The 42nd Annual Women’s Symposium:
A Collective Purpose: Crossing the Cultural Boundaries
The 42nd annual
Women’s Symposium at Southern Methodist University, which will be held
Thursday, March 1, 2007, will explore international issues for women around the
theme “A Collective Purpose: Crossing the Cultural Boundaries.”
Asma Barlas |
Featured speaker for the symposium will be Asma Barlas, an
author, political science professor and director of the Center for the Study of
Culture, Race and Ethnicity at Ithaca College, New York. The focus of her work
and research has been on Islam and, in particular, how Muslims interpret and
live it. An internationally renowned speaker on these topics, she has proposed
theory that allows Muslims to argue on behalf of sexual equality and against
patriarchy from within an Islamic framework.
In addition, the symposium
will host workshops that continue to explore women in a global context. They
include:
- Our Voices: International Students at SMU - Are American women great voices
for feminism? How do you think American women are viewed internationally?
- Case Study Islam: The Intersection of Religion and Culture - Religion
frequently intersects with Culture in how it is practiced or perceived.
- Bodies Politic -- How does the world view the female body? The answer is as
varied as the many cultures, countries and generations around the globe.
- Reaching out, across, over and around - Women around the globe can and
should be a powerful voice for support, change and unity. Are we meeting
that mark?
This year, the symposium,
which is dedicated to addressing issues of concern to women, will honor:
- Kim J. Askew, attorney with
Hughes and Luce LLP,
recently sworn in as the chair of the American Bar Association’s
Section
of Litigation.
- The Rev. Beulah “Bubba” Dailey,
executive director of Austin Street Centre, a homeless shelter in downtown
Dallas.
- The Honorable Dennise Garcia, judge of the 303rd
State District (Family) Court and the first Hispanic woman to be election to
the bench in Dallas County.
-
Anne
Marie Weiss-Armush, founder and chair of the Board of Directors
of DFW International, the internet portal to international North Texas.
Through journalism, education and international cultural projects, she
portrays the essence and the image of the metroplex's global face.
-
The
Rev.
Jo Hudson, senior pastor of the
Cathedral of Hope in
Dallas, the largest church led by a woman senior pastor in the United
States.
- Stacy Eppers, who
has significant experience in mentoring young women through her work with
Community Partners of Dallas. She serves as manager of the
Rainbow Room,
which is an emergency resource room for Dallas County child protective
services.
Information and registration is available online at www.smu.edu/womsym.
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