Dr. Michael Kaufman Presents Public Lecture and Workshop on “Men, Masculinity & Feminism” October 18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Two Free Public Events Part of the 11th Annual Week Without Violence

Monday, October 15, 2007, Peterborough

Dr. Michael Kaufman, co-founder of the White Ribbon campaign and an internationally renowned writer, speaker, and educator on gender equity, will present a public lecture and a workshop addressing issues concerning men, masculinity, and men’s involvement in feminism on Thursday, October 18.

Public Lecture: “Men, Masculinity & Feminism”
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wenjack Theatre, Trent University
This lecture will explore the lives of boys and men, from birth, through the school years, and into adulthood. In spite of dramatic changes in the past forty years, men still enjoy disproportionate social, political, and economic power. But men pay a terrible price for that power. While exploring what he calls men’s contradictory experiences of power, Dr. Kaufman will suggest how men’s support for feminism can bring changes that improve their own lives, as well as the lives of women. Feminism, he argues, is not just for women. The lecture is open to anyone interested in attending.

Workshop: “Men Working to End Sexism”
2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sadleir House (751 George St. N.)
Men from the Trent and Peterborough communities are invited to a workshop with Dr. Kaufman to explore issues of masculinity, maleness, and sexism. The workshop will provide men with an opportunity to understand feminism better and to feel like they can become a part of it. All men interested in examining their experiences as men and exploring the role they can play in challenging sexism are encouraged to attend.
These two free events are part of the 11th annual YWCA Week Without Violence which runs from October 14 to 20 and encompasses a series of free events aimed at eradicating violence and envisioning peaceful communities. These events are sponsored by the Trent University’s Department of Women's Studies and School of Education, OPIRG, the Trent Women's Centre, the Department of Sociology, the YWCA of Peterborough, Victoria, and Haliburton, and the Peterborough Women’s Events Committee.

Dr. Michael Kaufman is a writer and educator focused on gender equality and ending violence against women. He has worked with organizations in over thirty countries, including extensively with the United Nations, as well as numerous governments, corporations, universities, and non-governmental organizations. He is the co-founder of the White Ribbon Campaign, the largest organized initiative in the world of men working to end violence against women. He is also the author or editor of six books on gender issues, on democracy and development studies, as well as an award-winning novel, The Possibility of Dreaming on a Night Without Stars. His articles have been translated into a number of languages including Italian, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Latvian, and Hungarian.

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For further information, please contact the Women’s Studies Department at Trent University, (705) 748-1011 ext. 7736 or 7085