Conversation to be held about peace

Kyara Morales-Rodriguez, Campus Reporter

As part of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Activism Series, Eastern’s Civic Engagement and Volunteerism Office’s will be hosting its first Living Room Conversation of the new year.

The event will be held virtually on Thursday, January 21 at 2 p.m. It will also be free and open to the public, so anybody in the community is welcome to attend.

During these Living Room Conversations, Eastern’s staff, students, and community members get to come together and discuss a range of important topics. At this upcoming event, attendees will get to discuss peace building, what peace is, and what peace looks like. The conversation will focus on understanding the divide between Americans and what we can do to help bring people together.

Through this Living Room Conversation, attendees will get to have this conversation covering such important topics in a respectful and civil manner. The Civic Engagement and Volunteerism Office hopes that attendees will learn from and be inspired by what will be discussed at this event.

This Living Room Conversation is only one of several events held in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Civic Engagement and Volunteerism Office has planned several other events throughout the month of January to commemorate his spirit, remember the social justice he advocated for, and the legacy he left behind.

These events include a Faculty Current Events Chat happening Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. During this Faculty Chat, attendees will get to have a conversation with Eastern faculty about police relations with people of color.

A different event, Cinema and Conversation, is happening Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. This event will allow Eastern community members to watch 2016 documentary film I Am Not Your Negro on their own time then come together to discuss the themes of race and how those issues apply today.

The series ends with an “Activate Your Inner Activist” Conference happening Jan. 29 from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. During this virtual conference, people can come together to learn about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s impact and about ways that people can make their communities a better place for everyone.

The Activism Series will promote discussion covering the importance of racial equality and activism. Though all of the events are held virtually for the safety of the Eastern community, the Civic Engagement and Volunteerism Office assures that “the passion for civic engagement is abundant throughout,” as said in the Office’s Facebook page.

People interested in learning more and/or registering can do so at https://www.eiu.edu/volunteer/civics.php

 

Kyara Morales-Rodriguez can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].