Challenges for Social Activism and Political Expression under Repressive Governments —A Critical Dialogue at Adelphi on April 7—

GARDEN CITY, NY, April 2011—Adelphi University Levermore Global Scholars Program and freeDimensional are pleased to present “At What Point Do Your Ideas for Social Change/Political Ideology Become Dangerous? Perspectives from Jamaica and Burma,” a critical dialogue which seeks to shed light on the difficulties of cultural activism and political expression under corrupt and repressive governments. The event will take place on Thursday, April 7, 2011, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. in Blodgett Hall 201, and is free and open to the public.

Speakers Lawman Lynch and Ye Taik will discuss their artistic philosophies and practices, and the events that forced them into exile from their home countries. Additionally, they will speak about the struggles they face as artists in political asylum and the increasing need for networks of resistance through community processes. The two artists and social activists believe in continuing their creative practices safely, rather than risking the political consequences of their humanitarian efforts.

About the Speakers:

Lawman Lynch was born into a marginalized community in Kingston, Jamaica, to a working class family. He received his education at the University of the West Indies and is certified in shelter and emergency management, dispute and conflict resolution, and building capacities of non-governmental organizations. Mr. Lynch was awarded the Prime Minister Youth in Excellence Award in the category of leadership from the government of Jamaica. Mr. Lynch also worked as a Citizenship Education Programme Trainer in Jamaica’s Ministry of Education. He is the founder and president of the Lawman Lynch Foundation, and the youngest chairman of the African Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) Civil Society Forum.

Ye Taik is a Brooklyn-based performing artist and avant-garde dancer born in Rangoon, Burma. He develops and discovers cultural interactions through his work as a collaborative choreographer, performer, curator, experimental theater artist, and playwright. Mr. Taik's work reflects his ideas of art and performance as its own language without boundaries, the power of art as a vital way to initiate peaceful intercultural communication and to develop means of conflict resolution. He has worked with the Around the World in 24-Hours Festival, the Center for Performance Research, the Dance Theater of Harlem, and in the United Nations Plaza. His work is in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress.

To RSVP to this event, please contact Rachael Fushan, at (516) 877-4183 or RFushan@adelphi.edu.

The Levermore Global Scholars Program is a program of distinction for socially active, civically conscious, and globally-minded students. For more information, please contact Yana Kusayeva, assistant director of the Levermore Global Scholars Program at (516) 877-4183 or Kusayeva@adelphi.edu. Learn more about the Levermore Global Scholars Program online.

freeDimensional is an organization which advances social justice by hosting activists in art spaces and using cultural resources to strengthen their work. In these ways, fD supports the freedom of thought and expression globally. Find out more about freeDimensional online.

About Adelphi University: Adelphi is a world class, modern university with excellent and highly relevant programs where students prepare for lives of active citizenship and professional careers. Through its schools and programs—The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, and the Schools of Business, Nursing, and Social Work—the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,000 students from 41 states and 60 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University, chartered in 1896, maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.

Adelphi University
1 South Ave Garden City, New York 11530
Kali Chan, director of media relations
(516) 877-4040
Chan@adelphi.edu

This release was published on openPR.