Forum on Hate Part of Anti-Violence Week

As part of a weeklong series of events designed to address violence in American society, the YWCA will host a forum at the Skirball Cultural Center today examining racism and hate crimes.

“Society, Conflicts and the Emerging Social Structure” will feature a panel of four local professors and an audience made up of government officials, educators and social workers, said YWCA program director Linda Robinson-Stevens, who helped organize the YWCA’s second annual Week Without Violence.

“We know that we are not going to eliminate violence right away, it’s just one week. But we want to give people the tools to make things better little by little,” said Robinson-Stevens.

YWCAs across the country are participating in the program, which assigns a different topic relating to violence for each day of the week. Local organizations then plan events for each day based on those themes.

On Wednesday, a group of women who have been victims of violence marched to City Hall in accordance with the theme “Confronting Violence Against Women.” On Tuesday, thousands of students, parents and teachers signed a petition to be sent to state and city education officials asking for better school security as part of a day dedicated to “Making Our Schools Safe.”

“Violence crosses ethnic and economic lines. That’s what we are trying to do to deliver this message,” said Robinson-Stevens. “Sometimes we forget that we all have to help each other.”

Ron Wakabayashi, director of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, will chair today’s forum, which will include Ali Modarres and Jaime Regalado of Cal State LA, Edward Dunbar of UCLA and Denise Fairchild of Los Angeles Trade and Technical College.

“Week Without Violence” will end Saturday with that day’s theme: “Replacing Violence With the Arts.”

For more information, call (213) 365-2991.