In brief

Canada’s role in Darfur

Canada’s role in the crisis in Darfur will be the theme of a day-long conference on Nov. 1. Let.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire (Ret.) will present the keynote address on Darfur and the African Union.

His 9:30 a.m. speech will be followed by expert panels on the following topics: the background to the Darfur crisis; the role of the Canadian media in alerting Canadians to ongoing crimes against humanity in Darfur; the options available to resolve the Darfur crisis; and opportunities for Canadian students to urge solutions to the problems in Sudan.

Colonel Denis Thompson, director of peacekeeping policy, Dept. of National Defence, Eric Reeves and Gerald Caplan, both of whom have written books on the political situation in Sudan and Rwanda, Andrew Phillips, Editor-in-Chief of The Gazette and Max Kelly, Policy Director for Students Taking Action Now: Darfur will join various students and faculty from Concordia University to discuss the key issues.

The evening before, Oct. 31 at 9 p.m., the (Sundance Festival) award-winning documentary Shake Hands with The Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire will be presented in room H-110 of the Hall Building.

The film will be introduced by Concordia History Professor Frank Chalk, of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, the organizer of the event, which is co-sponsored by the Concordia Student Union, the Office of the President, the Dean of Arts & Science, and several departments at Concordia. The free conference will be in H-110 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 1.

Producing ideas for TV

Concordia University Television (CUTV) is on The Quest for Content. That’s the name of a contest to award $1,000 to the three most promising proposals for a six-episode series this winter.

The station’s new manager, Jason Gondziola, says CUTV has bountiful resources to help would-be writers, producers, and editors turn their thoughts into technicolour. “We’ve got a lot of equipment that is not being used to its full potential, and you don’t need to be a film student to make a film.” He and program director Marc St-Martin enjoin students from all faculties to submit their ideas for 22-minute episodes. Proposals for dramatic series must include well-developed ideas, characters, and a pilot script. If you prefer to work with non-fiction, current affairs or programs related to the arts, you should include a list of potential show ideas.

For anyone looking to bust into film and TV, or just to see what all the fuss is about, a film credit can look great on the CV. Just be sure to get your idea in before Dec. 1 .

The station is also recruiting volunteers. While there is no shortage of people who want to do the glamorous camera work, few consider the potential benefits of the hermit-like existence available to those toiling in an editing booth.

It definitely has its rewards, Gondziola said. He quoted one CUTV editor who enjoys “watching ugly films and making them pretty.”

CUTV is holding its first General Members Meeting on Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. in H-733. For more details, visit http://cutv.concordia.ca.

-Allison Martens

History lesson on Damascus

Najwa al-Qattan will give the second annual Saleh Sassoon Mahlab Lecture on the History of Jewish-Muslim Relations.

A history professor at Loyola Marymount Unversity in Los Angeles, she will speak on “Compromising Justice and Discriminating Tolerance: Jewish Life in Ottoman Damascus” from 2 to 4 p.m. in Room H-110 of the Hall Building.