ISU Human Rights Day set for March 6

The Indiana State University (ISU) Human Rights Day Committee has scheduled the 2024 Human Rights Day for 9 a.m.-2:50 p.m., on Wednesday, March 6.

Co-founder and CEO of the Crane Center for Mass Atrocity Prevention Marcus Steiner will be this year’s featured keynote speaker.

The event, which will take place in the Hulman Memorial Student Union, begins at 9 a.m., with a welcome from university officials, Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun and Vigo County School Corporation officials. WTWO Assignment Manager/Reporter Nicole Krasean will serve as emcee.

The keynote session will begin at 9:30 a.m., and conclude at 10:30 a.m., in the Sycamore Banquet Center. There will also be four breakout sessions for all to attend at various locations in the student union building.

Steiner’s address is titled “Uyghur Genocide in Xinjiang Province.”

According to Steiner, the ongoing Uyghur Genocide in Xinjiang Province stems from “a combination of historical tensions, ethnic discrimination, and political agendas.”

“It is rooted in China’s desire for cultural assimilation and control, the persecution of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities involves forced labor, mass detentions, and systematic abuse of human rights,” Steiner continued. “China’s policies, driven by state surveillance and repression, aim to suppress Uyghur identity and dissent.

“The ongoing genocide underscores the urgent need for coordinated global action to address human rights violations and hold perpetrators accountable, balancing economic interests with moral imperatives.”

The first breakout sessions of the day follow Steiner’s presentation at 10:35 a.m., and end at 11:30 a.m. They will include “The Fast Fashion Industry as a Threat to Human Rights,” by Sara Baldwin in Dede I; “A Torch Extinguished in Afghanistan,” by Khalid Siddiq in Dede II; and “Who Made Your Breakfast? A Close Look into the Global Food Industry and Your Human Right to Food,” by Dr. Anne D’Orazio in Dede III.

Following the first breakout sessions, those in attendance will have time for lunch before the second sessions begin at noon. The second sessions conclude at 12:50 p.m.

The second sessions include “Trash Talk,” by Dr. Shikha Bhattacharyya in the Sycamore Banquet Center; “Water Crisis in the Fertile Crescent,” by Dr. Bassam Yousif in Dede I; “Environmental Justice in Terre Haute,” by Daniel Garcia and Spencer Limcaco in Dede II; and “Allyship: How to Support LGBTQ+ Loved Ones,” by Yvonne “Evee” Luna in Dede III.

The third breakout session will begin at 1 p.m., and conclude at 1:50 p.m. Sessions will include “International Human Rights Law,” by Steiner in the Sycamore Banquet Center; “ACLU of Indiana’s Fight to Protect Civil Liberties,” by Caitlin Teague in Dede I; “Human Rights and Artificial Intelligence: Anticipating the Unpredictable,” by Eric Anderson in Dede II; and “Racial Wealth and Income Gap Experience,” by Sister Emily TeKolste, SP, in Dede III.

The fourth session will begin at 2 p.m., and conclude at 2:50 p.m. Presenters include “Allyship: How to Support LGBTQ+ Loved Ones,” by Luna in Dede I; and “Human Rights and Artificial Intelligence: Anticipating the Unpredictable,” by Anderson in Dede II.