UC Shantytown to be Built as Part of Conference to Examine Hunger and Homelessness

The sixth-annual Peace or Hunger Conference at the University of Cincinnati begins at 9 a.m., Saturday, May 21, on McMicken Commons, and runs through 11 a.m., Sunday, May 22. Student organizers representing the UC Peace Village are expecting as many as 150 people to attend the event.

The conference will examine the most recent research – including presentations from UC graduate students – on issues related to peace and hunger in the Cincinnati community, and will include opportunities for volunteer service at local agencies.

The event will also include the building of an overnight shantytown of cardboard boxes on UC’s McMicken Commons, where attendees will spend the night. That construction will get underway at around 3:30 p.m. on May 21 and is expected to be completed by around 5 p.m.

 “The UC Peace or Hunger Conference is a way to involve the community, especially the UC community, in engaging and meaningful dialogue, service and experiential activities to better understand local issues related to hunger and homelessness,” says conference organizer Sharon Doering, a UC doctoral student in the UC educational studies program. Doering is also pursuing a certificate in peace education through the Urban Center for Social Justice, Peace Education and Research (UCSJPER) in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH).

“It is hoped that attendees will gain a greater understanding of hunger, homelessness and other injustices that affect the peace around us,” Doering says.

The Peace or Hunger Conference is sponsored by the Peace Village, a UC student service organization that is dedicated to promoting peace, fairness and understanding through education, demonstration and art.