The symposium, hosted by the U. of I.'s Office of Women in International Development, will bring together scholars from the university and from throughout the United States. Their goal is to explore how changes in land, housing and environmental policy influence the income-earning activities of individuals and households. Even batik dyeing, a popular microenterprise in developing countries, can pose significant problems if the run-off from the dyeing process is allowed to enter local water supplies. The symposium's keynote address will be presented by Jane Jaquette, professor of politics and chair of the department of diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Other guest presenters include Cathy Rakowski, a professor of rural sociology at Ohio State University, who will focus on her work involving microenterprise, and Barbara Thomas-Slayter, professor and director of international development programs at Clark University, Worcester, Mass., who will discuss her research on African environmental and gender problems, gender and ecology issues, and NGOs.
Registration is required to attend the all-day workshop and roundtable presentations.