As part of a $45,000 grant awarded to Raritan Valley Community College aimed at promoting homeland security and emergency preparedness, students of the Events Planning/Meeting Management class will plan and participate in a December 8, 2005 forum entitled Emergency/Disaster Preparedness and Response for Special Events.

The goal of the forum is to evaluate current preparedness and management strategies, share best practices and lessons learned and to begin to develop a framework for standardization that can eventually be applied industry wide.

This interactive forum will highlight what professionals can do to safeguard against calamities, and teach planners how to better respond in the wake of disaster. It will focus on the three constantly evolving stages for which the industry needs to create a framework – preparedness, response and evaluation.

CLICK HERE FOR POST-EVENT SUMMARY (in .PDF format)

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRESS RELEASE (in .PDF format)

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Using the curriculum, The Hitler Legacy: A Dilemma of Hate Speech and Hate, the forum will include a keynote address and interactive session to present the following dilemmas for discussion: understanding how hatred affects our homeland security; hate speech and the First Amendment; hate and the internet; implications of hate crime laws, denial of history; the Hitler Fascination; examples of terrorism such as the massacre at Columbine High School and September 11; and a final assessment of hate crime and hate speech.

A panel of speakers to conclude the program will discuss champions of Civil Rights and everyday heroes who confront hate and defend freedom. Panelists include: a representative from the NJ State Commission on Holocaust Education, RVCC professor and student, representative of The Paul Robeson Institute, representative from law enforcement, and a member of the New Jersey Bias Crimes Unit.

The forum is designed to “explore the meaning of tolerance and the consequences of intolerance by focusing on the dynamics of hatred, terrorism, racism, the history of the Holocaust and the struggle for human rights worldwide.” (New York Tolerance Center)

This is an RVCC collaborative project co-sponsored by The Service Learning SAFE Project, The Holocaust & Genocide Institute, The Paul Robeson Institute, The Human Rights Day Leadership programming for high school students, and The New Jersey Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education.

Certificates of completion will be given to high school faculty for 6 hours of professional development from RVCC’s Corporate and Continuing Education Division.

There is a $12.00 admission fee to cover breakfast and lunch. If you would like more information, please contact Sharon Decker by email: sdecker@raritanval.edu or by phone: 908-526-1200 x 8462.

CLICK HERE FOR THE AGENDA (in .PDF format)

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Websites:

• Service Learning Program
• Holocaust & Genocide Institute
• Paul Robeson Institute
• New Jersey Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education
• Corporate & Continuing Education Division