This week's calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.)
Conference takes on sex and violence
RIT will host a two-day conference, "Gender, Violence, and Justice in the Age of Globalization," on Thursday, April 4, and Friday, April 5. Speakers will present their research and discuss topics such as mass marriages, human trafficking, partner violence, and enslavement. Highlights include "Gender and Coercion in State-Sponsored Mass Marriages in Nigeria," a lecture by Judith-Ann Walker, director of the Research and Projects Center in Kano, Nigeria, at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 4. Registration and conference schedule: www.rit.edu/cla/conable/.
Talk on hi-tech threads
RIT will present a lecture about "wearable technology" by scientist and author Rosalind Picard at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3. Picard's tools have applications from autism communication to human-computer interaction for people with difficulty expressing and interpreting their emotions. She is the founder of the Affective Computing Research Group at MIT. The event will be held in the Chester Carlson Center for Imaging Science auditorium.
Lectures on Israel-Palestine peace
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School will host two lectures by Mark Braverman. The first, "Beyond Interfaith Dialogue: the Role of the Church in Bringing Peace to Israel and Palestine," is at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 4. The second lecture, "Toward a New Theology of Land: How a Renewed Church Can Bring Peace to Israel and Palestine," is at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 5. Braverman, co-founder of Friends of Tent of Nations North America, will focus on the Palestinian human rights struggle and finding peace between Israel and Palestine. His lectures will be held on the CRCDS campus at 1100 South Goodman Street. Registration and costs: www.crcds.edu.
City budget forum
Mayor Tom Richards will hold a Voice of the Citizen public forum from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3, seeking input on the city's budget for the coming year. The city is facing a $28 million budget gap. The meeting will be held at the Adams Street Community Center, 85 Adams Street.
Talk on adult stem cells
The Adult Stem Cell Initiative will sponsor "Adult Stem Cell Availability and Usage in New York," a talk by the Rev. Jason McGuire at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10. McGuire is a lobbyist and director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms. The event will be held at St. John of Rochester Church, 8 Wickford Way, Fairport.
Social workers for social justice
The Social Welfare Action Alliance will sponsor a roundtable discussion, "Radical Practice: Championing Human Rights in our Everyday Lives," at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5. The SWAA is a group of progressive social workers concerned about human rights and social and economic justice. The meeting will be held at Rochester Friends Meeting House, 84 Scio Street.
