News Release

GSRC 2012

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sen. Patricia Torres Ray, DFL-Minneapolis, speaks 5 p.m. Oct. 23 in Atwood Theater.

Films, student talks and presentations by citizen organizations highlight the 2012 Global Social Responsibility Conference in Atwood Memorial Center.

Internationally known broadcast journalist Amy Goodman, anchor of the independent news show Democracy Now!, will speak 7 p.m. Oct. 17 in Ritsche Auditorium. View the event poster (PDF) for admission information.

Keesha Gaskins '96, a nationally known analyst of voter-suppression efforts, will present on voter rights 3 p.m. Oct. 22 in Atwood Theater. Read more about Gaskins' presentation.

Architect Richard Gage will present an alternate explanation for the September 2001 collapse of the World Trade Center buildings 5 p.m. Oct. 24 in Atwood Theater. View a poster (PDF) about Gage's talk.

Films and presentations are slated for Oct. 22-25.

"We want to empower students to see that they can take big actions to change the world," said Julie Andrzejewski, professor of human relations and multicultural education. She is co-founder of the Master's Program in Social Responsibility, sponsor of the conference.

Except for the Goodman talk, events are free and open to the public. Parking is free on streets adjacent to campus and a dollar per hour in the 4th Avenue Parking Ramp.

• Read the updated conference program (PDF)
• View the conference flyer (PDF)
• Visit the conference website

FILMS

Topics range from corruption of global food systems, to how global corporations avoid taxes, to the epidemic of sexual assault in the U.S. military. A sampling of the more than one dozen films to be screened:   

• "How to Start a Revolution" (2011) tells the story of Gene Sharp, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee famed for his writing on nonviolent struggle. 
• "Abandon the Knife" (2011) is a short film that discusses the circumcision -- typically without anesthesia -- of pre-adolescent females. Practiced in some African and Middle Eastern nations, the practice is rooted in the social control of women. Directed by Sara Nason. Produced by Guardian Films.
• "We're Not Broke" (2012) is an expose of how corporations avoid paying U.S. taxes. Written and directed by Victoria Bruce and Karin Hayes.

STUDENT/EMPLOYEE PRESENTATIONS

Topics include combatting HIV/AIDs in Africa, social injustices created by the war on drugs and the need for strong federal legislation that reduces violence against women. Two presentations of note are:

• A "Women of Color" panel discussion about discrimination and racism, empowerment and activism, will be 9:30 a.m. Oct. 23 in Atwood Theater.
• Debra Leigh of Community Anti Racism Education Initiative will present on dismantling racism in higher education 9:30 a.m. Oct. 25 in the Alumni Room.

PRESENTATIONS BY CITIZEN ORGANIZATIONS

Topics include the importance of labor unions, threats posed by the voter ID movement and the myth of clean-burning coal. Here two sample presentations:  

• Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota will discuss the social and financial burdens that would result from passage of the proposed Minnesota Voter ID constitutional amendment.
• New York-based Institute for Critical Animal Studies will argue that rights, freedoms and special considerations should not be assigned based on species membership. 

Conference co-sponsor St. Cloud Technical & Community College is a satellite site for conference events.

Conference co-sponsors include these St. Cloud State entities: University Program Board, Women’s Center, Mass Communication Department, Theatre and Film Studies Department, Multicultural Student Services, Ethnic and Women’s Studies Department, Multicultural Resource Center, Global Studies Program, Environmental and Technological Studies Department, Human Relations and Multicultural Education Department, and the Sociology and Anthropology Department.

Community co-sponsors include Anna Marie’s Alliance.

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