James Fenelon, director of the Center for Indigenous Peoples Studies at Cal State San Bernardino and a professor of sociology, will be one of the presenters at a session for The Exchange, the flagship event of the Hawaii-based East-West Center Education Program, which connects students to issues, ideas and leaders across the Asia-Pacific Region.

“Equal Opportunity for the Human Race” will take place virtually, beginning at 8:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Monday, Feb. 22. It is part of the weekly Spring 2021: Globalization Reconsidered series that began on Feb. 1 and will run through April 5. Register for the Zoom webinar online at The Exchange RSVP webpage, and select Feb. 22 for the event at which Fenelon will speak.

Fenelon will be joined by international hip hop performing artist Miki Vale. Together, they will discuss how “globalization has negatively impacted the lives of vulnerable indigenous and marginalized populations, especially people of color, who have been experiencing injustice due to dislocation, land dispossession, and various forms of political, cultural, economic, and gender-based oppression,” according to the online program description. “The focus of our discussion will be on movements for social justice and cultural efforts among indigenous and minority populations to claim space, resist oppression, and assert their human rights to survival, autonomy, recognition, self-representation, and equal opportunity.”

The Exchange is a series of evening events, held weekly, featuring guest presentations, performances, activities, and great food. Sessions explore the pressing issues, histories, challenges, innovations, and vibrant cultures that make the Asia-Pacific region unique. The Exchange is planned and produced by graduate students at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The center, which aims to promote better relations and understanding among the people and countries of the United States, Asia and the Pacific, was established by Congress in 1960. As an independent, public, nonprofit organization, it serves as a resource for information and analysis of critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange ideas and perspectives, build expertise and develop policy options.