Witness in Residence Initiative
2026 Witness in Residence: Roberto Tijerina
“What did they say?”: Building Community and Power with Language Differences
Language is power. Despite the omnipresence of translation and interpretation in today’s globalized world, many people are still left out of important conversations and, by extension, denied full autonomy. In this interactive workshop, interpreter and language justice organizer Roberto Tijerina will use popular education methodology and the lived experiences of those present to:
- interrogate the difference between language access and language justice in everyday life and in progressive spaces
- unpack the real-world impact on power dynamics between these differences
Wednesday, Oct. 21
4:30 p.m.
Popp Martin Student Union, 340 DEF
The Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau Witness in Residence Initiative in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences seeks to encourage conversations about issues pertaining to human rights and issues of social relevance in the United States and globally. Thanks to generous donors from the community, the initiative provides study abroad scholarships which fund students’ related study-abroad experiences. Students who received the Aliaga-Buchenau Study Abroad Scholarship to study abroad during Spring Break or the Summer Semester have studied in such places as Bolivia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Cuba and Panama.
In 2023, the program was selected to be part of the updated General Education course plan that strengthens the University experience for undergraduate students by integrating course content from global and local perspectives in the Social Sciences and Humanities. The initiative also invites individuals who have personally witnessed an important world event to spend time on the campus. Witnesses present a series of lectures to students, faculty, staff, and the greater Charlotte community and spend time actively engaging with students on campus.
The initiative was named in honor of Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau, Chair of the Department of Languages, Cultures and Translation in recognition of her transformational impact on international education at UNC Charlotte.
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Ask about becoming a Witness: chess-events@charlotte.edu