April 7th 2023
The BSIS International Conference this semester will be all about worldwide protest. The day will consist of panels highlighting three of the largest worldwide protests: the Black Lives Matter movement, the climate crisis, and Ukraine/Russia. We will dive deep into discussions about why these protests occur, what makes them impactful, and what they mean for the future.
Our Black Lives Matter panel will discuss the decentralized political and social movement surrounding police brutality, racially motivated violence, and racial inequality. The movement emerged in July of 2013 following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting of African-American 17 year old Trayvon Martin. Since then, the Black Lives Matter movement has not only reached over 2,000 cities and towns across the United States, but protest has also spread through every continent. This panel will consist of discussions about how the Black Lives Matter movement grew from a hashtag to a massive protest, the obstacles that the movement has overcome, and what is to come next. Inviting professionals, academics and activists in this field, students and attendees will have a chance to hear many different perspectives on this movement and differing opinions and voices.
The protests surrounding the Climate Crisis are by far the largest youth-led protests in the world spanning across 150 countries and 4,500 locations. Activism and protesting surrounding the climate crisis has been around since the late 1980s. Since then there have been different forms of activism and protest regarding the most pressing and important issue of the future. From the youth involved in activism, academics studying the protests, and policy makers involved, this panel will look at the largest youth-led protest through different lenses.
Since Russia's invasion into Ukraine in February of 2022, the death toll has reached over 14,000 on both sides. By February of 2023, 8 million Ukrainians had been displaced. This panel will discuss the invasion related protests with guest speakers working in policy, academia and activism regarding Ukraine related protests and its impacts, implications, and public opinion. Together, we will dive into one of the most sensitive topics in geopolitics today.
Brussels School of International Studies, University of Kent
(Boulevard Louis Schmidt 2a, 1040 Etterbeek)
A team of passionate students from diverse programs of the school.
