12th Annual Social Justice Symposium

The Social Justice Symposium (SJS) is a student-organized event that serves as space for the community to meet and discuss social justice work in the Bay Area.

Strike Debt Bay Area will be presenting one of the seminars, from 10:30 AM - 12:00 noon, entitled

Financial Inequality: How We Got Here and How We Get Out

The Social Justice Symposium is an annual FREE event organized by students in the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley.

We are thrilled to have Zion I as our keynote speaker. Zion I is a Bay Area native and concious rapper that speaks to the social and political challenges of our time.

The Social Justice Symposium aims to integrate critical analysis and academic learning with direct practice and action efforts. We challenge the belief that social justice is limited to civil and political rights. As such, we seek actions emphasizing liberatory principles that also support economic, social, cultural, environmental, and collective rights.

Due to our event space capacity of 400 people, we are offering 325 registration slots for guaranteed attendance. Once these slots have been filled, registration will be closed and the remaining 75 spaces will be allotted for first-come-first-serve arrival on the day of the event. You must register through the ticketing website in order to reserve your spot ahead of time.

To RSVP, make a donation, or buy some symposium swag, visit https://ucbsjs.bpt.me/

SCHEDULE:
Doors and breakfast begin: 8:30 am
Keynote: 9:30-10:30 am
Workshop sessions: 10:30-12:00, 1:30-3:00, and 3:10-4:30
There will be a silent auction throughout the day with all proceeds going to future symposiums. Lunch will be provided at the event.

Directions and parking information: http://socialwelfare.berkeley.edu/social-justice-symposium-directions-parking-and-site-notes

The following fantastic organizations and people will be presenting workshops at the symposium: Destiny Arts Center, HIV Education Project, Community Works West, The Center for Harm Reduction and Therapy, Haven Connect, Coalition on Homelessness, Strike Debt Bay Area, The Dellums Institute for Social Justice, Anti-Eviction Mapping Project, Safe Return Project, BAYPeace, and GRADD

We are committed to alternative perspectives and collaboration with community groups to achieve a sustainable movement for social change. The objectives of the symposium are:

● To raise awareness, build knowledge and reflect on social justice work;
● To provide a space for participants to network, discuss, and share strategies to work toward social change;
● To bridge the gap between micro and macro practice areas and social change;
● To share successful social justice strategies from different perspectives or professions;
● To encourage participants to explore creative, radical ways to serve as change agents; and
● To develop the practical skills to further a sustainable and action-oriented movement for social justice in participants’ professional lives and in their communities.

Our working definition of social justice is: Social justice is a process, not an outcome, which seeks fair (re)distribution of resources, opportunities, and responsibilities; challenges the roots of oppression and injustice; empowers all people to exercise self-determination and realize their full potential; and builds social solidarity and community capacity for collaborative action.