India, both centuries-old and modern. We’ll start with a sunrise visit to one of Ahmedabad’s famous stepwells to see what ancient architecture can teach us about tackling modern climate challenges. We’ll then head to lunch with small business owners to hear firsthand about the financial impacts of extreme heat and how they are innovating to deal with it. The city of Ahmedabad is the first in India to create a Heat Action Plan, and we’ll visit with the city’s Commissioner to learn more about the plan and how it is being implemented.
On the second day, we’ll visit homes and work sites of informal women workers who are part a study led by Harvard professors Satchit Balsari and Caroline Buckee. This project, supported by both the Salata Institute and the Mittal Institute, follows hundreds of working women in the informal economy across various indoor and outdoor settings, measuring heat and humidity 24/7 across all seasons to better understand how extreme heat is truly experienced on the ground. We’ll start the day with an overview of the study, as well as the pioneering work of partner organization SEWA (the Self Employed Women’s Organization). After that, we’ll split up into smaller groups and head out into to the city to see how the study is being carried out with the women.

Teach With, Ahmedabad
2025-03-18 16:00 - 19:00 (Asia/Karachi)
Dr. Doris Sommer, Professor at Harvard University, is in Ahmedabad for
an exclusive UnConference to demonstrate the remarkable advances in
cognitive and socio-emotional development achieved through the Pre-
Texts pedagogy.
The Heritage School, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, has successfully adopted
this innovative approach and extended it through a train-the-trainers
model across Haryana, Rajasthan, and UttarPradesh.
Let us collaborate and bring the joy of Pre-Texts to our learning spaces.
Join us for this insightful session and explore how we can collectively
enrich our educational environments.Looking forward to your presence.
Honourable Guests
Dr Doris Sommer, Professor
Harvard University
Dr Sunita Swaraj, Principal
The Heritage School, Vasant Kunj
By Invite Only
RSVP : +91 6362423109 || s.devyanisingh@gmail.com
More info!

Teach With, New Delhi
2025-03-21 09:00 - 12:30 (Asia/Kolkata)
You are invited to a demonstration showcasing the cognitive and socioemotional growth fostered by Pre-Texts, a pedagogy implemented at the Heritage School, New Delhi, and shared with various institutions across India through a train-the-trainers model. Join us to meet teachers and students as we celebrate and certify new Pre-Texts facilitators, and discover how this accessible yet rigorous approach can enhance education in diverse communities. Powered by The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute – a Harvard Global Research Support Center India.
By Invitation Only
For any queries, please contact us at +91 6362423109 || d.singh@theheritageschool.in

THE BOSTON AREA LANGUAGE PEDAGOGY CONFERENCE
2025-03-29 08:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
March 29, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Keynote Doris Sommer An Inter-Institutional Interdisciplinary Dialogue on the Teaching of Languages and Culture.
Where: Harvard University, Science Center, 1 Oxford St., Cambridge
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! https://sites.harvard.edu/bapc2025/

Bimensual Meeting - Pre-Texts Regional Coordinators
2025-04-05 08:00 - 09:00 (America/New_York)
Overview: The Weavers Meeting on February 8th focused on updates and improvements to the Pre-texts website. Key points included the addition of a navigation section by country to highlight local workshops and the implementation of a password-protected manual for the Pre-text methodology. The team discussed the need for a column on the workshop page to list facilitators and their contact information, including a hyperlink to their profiles. They also emphasized the importance of making weavers the primary point of contact for training and certification, especially for international and online facilitators. Future meetings will be held to finalize these changes and address other website enhancements.

From text to talk: Creative Teaching Conversations with Pre-Texts
2025-04-10 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)

Call for Participation – Student Wellbeing Conference
2025-04-15 08:00 - 2025-04-16 17:00 (America/New_York)
Join us in L’Aquila on April 15–16, 2025, for the national conference Student Wellbeing at University: Individual, Collective, and Organizational Dimensions, organized by GEO (University of Udine) and CRUI. The event will explore how universities can support student success, inclusion, and mental health through services, mentoring, space design, and community dialogue. Participation is possible in person or online. More info

HARVARD BOOK STORE PRESENTS: Judith Butler
2025-04-23 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Wed, Apr 23, 6:00 PM, at The Brattle Theater, Cambridge, MA.
Harvard Book Store welcomes Judith Butler—global icon and author of several books, including Gender Trouble; Bodies That Matter; The Psychic Life of Power; and The Force of Nonviolence—to celebrate the paperback release of their book Who’s Afraid of Gender?, a bold, essential account of how a fear of gender is fueling reactionary politics around the world. They will be joined in conversation by Doris Sommer—the Ira and Jewell Williams Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University and founder of “Cultural Agents,” an Initiative at Harvard and an NGO dedicated to reviving the civic mission of the Humanities.
More info

Camino por Colombia: Walk with the Rythm of Waves
2025-06-03 08:00 - 2025-06-07 17:00 (America/New_York)
FIRST EDITION

Magical Nuquí, Chocó, is the convening point for this first of many paths to travel as pilgrims throughout Colombia, walking to discover ourselves and each other. The heart of the country’s Pacific coast invites us to explore breathtaking landscapes and to connect deeply with the world around us. Walking to the rhythm of the ocean and of residents who live in harmony with nature is an opportunity to reflect, and to rediscover our connections with nature and with people.
A journey of discovery:

This is the first of many paths we will travel together across Colombia. At Caminos por Colombia, we invite you to reconnect with the world and nature as you immerse yourself in the beauty and diversity of our land. This journey will open new perspectives and strengthen your connection with the environment and the people who call it home.
Contact us: Nicolás Moreno, +57 3164724069 info@colombiasky.com
Double Acommodation $949 USD
Single room supplement $249 USD
Bogotá – Nuquí ticket $194 USD APPROX.

The biennial conference of STS Italia – The Italian Society for Social Studies of Science and Technology
2025-06-11 08:00 - 2025-06-13 17:00 (America/New_York)
Pre-texts Protocol Program: an intervention to support the empowerment of women victims of sexual trafficking
The intervention proposes a case study based on the adoption of the Pre-texts Protocol in a protected context for women rescued from sexual slavery. The experience based on cultural stimuli such as reading, art, music has encouraged the active participation and sharing of the autobiographical memory of the participants who, through drawing and dialogue, have faced traumas related to migration experiences. The impacts generated are evaluated in terms of relationship, participation, resilience. The case study provides a reflection on the importance that creative and artistic interventions can also exercise in terms of strengthening mental health, supporting social cohesion also in relation to contexts of extreme urban contexts.

More info!

Welcome New Pilgrims to Nuquí
2025-06-20 08:00 - 2025-06-25 17:00 (America/New_York)
June 20–25

More than a program, this next pilgrimage will be a space for reflection and connection with ourselves, other people, and the earth we share.. From June 20 to 25, we will gather in Nuquí, Colombia, to move to the rhythm of the sea, the jungle, and the river—a journey where ties emergs naturally. This experience is not about executing projects or intentionally seeking pleasures, but about planting seeds of friendship and memory by looking and listening as we walk together. We invite you to join us. The exceptional photographer who documented the pilot pilgrimage (March 7-11) through his native region offers these reflections: Watch the video!
Join to the next pilgrimage

Pre-Texts Weaves Stories at Universidad Nacional de Colombia
2025-09-23 08:00 - 2025-09-25 17:00 (America/New_York)
On September 23 and 25, at the Publishing House of the National University of Colombia, Bogotá Campus, we will host a special workshop:
Pre-Texts: A Weave of Stories. This experience will invite participants to discover how words not only inform, but also connect, transform, and build new ways of coming together. We look forward to welcoming you!

Invocations of the Diaspora: A Conversation on the Art of Belonging
2025-09-25 17:00 - 19:15 (America/New_York)
September 25, 2025 5.00-7.15pm HAA Room 422
Organized by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies and History of Art and Architecture Department. Harvard University.
Updates
Two decades ago, migration and diaspora were central topics in critical discourse. Today, a new urgency reinvigorates the diaspora experience. The Art of Belonging explores diaspora as generative of identity, memory, aesthetics, space, and belonging.
Speakers: artists Sandra Gamarra, Tania Bruguera, Rubén Ortiz-Torres, curator Evan Garza, and scholars Nelson Maldonado Torres (UCONN), Doris Sommer, moderated by José Luis Falconi (Art History and Human Rights, UConn) and Patricio del Real (History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University).
Developed in conjunction with the exhibition Three Variations of a Diasporic Landscape, curated by José L. Falconi and on view at DRCLAS until March 2026 to map longing and belonging. Featured artists: Sandra Gamarra, Naomi Gamarra, and Sarah Zapata.

First Seedbed Encounter: A Day of Research, Creativity, and Collaboration
2025-11-05 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
1st Institutional Meeting of Agustinian Research Seedbeds 2025The 1st Institutional Meeting of Agustinian Research Seedbeds celebrates the commitment of students and faculty to research, creativity, and innovation across disciplines. This event provides a space for sharing academic projects, exchanging ideas, and strengthening collaboration among research groups within Uniagustiniana.
The program includes the launch of the Short Story Book – VIII Edition, the presentation of the Pre-Texts project, international guest discussions, and a special recognition for outstanding research posters.
📅 Wednesday, November 5, 2025🕗 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

AI and the Human Metaphor
2025-11-10 15:30 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Barker Center, Room 018, Barker Center, Room 018
The Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard presents “AI and the Human Metaphor,” a conversation exploring how artificial intelligence redefines our understanding of the human experience. Featuring Fawwaz Habbal (Harvard University), the event examines the intersections of technology, language, and human identity.
Date: November 10, 2025
Time: 3:30–5:00 PM (ET)
Location: Barker Center, Room 018

Art & AI: A Conversation
2025-11-18 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Student Organizations Center at Hilles (SOCH), Student Organizations Center at Hilles (SOCH), 59 Shepard St., Cambridge, MA., Cambridge, MA, MA, United States
The Lemann Program on Creativity and Entrepreneurship, the Office for the Arts, and Blueprints for Arts and Policy invite the Harvard community to Art & AI: A Conversation—an event that brings together over sixteen distinguished experts to explore the intersections of artistic creation and artificial intelligence.
The conversation will take place on November 18, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Student Organizations Center at Hilles (SOCH), 59 Shepard St., Cambridge, MA. Attendees will engage with ideas on how technology and creativity inform and transform each other, shaping the future of art, design, and innovation.

Staging Political Virtue: Plato’s Republic and the Drama of Desire
2025-11-20 16:30 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | CGIS South, 1730 Cambridge St. S020, CGIS South, 1730 Cambridge St. S020
November 20, 2025. 4:30PM – 06:00PM CGIS South, 1730 Cambridge St. S020
Speaker: Alessandro Carrera, University of Houston
Discussant: Martin Puchner, Harvard University
Plato’s Republic has shaped how we think about politics, ethics, and justice for more than two millennia. In On Political Virtue: Plato’s Republic and the Politics of Desire, the Italian philosopher Carlo Sini reinterprets this foundational dialogue in a strikingly original way. Rather than treating it as a straightforward defense of reason or ideal governance, Sini reads Plato’s work as a theatrical piece. Alessandro Carrera, the book’s editor and translator, will guide us through Sini’s provocative re-reading of Plato.
https://mahindrahumanities.harvard.edu/event/staging-political-virtue-platos-republic-and-drama-desire

Applied Humanities: Who Needs the Humanities?
2025-11-24 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Thompson Room, 12 Quincy St., Cambridge, Thompson Room, 12 Quincy St., Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, MA, United States
The Harvard English Department invites the community to a conversation exploring the growing relevance of the humanities beyond academia. While traditional departments face decline, the demand for humanistic perspectives in business, policy, and technology continues to rise.
Speakers Tarun Khanna (Harvard Business School), Doris Sommer (Romance Languages), and Moira Weigel (Comparative Literature) will discuss this vital paradox and its implications for education and society.
📅 November 24, 5–7 PM📍 Thompson Room, 12 Quincy St., Cambridge

Pre-Texts at the Bok Center: The Arts Teach (Everything)
2025-12-01 16:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, 50 Church Street, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, 50 Church Street
Join us on December 1, 2025 (4:30–6:30 PM) at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, 50 Church Street. Pre-Texts: The Arts Teach (Everything) introduces a creative pedagogy that turns texts into art-making materials, transforming challenges into opportunities for learning. Inspired by thinkers such as Montessori, Freire, and Dewey, the program invites educators to explore teaching as an art. Training continues in Spring 2026.

Formazione Pre-Texts: Contesti di Guerra
2025-12-05 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Centro Internazionale di Brera, Via Marco Formentini 10, Milan, Centro Internazionale di Brera, Via Marco Formentini 10, Milan, Italy
Pre-Texts Training: Contexts of War
Join the Pre-Texts workshop series in Milan from December 5 to 8 at the Centro Internazionale di Brera.
This program explores creative literacy tools for communities affected by conflict through five engaging sessions.
📍 Centro Internazionale di Brera, Via Marco Formentini 10, Milan
📅 Presentation: Friday, December 5, 6–8 PM
For information and registration: amministrazione@rescueteam.ong

The ALARI IV Continental Conference on Afro-Latin American Studies
2026-07-22 00:00 - 2026-07-24 00:00 (America/New_York) | Universidad Icesi, Calle 18 No. 122-135, Cali, Pance, Colombia
We are pleased to share that Professor Doris Sommer will participate in the Fourth Continental Conference on Afro-Latin American Studies, organized by the Afro-Latin American Research Institute (ALARI) at Harvard University, in collaboration with the University Consortium on Afro-Latin American Studies and the Center for Afrodiasporic Studies (CEAF) at Universidad Icesi.
The conference will take place in Cali, Colombia, from July 22 to 24, 2026, and will unite scholars, students, artists, educators, activists, and policymakers engaged with the African Diaspora in Latin America.
We invite all interested participants to submit their proposals by December 1, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to join a vibrant space for dialogue, exchange, and innovation.
Participate here!
https://alari.fas.harvard.edu/aplicacion-al-iv-encuentro-continental/
