Martin Luther King Jr. Conference Feb. 24

The African American Studies Research Center and Ethnic Studies Department will host the 5 th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Conference on Feb. 24.

The theme for this year's conference is "A Call to Service and Civic Engagement," since it occurs on the same day as the "Declare Yourself" event on campus, a national nonpartisan campaign to energize a new movement of young voters in the 2004 Presidential Election.    

The purposes of the King conference are: 1) to expose a group of students of diverse ethnic backgrounds to the legacy of Dr. King through an understanding of his methods of nonviolent approaches to living together as a community; and 2) to provide instruction to students on the application of conflict resolution through an understanding and awareness of human diversity.   This conference will also provide an opportunity for middle school and high school students from our local school districts, along with university students, to interact with each other.  

Faculty members are invited to participate as a workshop presenter. Please note the theme and purposes of the conference from which you will need to develop your workshop topic. We strongly encourage you to invite one or more of your students to serve as a co-presenter.   If you would like to participate as a workshop presenter, please submit your abstract no later than Feb. 6.   Also, indicate whether you will require audio/visual needs.

The format of the conference will include an opening session, Poster session, concurrent workshops on such areas as the methods of nonviolence, conflict resolution, civic participation, social activism, and human diversity awareness and understanding; and a Rally for Peace and Diversity involving several cultural performances.   A description of the poster session is included below.

Note that this conference will make use of the technique of "training the trainers." Therefore, all students in attendance will be equipped with some level of knowledge of social change, whereby they can share information gained from this conference with their respective organizations and schools.

A tentative schedule of the conference is included. For more information, contact co-chairs Matthew Jendian at matthewj@csufresno.edu or Yaw Oheneba-Sakyi , yoheneba@csufresno.edu or phone 278-2891 or 278-2913.

Conference Session 

Participating students will express their ideas for creating an environment of non-violent social change through the Poster Session described below.

The Poster Session will involve students in expressing their artistic and written creativity by depicting how social change might be implemented at their school site and/or within their local communities. Each of the schools will identify a leadership team whose responsibility will be to plan, organize, develop and present a Poster for social change. The Posters will be on display for viewing on the day of the conference at the university venue at which time each participating leadership team will make a brief presentation.   The Posters will be reviewed by a panel of judges, and ribbons will be awarded.   If you would also like to serve as one of the judges, please let us know.

Tentative Schedule of Events

Times:  9 a.m.                 Opening Session

               9:30 a.m.           Poster Session Presentations

               10 a.m.              Refreshment Break and Transition to Workshops

               10:15 a.m.        Concurrent Workshops

               11:15 a.m.        Transition from Workshop to Closing Session at Satellite

               11:30 a.m.        Cultural Performances at Satellite Student Union