CONTACTS:
• Desiree Hellegers, College of Liberal Arts, 360-546-9643, desiree.hellegars@vancouver.wsu.edu
• Brenda Alling, Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@vancouver.wsu.edu
VANCOUVER, Wash. - The Center for Social and Environmental Justice at Washington State University Vancouver is hosting a spring conference from 8:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. March 27 on campus in the Administration building, room 110. The theme for the day is "Mobilizing for Community Health, Well-being and Equity."
The day will begin with a plenary panel on "The State of Equity in the Greater Vancouver/Portland Metropolitan Area" with Clay Mosher, associate professor of sociology, Â鶹´«Ã½ Center for Social and Environmental Justice; Sharon Pesut, executive director, Community Choices; and Dianne Riley, equity agenda coordinator, Coalition for a Livable Future.
The lunchtime plenary panel on the same topic will include: Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, majority whip, Washington State Legislature; Rosalund Jenkins, executive director of the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs; and David Rogers, executive director of Partnership for Safety and Justice.
Throughout the conference, more than 25 presenters will speak or participate as panelists covering: Inequalities and Disparities in the Criminal Justice System, Initiatives for Developing Cultural Competence and Equity, Economic Justice, and Transportation/Access: Organizing Initiatives and Policy Perspectives.
"The conference brings together a range of community stakeholders, from government and public health workers, to academics, community organizers, and residents of the greater Vancouver/Portland metropolitan area to advance policy solutions, coalition-building and community organizing strategies for eliminating disparities and inequities in health care, education, and the criminal justice system, and gaps in public transportation. One of the goals of the conference is the creation of a Southwest Washington social and environmental justice coalition," said Desiree Hellegers, co-director of the CSEJ.
As part of the day, CSEJ will release an equity report that examines racial/ethnic and social inequality in Clark County across a number of domains. The report is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather a jumping off point. CSEJ hopes to gather feedback and additional sources of data and that report will spur calls for additional research efforts.
"Mobilizing for Community Health, Well-being and Equity" is co-sponsored by Clark County Public Health. Registration for the conference is on a sliding scale. Registration includes lunch and no one will be turned away for lack of means. For complete information and to pre-register, visit .
CSEJ catalyzes collaboration between WSU faculty, students and community partners to foster rigorous analysis of social, economic racial and environmental justice issues and promote human rights and conflict resolution at the local, national and global levels through: interdisciplinary community-based research, interdisciplinary curricular innovations and media projects.
Since 2002, CSEJ has worked to make Â鶹´«Ã½ a site for socially engaged research and community service. CSEJ has sponsored three previous regional conferences and partnered with local universities and more than 50 community organizations to sponsor lectures and public forums on issues of concern.
Â鶹´«Ã½ is celebrating 20 years of bringing quality education, research and service to the citizens of Southwest Washington. The campus is located at 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205, or via C-Tran bus service. Â鶹´«Ã½ offers 16 bachelor's degrees, 10 master's degrees, one doctorate degree and more than 36 fields of study. Learn more at .
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