Colombian writer and journalist to present at K-State about human rights on Sept. 25
Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University will host a presentation about human rights in Colombia from a notable Colombian writer and journalist as part of the College of Arts and Sciences Diversity Lecture Series.
Elvira Sánchez-Blake will present "Human Rights in Colombia: A Journey through Suma Paz" at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, in Room 204/205 of the Morris Family Multicultural Student Center on the Manhattan campus. Discussion and a reception will follow the lecture.
K-State and Manhattan community members are invited to attend the lecture.
Sánchez-Blake will share insights from a politically polarized multicultural society seeking to build peace despite a complex national legacy of violence. She is particularly interested in the roles of women and writers in advancing these efforts. Her 2019 novel, "Espiral de Silencios," explores diverse experiences of women in Colombia’s civil war.
Her lecture will focus on her most recent book, "Suma Paz: La Utopía de Mario Calderón y Elsa Alvarado," which was published in 2021. It tells the true story of the lives, murders and legacies of two environmentalists who fell in love through their work promoting peace and sustainability in the páramo highlands ecosystem.
Sánchez-Blake will also visit informally with students and other guests at the modern languages department's Café Olé conversation hour from 1-2 p.m. that day in the second-floor student lounge of Eisenhower Hall. Members of the K-State community who speak Spanish at any level are welcome.
"We are so pleased to bring such a distinguished writer, journalist and academic to K-State to share an international perspective on human rights and sustainability," said Laura Kanost, professor of Spanish. "Experiences like this allow the campus community to connect academic content to personal interactions and expand our awareness of global issues."
The College of Arts and Sciences Diversity Lecture Series provides financial support to host prominent presenters and performers who address issues of diversity, inclusion or multiculturalism. The department of modern languages and Sigma Delta Pi Spanish honor society are co-sponsors of the event.
For more information, contact mlang@k-state.edu.
