Conference to Focus on Hate and Youth
A conference on hate and its impact on youth takes place on Saturday, March 25, at Dartmouth High School.
The goal of the conference is to bring adults together to discuss their responsibility toward youth, said Jackie Barkley, chair of the conference organizing committee.
"It is adults who often circulate racist and sexist material, adults who do the exploiting, and adults who have to challenge and consider what materials children and young people are being exposed to," Ms. Barkley said.
The conference agenda includes panel discussions on hate literature and activities, hate in culture and marketing and the history of hate. As well, action panels will touch on the legal implications of hate, freedom of expression issues, ideas for curriculum and the classroom and steps to address hate in communities.
Panelists include Patricia Doyle-Bedwell, chair of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women, Kim Vance of EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere), Walter Thompson of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Julianne Acker-Verney of the Metro Resource Centre for Independent Living.
Teachers, parents, social workers, counsellors, community organizations and others who work with youth will find the conference helpful and informative, Ms. Barkley said.
The conference is being organized by Community Advocates for Rights and Responsibilities, a partnership of parents, students, professionals, community groups and government agencies concerned about racist and sexist activities, literature and marketing to youth.
Members of the organizing group include the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, the Black Educators Association of Nova Scotia and the Metro Coalition for a Non-Racist Society in partnership with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Choices Adolescent Treatment Services, Halifax regional school board, Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women and Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. Funding for the conference was provided by Canadian Heritage.