NEWS

War debate a highlight of Human Rights Week

By LANITA WITHERS
UNC News Services

CHAPEL HILL -- A debate on the pros and cons of unilateral U.S. action in Iraq will be free and open to the public at 4 p.m. Wednesday (April 2) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The event in 103 Bingham Hall will be one of the highlights of Human Rights Week Monday through Friday (March 31- April 4) sponsored by the Campus Y.

The debate, "War or Peace: U.S. Cooperation with the United Nations," will feature Dr. James Abrahamson, a West Point graduate, Vietnam veteran and career Army officer in favor of unilateral action, and Dr. Mark Crescenzi, a political scientist at UNC, who will speak for action in the context of multilateral organizations.

The week’s keynote address by Dr. Kevin Bales, author of "Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy," will be at 7 p.m. Monday in 111 Carroll Hall. Bales’ book exposes the symptoms and sources of 21st century slavery. A professor of sociology at the University of Surrey, Roehampton, London and consultant to the United Nations, Bales directs Free the Slaves, an organization founded to bring awareness to present-day slavery.

Other events for the week include a demonstration of qigong, an exercise in the spiritual practice Falun Dafa, and a photo exhibit by women from the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya.

Human Rights Week is an annual event for the Campus Y. "Each year, we hope to bring awareness to human rights issues," said Chimi Boyd, assistant director. "I think a lot of people, if they don’t see everyday human rights issues, pretend that they don’t exist in the world. If people come to these events, they’ll learn something and take it back with them."

Dates, times and descriptions of Human Rights Week events follow. For more information, call the Campus Y at 962-2333.

Monday, March 31:

Noon – International Lunch with World Camp, Union Multipurpose Room. Experience different international culinary delights and learn more about the work of World Camp for Kids. Co-sponsored for World Camp for Kids.

2 p.m. – Open forum with Human Rights Week keynote speaker Kevin Bales, Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence, Graham Memorial Lounge.

6 p.m. – Death Penalty workshop, Dey 307. A workshop to discuss and introduce facts about the death penalty. Co-sponsored by Campaign to End the Death Penalty.

7 p.m. – Keynote speaker Kevin Bales, Carroll 111. Bales, the author of "Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy," will discuss the realities of 21st century human slavery.

12:30pm – Widespread Disenfranchisement, Union 2518 B. A discussion questioning how different segments of the population are marginalized by the greater society, and how to address the issues that disadvantage them. A free lunch will be provided. Co-sponsored by the Hunger and Homelessness Outreach Project and Table Talk.

3:30 p.m. – Women’s Rights and AIDS/HIV in Africa, Johnson Center for Undergraduate Excellence, Graham Memorial 039. View photos and essays written by the young women in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya, and discuss how these women are affected by and survive in the face of gender-based violence, the AIDS/HIV pandemic and the lack of education. Co-sponsored by Carolina for Kibera, The Binti Pamoja Center, the Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence and Advocates for the Empowerment of Women of Color.

5 p.m. – Gender Roles in South Asia, Bingham 101. An interactive workshop that will discuss the gender expectations in South Asian culture. Co-sponsored by the South Asian Awareness Group.

6 p.m. – Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Dey 206. Open discussion. Co-sponsored by Campaign to End the Cycle of Violence.

6 p.m. – Health Care as a Right: Benefits of a Universal Health Care System in the U.S., Bingham 309. Open discussion. Co-sponsored by the Health Focus committee of the Campus Y.

7 p.m. – Women’s Literacy Issues in the Developing World, Greenlaw 301. Open discussion. Co-sponsored by Project Literacy.

4 p.m. – War or Peace: U.S. Cooperation with the United Nations?, Bingham 103. Debate.

5 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Falun Dafa, The Pit. Watch and learn the qigong exercises and peaceful meditation of the cultivation practice Falun Dafa, which has faced brutal persecution since July 1999. The practice is based on the principles of "Truth Compassion Tolerance." Co-sponsored by Friends of Falun Dafa Club.

5:30 p.m. – Blood Diamonds or Hip-Hop Ice?, Upendo Lounge. Discuss hip-hop culture’s obsession with diamonds as a form of status in the context of the exploitation of African labor in diamond mines. Co-sponsored by the Black Student Movement.

6 p.m. – Controlling Borders: Refugees Issues Panel – Varying perspectives on the plight and issues facing refugees displaced from their homes will be discussed. Click on www.unc.edu/~grahamp for more information. Co-sponsored by Refugee Awareness Project.

7 p.m. – Human Rights Abuses in China – The Persecution of Falun Dafa in China, Manning 209. An oral and video presentation that seeks to bring awareness to the three and a half-year struggle with the Chinese government. Co-sponsored by Friends of Falun Dafa Club.

7 p.m. – International Criminal Court, Dey 305. A discussion on the potential for an international criminal court as proposed by the United Nations and the United States opposition to it. Co-sponsored by UNC United Nations Organization.

7 p.m. – Genderqueer, Greenlaw 301. What is "genderqueer?" How does it differ from transgender? A discussion of this term and how new views on gender challenge and menace our traditional understandings. Co-sponsored by the GLBT-Straight Alliance.

8 p.m. – Concert for Unity, Union Auditorium. A fund-raiser concert featuring the student performance groups Kamikaze and Mezmerhythm. Proceeds are for scholarships to students in Africa. Co-sponsored by Students for Students.

11 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Appreciation Banquet for Immigrant Workers, Union Multipurpose Room. A banquet to reflect student’s appreciation for the immigrant workers who are UNC employees. Co-sponsored by Linking Immigrants to New Communities.

4 p.m. – AIDS: the politics of the crises and what you can do, Peabody 217. Movie and discussion of the political reasons for the AIDS crisis, specifically in South Africa, and what individuals are doing to help. Co-sponsored by Advocates for Human Rights.

5:30 p.m. – Words into Action: Free Burma Rangers, Union 2518A. A discussion about continuing human rights abuses by the military regime of Burma. Co-sponsored by the Asian Students Association.

6 p.m. – Fight for Education, Bingham 309. Hear the testimonials of Albanians from Kosovo who were denied access to education based on their ethnicity. Co-sponsored by Kosovo Education Funds, a part of Advocates for Human Rights, and Table Talk

7 p.m. – Labor/Union Issues, Dey 206. Film and discussion about the boycott against Mt. Olive Pickles over labor practices.

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. - Human Rights Fair, The Pit. Various groups will distribute information and conduct letter writing and/or direct action initiatives.

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Make a Statement, Cube-style, and Be a Voice, The Pit. Using group graffiti space, this event will raise campus awareness about human rights and celebrate the right to free speech.

9 p.m. – 11 p.m. – Dance Fund-raiser, Player’s Dance Club, Franklin Street. All cover charges between 9 and 11 p.m. will go to USA for UNICEF. Ages 18 and up welcome. Co-sponsored by UNICEF.

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(Withers is a senior in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication from Reidsville.)

Contacts: Virginia Carson, Campus Y director, (919) 962-2333; Chimi Boyd, Campus Y assistant director, (919) 962-2333