It has been more than two months since a devastating tsunami hit South East Asia. But McMaster's relief efforts have not dwindled with time. In fact, momentum for relief efforts by students, faculty and staff continue as strong as the day they learned of the tragedy.

This Saturday, McMaster will host an all-day symposium entitled “In the Aftermath of the Tsunami, What are the Challenges We Face?” The event will feature speakers on McMaster's relief efforts and will address challenges faced in the aftermath of the tsunami. Participants will hear first-hand accounts from those who have visited affected areas and will learn about current relief efforts under way at McMaster and in the community.

“The conference is intended to help sustain relief efforts that are underway and find new ways to help the affected regions,” says key organizer Noor Nizam, a part-time humanities student and teaching assistant at McMaster, who lost nearly 100 members of his extended family in the tragedy. “Two months later the need is still really great and it will continue to be for many years.”

Hanna Schayer, a member of McMaster's Ontario Public Interest Research Group, will open the symposium. She will be followed by a number of speakers, including Ahmed Ghobarah, a structures and earthquake engineering specialist at McMaster, who traveled to Southeast Asia recently as part of a Canadian engineering and science group selected to evaluate the effects of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami.

Alexandre Sivigny, McMaster assistant professor of communications, French and linguistics, will discuss effective communications strategies as well as notions of rebuilding and hope. “My emphasis will be on small efforts made by individuals, which have led to small victories,” he says. “We need to work towards building a more positive environment.”

Alison Miculan, a sessional instructor in McMaster's Department of Philosophy, will relate how rehabilitation efforts are affecting widows and orphans of those claimed by the tragedy. She will also discuss a proposal to take a team of students to Sri Lanka to work with orphans and widows.

MACycle Co-op director Pardeep Singh will talk about a recent project that collected more than 500 bicycles for tsunami survivors. Singh will travel to Sri Lanka to ensure the bicycles get to those most in need and will help set up a shop and provide training so that the program can be sustained.

Other presenters include representatives from the McMaster Students Union, including president Shano Mohan and vice-president finance Umair Khan, who will discuss current and future student projects to aid tsunami relief. Nithy Ananth, a financial advisor, will provide a first-hand account on his visit to the affected regions. Other presenters include representatives from Health Partners International Canada, Lighting the World Program, Canadian Relief Foundation and Red Cross Canada.

The event, organized by OPIRG McMaster, McMaster Students Union, faculty members and Relief Aid International Canada, will be held in Kenneth Taylor Hall – B 135. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

Registration will begin at 9 a.m. and the first session will take place from 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The second session will be held from 1:30 to 5 p.m. and the final panel discussion will be held from 6-8 p.m. A complimentary lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Pre-registration is also available in the following offices in the McMaster University Student Centre: OPIRG, Rm. 229, MAPS, Rm. 234, or the MSU Office in Rm. 201. Or e-mail noornizam7@yahoo.ca, opirg@mcmaster.ca or phone 905-525-9140 ext: 27289/26026.