Third Annual Africa Awareness Symposium To Be Held At UBC
The theme for the Third Annual Africa Awareness/Afro-Fest will be "Rethinking Africa and the Diasporic Connection: The Role and Responsibilities of the [Western] Academy." The symposium, to be held at the University of British Columbia (UBC), is scheduled for January 24-28, 2005, with the conference to follow from January 28-30, 2005.
The conference will offer a week long series of lectures, seminars, workshops, and discussions as well as cultural activities and exhibits which celebrate the diversity and culture of Africa. Africa Awareness 2005 will also be fundraising for the children of St. Joseph's House for Boys and Harare Children's House for Girls in Zimbabwe.
Africa Awareness was founded two years ago at UBC in response to the struggles students of African descent faced on the UBC campus and poor media representation. They hope their efforts will someday create an Africa Studies Institute at UBC and increase the number of exchange programs between their school and universities in Africa.
Africa Awareness states that their goal is "to create and host a seven-day national symposium of critical discussion and cultural celebration of Africa Awareness in higher education at UBC that will bring together students, academics, and activists." The group hopes that by exposing the realities of Africa, the conference will be able to empower "universities and communities to move beyond realized stereotypes and colonized perspectives."