It may be a mouthful, but York University is hosting a first-ever global conference this month.
The Association for Research on Mothering (ARM) is organizing the inaugural International Conference of the Motherhood Movement called "You Say You Want a Revolution:? The 21st Century Motherhood Movement."
The event features speakers from 22 organizations, including International Feminists for a Gift Economy, Mothers Acting Up, National Organization for Women, Sistersong Women of Colour Reproductive Health Collective and United Mothers Opposing Violence Everywhere.
The seminar is part of ARM's larger 12th annual Mothering, Violence, Militarism, War and Social Justice conference, which features 140 reports, 35 sessions and seven keynote panels.
The keynote speakers include Flavia Cherry, national chairperson of the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action, Gertrude Fester, commissioner on the Commission of Gender Equality South Africa, and Sara Ruddick, author of Maternal Thinking: Toward a Politics of Peace.
The conference runs from Oct. 24 to 26 at York's MacLaughlin College.
It will also include the touring motherhood exhibit called Mother: The Job, Building Human Capital, Building Human Beings, which puts an economic yardstick to the work of mothers.
"The exhibit consists of a short film, sculpture, photography, domestic artifacts, original writings and integrated art forms portraying the day-to-day life of the mother and her intricate relationship with her child, conveying the passion, intelligence and intuition that go into this, the world's most important job," a statement from ARM said.�For more information, call 416-736-2100, ext. 60366 or visit www.yorku.ca/arm.