[Peace] Environmental Justice events THIS WEEK!

[danielle at illinoisnorml.org]

>From the Amazon to Illiopolis, IL:  UIUC Students for Environmental ConcernS
Educate Community about Environmental Justice

For Immediate Release until April 21, 2005
Contact: Ashley Peterson at secs at uiuc.edu or 217.352.1778

On April 20 and 21, 2005, Students for Environmental ConcernS (SECS) is
sponsoring a series of events at the University YMCA and Boardman’s Art Theater
to educate the campus and community about the diversity and importance of
environmental justice work.  “In light of the UN’s declaration of 2005 as the
beginning of the Sustainable Decade, it is important not only to recognize the
pressing environmental issues in our world, but ensure that they are being
addressed in a just manner and that the needs of all people are being
considered” – Ashley Peterson, President of SECS.

“The Hidden Faces of Environmental Justice,” a film and panel session, will be
held Wednesday, April 20 from 4 to 6:30pm in Latzer Hall of the University YMCA
(1001 S. Wright St. in Champaign).  Each panelist will give a summary of their
position and work, then a question and answer session will follow.  Free food
will be available, catered by The Red Herring.  The panel will include a
diverse representation of community members, college students, and UIUC
Faculty.  UIUC professor Ken Salo will speak on human rights and eco-political
struggles for social justice in post-colonial South Africa.  Sociology
professor Anna-Marie Marshall will discuss the legal implications of
environmental justice and describe lawyers’ roles in the movement.  UIUC
pre-doctoral fellow Sergio Cristancho will discuss his experiences in the
Amazon and indigenous people’s struggles with environmental problems brought on
by outside entities.  Community activist Charlotte Green will talk about her
local experiences resisting the construction of a nuclear power plant in
Clinton, Illinois and explain how communities can organize for better
environmental policies.

“Contamination Without Consent,” a film and keynote speaker, will be held
Thursday April 21 from 6:30 – 9:30pm at Boardman’s Art Theatre, 126 W. Church
St. in downtown Champaign (on the 5 Green and 6 Orange MTD lines).  Keynote
Speaker Sandra Steingraber, author of "Living Downstream" and Pekin, IL native,
will give a talk titled, "Contaminated Without Consent: The Struggle for
Environmental Justice from the United Nations to Illiopolis, Illinois." 
Ecologist, author, and cancer survivor, Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. is an
internationally recognized expert on the environmental links to cancer and
reproductive health.  Her highly acclaimed book, “Living Downstream” presents
cancer as a human rights issue. It was the first to bring together data on
toxic releases with newly released data from the U.S. Cancer registries.  The
event also features the film Blue Vinyl, an award-winning documentary on the
health consequences of pollution from pvc manufacturing.

All events are free and open to the public, with limited seating!

These events are made possible through support by the Environmental Council, the
University YMCA, SORF, and the Department of NRES at UIUC.

It is the mission of Students for Environmental ConcernS (SECS) and all of its
members to educate University of Illinois students and Champaign/Urbana
community members about the environment while working toward positive
environmental change at the local, state, and national levels.  SECS is a
program of the University YMCA.

For more information on the speaker, film or venues, visit www.steingraber.com,
www.universityymca.org, www.bullfrogfilms.com, and www.boardmansarttheatre.com.





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