Conference on International Gender and Identity Issues Brings Together Academics and Practitioners at the American Graduate School in Paris

PARIS, April 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Academics, students and professionals from a dozen countries gathered in Paris for a two-day discussion on the theme of Identity and Gender Politics within International Relations, on the occasion of the 8^th International Graduate Student Conference at the American Graduate School in Paris (AGS - http://www.ags.edu), April 18-19, 2013.

Speakers came from India, Taiwan, Israel, Zimbabwe, Turkey, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, France, Canada, the US and Brazil to share research findings and build bridges linking academia with actors in the field. Covering diverse aspects of gender and identity issues taking place both nationally and internationally, they touched on such themes as humanitarian aid, gender-based violence and the role of media as a social tool.

"One of the greatest values of the conference was how, after numerous presentations, panelists and audience members discussed the many layers of identity that individuals possess. I also appreciated the discussions about the frequent conflation of gender politics with women's politics. In fact, gender is about women as well as men, and more broadly about the spectrum of gender identities that exist around our commonly accepted dichotomy," says Seyward Darby, a Master's candidate in International Relations at Yale University who presented at the conference.

The keynote panel featured Jean-Marie Fardeau, France Director of Human Rights Watch, Alison Smale, Executive Editor of the International Herald Tribune, Jane Freedman, Program Specialist in the Gender Equality Division of UNESCO, and Kimberly Adams, Managing Partner of the social enterprise Flying Bridges. Keynote panelists discussed how their respective organizations address issues of gender and identity.

Jean-Marie Fardeau comments:"Human Rights Watch has a long-standing commitment to the respect for gender and identity as this lies at the core of human rights. The issues we are facing are wide and complex, ranging from forced labor to women trafficking, from denial of women's access to education and health to flouted rights of the LGBT community. This conference was an opportunity to exchange ideas with academics and other actors from NGOs and intergovernmental organisations, as well as raise public awareness about these crucial subjects. I thank AGS for this great initiative."

The AGS annual conference is organized by Master's candidates in the AGS International Relations and Diplomacy program, under the supervision of Professor Ruchi Anand, who authored two chapters in AGS's book Crimes Against Women (New York: Nova Publishers, 2010), a collective work edited by David Pike with a foreword by Bangladeshi human rights advocate Taslima Nasrin. This event was held in partnership with Arcadia University and with the contribution of institutional partners Fondation Alliance Francaise, World Cultures Institute and Banque Populaire Rives de Paris.

The American Graduate School in Paris is a nonprofit institution of higher education offering US-accredited programs in France to students of all national backgrounds. AGS specializes in the fields of International Relations and Diplomacy as well as Business and Economics.

More information: http://www.ags.edu/conference/2013  
Contact: Corentine Chaillet ([email protected]) +33(0)1 47 20 00 94

SOURCE American Graduate School in Paris