Photo credit: William Farrington
African Women Finding Their Voice In The Struggle for Social Justice
An all-women’s panel at the Left Forum 2014 with speakers from the scholarly, academic, legal and media communities.
Sunday, June 1, 3:40-5:40
The kidnapping of close to 300 girls from their boarding school in Nigeria galvanized the international community – not only over the depraved, heartless action of the kidnappers but for the almost unprecedented response by hundreds and thousands of women who finally refused to let government to sweep another disaster under the rug. At this year’s Left Forum panel, organized by Global Information Network, speakers will shed light on this and other under-reported stories – the stories of women calling for justice, protesting corruption, demanding decent wages, labor, property and conjugal rights. What are the issues on the front burner for women around the continent, what has independence brought? How are traditional roles changing and has it been for the better?
Join us for this important discussion organized by Global Information Network!
Moderated by: Dineo Mpela-Thompson
Ms. Mpela-Thompson is a legal professional with experience in global trade law, HIV/AIDS rights advocacy and managing grassroots campaigns in sub-Saharan Africa.
Speakers:
Ousseina Alidou – Ousseina Alidou is Associate Professor in the Department of African, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Literature, and Director of the Center for African Studies at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Her research focuses mainly on the study of women’s discourses and literacy practices in Afro-Islamic societies; African women’s agency; African women’s Literatures; Gendered Discourses of identity and the politics of cultural production in Francophone Muslim African countries.
Adeola Fayehun – The NY-based Ms. Fayehun works at SaharaTV, where she hosts “Keeping It Real With Adeola,” a weekly show that pokes fun at African politics while leveling a serious critique of its shortcomings. Frequent targets of her one-woman shows are the misdeeds of inept, corrupt and unethical politicians in Nigeria. She has a Masters in broadcast journalism from the City University of NY’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Betty Wambui – Asst professor in Africana/Latino Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at SUNY Oneonta, she teaches on topics of Race, Class, Gender, Sex and Law; Power and Difference as well as Global and Transnational Feminisims, among others. Her areas of specialization include African Philosophies, Feminist Philosophies, Critical Race Theories and Critical Legal Studies. Author of “Testing Conversations: Women, children, goats and land” in Listening to Ourselves: A Multilingual Anthology of African Philosophy.
Mojubaolu O. Okome – A Political Science Professor at Brooklyn College, past Women’s Studies Program Director, UNDP Gender Consultant, now “Prof. #BringBackOurGirlsNYC”! organizing advocacy via Twitter and Facebook. #BringBackOurGirlsNYC is a coalition of Nigerians, Nigerian Americans, Africans, Diasporan Africans and friends of Nigeria resident in New York City.
The panel is part of a jam-packed 3 day conference – “Reform and/or Revolution” – that has drawn over a thousand participants in prior years. You’ll find hundreds of dynamic panels, rare films and a book fair. Register now and hear Harry Belafonte, Angela Davis and Cornel West, among other speakers. Come for one day or all three and be energized, inspired and motivated into activism.
Please spread the word – we hope to see you there!
VENUE: John Jay College of Criminal Justice
524 West 59th St., Rm. 1.83 Manhattan
TIME: 3:40 – 5:40 P.M.
DAY: Sunday, June 1
Register for one day or all three at www.leftforum.org
