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UO Conference to explore violence, human rights, reconciliation in Latin America
Conference will feature five panel discussions and more than 20 speakers.
EUGENE, Ore. – (Jan. 14, 2008) – U.S. and Latin American scholars and experts will discuss human rights, memory and democracy during a free, two-day conference at the University of Oregon starting Jan. 31.
The conference will examine the ways in which Latin American societies attempt to deal with their recent past of violence and human rights violations. It will explore, as well, what lessons can be learned from attempts to build democratic and just societies in the region
The conference will begin at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 31, in the Erb Memorial Union (EMU), 1222 E. 13th Ave., and wrap up at 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 2. For more information contact the Latin American Studies Program, call 541-346-5051 or the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics, 541-346-3700. A schedule is available on-line at http://las.uoregon.edu/events/conference.htm.
Arturo Escobar, the 2007-2008 Wayne Morse Center Chair, will present the opening keynote speech, "Left Turn, Right Turn? Where is Latin America Going?" at 7 p.m., Jan. 31, in the EMU Ballroom. Escobar's most recent work focuses on social movements and how places and regions struggle for difference and diversity under globalization. He is the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Greg Grandin, an award-winning scholar on Latin American history and politics will present a second keynote address, "Remembering Latin America's Other 'Transition to Democracy'" at 5:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 1, in the EMU Fir Room. Grandin is a professor of history at New York University.
Arturo Arias, the final keynote speaker will discuss "The Ghosts of the Past, Human Dignity and the Collective Need for Reparation," at 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 2, in the EMU Fir Room. Arias, the author of numerous academic and fictional works on Latin America, is a professor of Spanish at the University of Texas at Austin.
The conference is organized by the Latin American Studies Program and is co-sponsored by the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics and the Savage Endowment for International Relations and Peace.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of 62 of the leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. Membership in the AAU is by invitation only. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Pauline Austin, 541-346-3129, paustin@uoregon.edu
Source: Margaret Hallock, 541-346-3699, hallock@uoregon.edu
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