Bay Area Students Tackle Contemporary Conflict in Fourth Annual Academic Competition March 18, 2006

On Saturday March 18, from 8:15am to 4:30pm, students from 35 Northern California middle and high schools will converge on San Francisco State University for the Bay Area?s fourth annual World Affairs Challenge?. The event is organized and hosted by Project Spera, a San Francisco-based global education nonprofit (www.projectspera.org). Students will discuss challenges and solutions surrounding this year?s topic??Conflict in the Contemporary World?.

More than 850 people are expected to attend the 2006 World Affairs Challenge, including almost 450 students, 250 parents, and 180 volunteers from the community. Approximately 50 teams will represent schools from San Francisco, Berkeley, Mill Valley, Napa, Ross, Santa Cruz, Ukiah, Hercules, Sunnyvale, Oakland, Fremont, Palo Alto, Fairfield, San Leandro, Seaside, and Elk Grove. The keynote speaker at this year?s Challenge will be Medea Benjamin, a leading activist in the peace movement who has supported human rights and social justice struggles around the world.

The World Affairs Challenge is an innovative and exciting educational program, designed to ignite interest in global issues among students ages 12 to 18, and encourage them to explore their world and their role in solving the world?s most intractable problems. The World Affairs Challenge provides an arena for these skills and knowledge to be developed. This program incorporates public speaking, dramatic presentation and group problem solving, with the intention of encouraging students to analyze real world problems and consider their solutions. Over the research period, participants will acquire a greater understanding of the dynamics of conflict, including the reasons that conflicts begin, the consequences that follow, and the organizations that seek to prevent or resolve disputes. Through their research process, students gain critical skills that empower them to problem-solve conflicts affecting their homes, schools and communities. Understanding the complexities of local and national conflict is important for young people and vital in our increasingly globalizing world. The World Affairs Challenge allows middle and high school students to look beyond our borders, to examine the many facets of international conflicts, and to think critically about opportunities and solutions.

Saturday, March 18, 2006, from 8:15am to 4:30pm
San Francisco State University.

For more information, call (415) 292-7421 or visit www.projectspera.org.