Event highlights education, social justice

Washington State University will hold its sixth annual Globalization, Diversity & Education Conference at its Spokane Riverpoint campus today and tomorrow.

"The idea behind the conference is to examine diversity and education within a global context," said Michael Hayes, one of the conferences' co-chairs and a professor at WSU's College of Education.

The two-day event will feature presenters from throughout the world but will also be host to many distinguished guests from the U.S. and the Pacific Northwest.

"We are going to have presenters and guests from all over the world," Hayes said. "Guests are coming from as far away as Kuwait, Nigeria, India and Mexico."

As its Web site indicates, the conference will focus on education and social justice in a more global context. To achieve this goal, the conference will have three public panels that focus on issues of immediate concern for the global community.

"This year, in an effort to invite and extend dialogue in local spaces, we have three different public panels," said Pauline Sameshima, the other co-chair of this year's conference. "[There will be] presentations on water, health and innovation issues within the context of the conference."

One of the main events, being held tonight, will be the showing of famed Canadian film maker Velcrow Ripper's documentary, "Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action." Though most of the conference will be only open to those who pay to attend the conference as a whole, tonight's event is open to the general public with a suggested $5 donation going to the nonprofit organization, "Chances for Children," which helps support an orphanage and school in Haiti.  Ripper will be at the showing and will be available for questions immediately following the screening.

Gonzaga also has a number of direct connections to this year's event. Besides being a partner in this year's conference, several of its professors will present.

Five Gonzaga professors will be participating in two different presentations. Gonzaga faculty members Jerri Shepard, an associate professor of Educational Leadership, Deborah Booth, an associate professor of Education, and Sima Thorpe, director of CCASL, will be presenting together Saturday afternoon. Their presentation entitled, "Leading through Art: Assessing Campus Community Partnerships," speaks about the successful and fruitful relationship that occurs when a supportive University teams up with community programs in their surrounding area.

The easily-replicated project model stems from a program at Gonzaga that works with homeless children at the YWCA, organizers say.

"We use art as a vehicle that in turn helps these impoverished children develop a sense of self-esteem and belonging," Booth said. "All you need is a university that is willing to reach out to the community."

In the case of this project Gonzaga is that university.

"Gonzaga is by far one of the strongest service learning campuses that I have encountered in my travels," Booth said, speaking of Gonzaga's commitment to service learning in both the local and more global community. "In regards to service learning Gonzaga is both cutting edge and top of the bar."

Booth speaks from experience as she and Shepard have presented this same subject in Brussels, Belgium, Prague,Czech Republic, and Galway, Ireland. However, this is the first time they will present at this conference.

Shepard will also speak at another presentation with Pamela Dos Ramos, an adjunct Professor of Education at Gonzaga's master's program in Canada, and Ana Vallejo, a Gonzaga graduate. Their presentation deals with how to support the educational goals of immigrant and refugee students in the U.S. and Canada.

Along with Gonzaga's faculty there will be 130 presenters in total.  The chairs predict that nearly 200 people will attend the event — however this is less than in the past.

"Many universities have had their travel funds cut," Hayes said. "People who typically would have come could not because of lack of funding."

However, smaller numbers do not necessarily indicate a less successful or productive conference.

"People who attend this conference will enjoy the variety of presenters but will appreciate the smaller numbers which will lead to really good conversation surrounding the topics," Sameshima said, referring to the conferences size.

This year's conference is also expected to be its best.

"This is the strongest year we have had in meeting the goals of the conference," Hayes said. "We are very, very excited about how this year's presentations and programs have aligned so well with the goals of the conference."

The conference will be held in WSU's Phase 1 classroom building at 668 N. Riverpoint Blvd.