[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/GCC09.jpg” caption=”The Global Citizenship Conference, running from Feb. 28 to March 1, is part of Citizenship Engagement Week at McMaster. Image courtesy of GCC.”]The McMaster Office of Community Service-Learning & Civic Engagement will showcase the myriad of clubs, societies and organizations striving to make a positive difference in the community with its first ever Citizenship Engagement Week, happening February 26 to March 5.

From voting and donating blood to coaching and volunteering, there are many ways to get involved and be an active citizen in the Hamilton community. Citizenship Engagement Week will highlight the wide range of beliefs on what it means to be an engaged citizen, as well as provoke thought, discussion and debate on citizenship in contemporary society.

“It is important for students to recognize that McMaster is a part of the Hamilton community, and they are members of that community during their time at McMaster,” says Adam Kuhn, manager of the community service-learning & civic engagement office. “Students have so much to offer and so much to gain by involving themselves actively throughout Hamilton.”

Citizenship Engagement Week will feature a number of panel discussions and workshops on topics ranging from getting involved with Hamilton's youth to “greenovating” your world. There will also be a screening of the documentary film Slacker Uprising followed by a discussion with Marc Ouellette, assistant professor in the Department of English and Cultural Studies.

The weeklong display of civic engagement coincides with the student-organized Global Citizenship Conference, running from February 28 to March 1 at McMaster. The conference promises to leave delegates with a greater appreciation of local, regional, and global issues, and features speakers such as activist Maude Barlow and Mariatu Kamara, a survivor of the civil war in Sierra Leone.

“This conference is one of the best opportunities for students to gain important insights about global citizenship and to be empowered to engage in real social, economic, and political issues from across the globe,” said Aaron Lau and Merry Wang, promotion co-chairs for the conference. “Many of the attendees will travel abroad [in the future] to expand and open up their world view, but this weekend, the world comes to McMaster!”

For more information on the Global Citizenship Conference, please click here.

For more information or to get involved with Citizenship Engagement Week, contact Adam Kuhn at akuhn@mcmaster.ca or call 905-525-9140, ext. 27520. For a full listing of events check out http://servicelearning.mcmaster.ca/index.php?q=ce-events.