MONTREAL/September 15, 2004—
The Sustainable Concordia Project, in co-operation with the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment at Concordia University, is pleased to announce that renowned social activist Rinku Sen will be speaking on a panel with Concordia professors Eric Shragge and Yasmin Jiwani, at the University on Friday, September 17, at 5 p.m., in room H-110 of the Henry F. Hall Building (1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West). The topic will be Creating Social Change: Obstacles and Strategies. This is the first event in this year's Peace and Conflict Resolution public lecture series and admission is free.
Sen will share her experiences working inside and outside the system, and on affecting change on various levels ó from crafting public policy to grassroots organizing in diverse communities. Nationally recognized for her organizing work, she has also written extensively about the race and gender dimensions of community organizing and has consulted frequently with organizations and foundations.
While describing the obstacles that hinder change, Sen will also discuss strategies to overcome them.
She will outline some of the issues related to social change that are often at the root of conflicts, such as gender, ethnicity, disability, and cultural diversity. She will be citing examples from her own work, addressing these issues in both high and low-income countries.
Concordia faculty members Dr. Eric Shragge from the School of Community and Public Affairs and Dr. Yasmin Jiwani from the Department of Communication Studies will also discuss their work and experience in this area. This lecture will allow for audience participation in the form of a 45-minute panel discussion.
Rinku Sen is the publisher of ColorLines magazine and Communications Director of the Applied Research Center (ARC). She has a rich history of organizing, writing and lecturing on issues of race, gender and activism, poverty, education, racial and gender equity, health care and immigration issues. She is currently pursuing a M.A. in Journalism at Columbia University. Her latest book, Stir It Up: Lessons in Community Organizing (2003), is a guide for community organizations of all orientations.
For information about this particular event, contact Melissa Garcia Lamarca, Sustainability Co-ordinator at (514) 848-2424, ext. 5202 or at mgl@alcor.concordia.ca . For updates about the series, please contact Laurie Lamoureux Scholes at peace@alcor.concordia .
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