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2005
Pump It Up! Men and Masculinity
The Media’s Impact on Relationships and Families
addressed the relationship of media and cultural images to actual problems of
violence in society. Violence in our community is escalating, and as UMKC moves
toward a more residential campus we felt a responsibility to our campus and
surrounding community to bring insight into the issues of date rape, domestic
violence and other forms of gender violence. Our keynote speaker was Jackson
Katz, a noted national expert in the areas of media literacy and male violence.
He is also the creator of the award winning video Tough Guise: Violence,
Media and the Crisis in Masculinity. Mr. Katz presented a unique and
compelling perspective to the subjects of rape, sexual harassment and abuse in
dating relationships.
2004
What is the “Secret”? Media Literacy for Women and Girls
addressed the relationship of media images to actual problems in society, such
as violence, sexual harassment, pornography, censorship, eating disorders and
the negative depiction of women and girls.
2002
Madame President: A Forum on the Prospects for the First Women President addressed
the question “When will the United States have a woman president?” Conveners
included Robert P. Watson and Ann Gordon. Special guest speakers included
Patricia Schroeder, Eleanor Clift and Peggy Noonan.
2000
Surviving Life’s
Obstacles featured
a panel of women representing various ethnicities and religions that have
presented challenges to women. This program was a direct follow-up to the 1998
Starr Symposium and the stories touched upon by presenters from Chinese and
Hispanic origin. Their stories offered great insight and understanding of
obstacles women of these two ethnicities experience from their cultural
heritage. By providing an opportunity for women from all ethnic backgrounds and
those from religious groups that have undervalued women, the attendees had the
opportunity to gain understanding of different cultures as well as an
appreciation of the challenges they experience to make changes. The panel
presentations were preceded by a keynote address from Ramona Gray.
1998- 1999
Poverty, Privilege and Prejudice: Expressions of the Impact on Women and
Their Families
transformed
Pierson Auditorium into an art gallery and performance stage. As they immersed
themselves in artistic expressions of the three "Ps," the artists and audience
members were encouraged to fully exchange ideas about and meanings of poverty,
privilege and prejudice. They are not words with easy definitions or identities.
The colorful beauty and enthusiasm of the arts can better focus or even alter
our vision of what these powerful words mean to our society and us.
1997
Making a Woman-Friendly Kansas City
addressed the issues of how the built environment contributes to human
oppression. This symposium also provided an opportunity to gain awareness of
issues affecting those who live in Greater Kansas City and to be empowered to
make necessary changes for a more woman/family-friendly city.
1996
Youthful Voices: An
Opportunity to Explore New Ways for Young Women and Men to Create Healthy
Relationships
addressed the
issue of youth and the healthy partnership between men and women. Focus groups
that contained young women and men were conducted prior to the symposium, and
their voices were utilized to create the chart, which presents a role model to
create equal, healthy, and respectful relationships.
1995
Thinking Globally,
Acting Locally
continued the
work begun during the first symposium, and utilizing the Platform for Action
developed at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, created a Kansas
City area Platform of Action. The local NGOs and citizens of the Kansas City
area planned to make the goals identified come to life.
1994
From Power to
Partnership-Women and Men Creating the Future Together
explored
gender inequalities in the area of business/work, community/culture,
home/family, education, and government. The participants worked together to
elicit strategies to transform prevailing practices so that they would benefit,
rather than penalize women and families.
1993
The first Starr Symposium in June 1993 addressed the country's economic, legal,
religious and educational systems. It investigated how current practices often
create barriers that adversely affect families and make it difficult for women
to reach their full potential. A common theme emerged in the daylong dialogue:
men are an important part of this process, and that only through true partnering
of men and women can change occur. |
