CEW is leading a one-day Spectrum of Advocacy and Activism Symposium on November 15th focused on advocacy and activism training. This event will demonstrate how a person’s activism can change over time, how advocacy is tied to a person’s context and situational power, and how partnering with diverse perspectives can strengthen advocacy and activism efforts. Health outcomes has been selected as the theme for this year’s symposium because of increasing uncertainty surrounding health care in America, including coverage for women’s health care (mental health, mammograms, birth control, maternity care, etc.).

The goals for this one-day symposium are:

• to engage students, practitioners, and researchers who are interested in advocacy and activism
• to equip symposium participants with advocacy training that can be applied to their area(s) of interest
• to develop a network among attendees for potential partnerships beyond the symposium
• to highlight the value of diverse perspectives in advocacy work.

The symposium includes presentations by local and national advocacy experts who have taken varied approaches to advocacy in ways that best leverage their current context (power, privilege, and identity). Training sessions will feature capacity-building workshops on a range of topics from community organizing to bystander intervention to running for political office. Afternoon panel discussions will offer practical strategies that attendees can apply to their own work as advocates and activists. At the end of the day, participants will be presented with a common challenge that they will address in small groups comprised of individuals from campus and community.

The day will close out with a surprise special keynote speaker to be announced soon!
This free event will take place on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at the Michigan League. Space for the symposium is limited to 350 people, however, the free evening keynote lecture will be open to the public.