Candidate Profiles
MAGIS Candidates, 2007 - 2009

Joseph Farsakh

The effects of living in a diverse, multi-cultural world have influenced Joseph since birth. He was raised by immigrant parents who where subject to political and economic pressures.  They were the first in their families to marry outside the boundaries of nationality, religion, and cultural tradition.  This has shaped Joseph’s perceptions of the globe.  His mother’s Italian roots come from the Catholic background of the Sicilian countryside, and his father’s Islamic heritage stems from the West Bank of Palestine.  It is with this background that Joseph has searched for an understanding of national, cultural and religious identity that spreads across the barriers of separation.

As a student of Sociology and Psychology at UC Santa Cruz, Joseph has always felt the importance of global issues.  His research on the “Origins and Evolution of the Israeli Economy” sparked his interest to study abroad in Palestine.  After a semester at Birzeit University, Joseph continued to live in Birzeit while working with the director of the Jelazon Refugee Camp’s Children’s Center.  Working with some university friends and Palestinian adult refugees, Joseph participated in organizing an educational summer camp. The goal of the program was to give Cross-cultural skills to the children by teaching English through the computer mediums of typing, internet, and email.

Joseph has also had international service experience working with volunteers from Peace Works International in order to build a community center for the village of San Ramón Norte in Costa Rica. His academic interests stem from the Middle East to Latin America, human rights, indigenous rights, sustainability and bioregional awareness.  Joseph’s personal interests include art, music, nature, and physical activities. This Summer Joseph will be studying Arabic in Salalah, Oman through (CLS) Critical Language Scholarship. In September, Joseph will be in Rwanda with the organization Network for Africa.  And in October through December, Joseph with be in Chad working with Waging Peace.