Call for papers/speakers for the Social Justice and Peace Conference at The University of Texas - Pan American

The 2^nd Annual SOCIAL JUSTICE and PEACE CONFERENCE/EXHIBITION

“Images/Voices from the Border”

MAY 7^{th -} 8^th, 2010

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS, ART,

POETRY & MUSIC

Priority Deadline for Submissions are APRIL 5^th, 2010

The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Criminal Justice is sponsoring an event to promote human rights, social justice and peace. The goal of this conference/exhibition is to engage the students, the community, and the faculty in a dialogue about social problems which affect our lives here on the border, physically and metaphorically. We use the concept of border loosely and may refer to the geographical borderlands and/or Gloria Anzaldua’s Mestizaje.  Not only do we want to raise social consciousness, we want to provide an avenue for discussing solutions to these problems. The purpose of this conference is to provide a safe space for dialogue and protest. Activists and campus organizations are invited to share their struggles, as well as their visions for a better future, including solutions we can implement as individuals.

The Conference/Exhibition makes a call for artwork, poetry, music, photo-documentaries, documentaries, posters, presentations and other alternative forms of artistic expression. You may submit individually or may propose a panel or roundtable. Please submit an abstract of 150 words or less. Provide the title, contact information, and affiliation if any. Please email to justiceconference@gmail.com or resendiz@utpa.edu 

Priority Deadline for Submissions: April 5^th, 2010

Final Deadline for Submissions: April 16^th, 2010

Topics may include any problem or cultural aspect related to the borderlands:

Music/Corridos/Stories of Resistance, Folk Stories, History of Injustice, Texas Rangers

Narco-Corridos, Post-colonialism, Mestizaje, Chicana Feminism, Identity issues, Sexuality, Gendered Violence, Hate crimes, Inequalities, Discrimination

Dehumanization, Exploitation, Torture, Sex Crimes and Sex Trafficking

Environmental Justice, Ocean/River Pollution, Animal Rights, Endangered Species  

Healthcare, Education, Elderly Issues, Disabilities

Economic Justice, Poverty, Class struggles, Protest Movements

Imperialism, Violation of Peace Treaties,

Religious Tolerance, Spirituality, Empowerment

Peace and Legal Discourse, Criminal Justice and Peace-Making Criminology

Militarization of the Border, Immigration, Border Wall

Political Corruption, Policing, Gangs, Border Violence, Drug Trafficking, Death Penalty

Prisons, Overcrowding, Prison Gangs, Immigration Detention Centers

For more information or special accommodations, call the Department of Criminal Justice (956) 381-3566.