Building Bridges, 2023

Unseen Passages: Refugees and the Collective Fight for Vitality

We Invite you to the 28th Building Bridges Conference, Unseen Passages: Refugees and the Collective Fight for Vitality happening in-person on March 4th, 2023. The conference begins at 9:30AM CST. 

Support the Conference

Tickets are available here: https://forms.gle/cBQ3KA6ZeS7wvgB47

Conference Preview

In this 28th year of the organization, our conference will focus on refugees and asylum seekers. We believe that there is not enough recognition nor education surrounding the hardships that refugees face. In fact, there is a large refugee population present with Minnesota that not many people know about. In our conference, we are aiming to examine the path of a refugee as well as the discrimination and dismissal they face. We are hoping to highlight how these humans are treated and the mental disparities they face. Our conference will explore our topic through the lenses of racial injustices, mental health, and policy issues like LGBTQ+ migration. We are particularly passionate about the impact on the human beings forced into this position. We want to bring forth the importance of advocacy for refugees and asylum seekers to highlight the importance of policy and action

In Solidarity,

Ashley Ley and Tessa Yeager

2022-2023 Building Bridges Co-Chairs 

CAIR_Poster_Draft_5_Feb_22_2023 

About Building Bridges:

Building Bridges is a student organization at Gustavus Adolphus College that focuses on educating and informing community members on issues relating to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Building Bridges’ signature event is the annual Building Bridges Conference, which takes place every spring. The conference is completely organized and run by students who choose the focus of each year’s conference. Building Bridges members work all year to not only educate and bring awareness, but also to give attendees the tools to be active and engaged in these social justice issues. The conference aims to educate the community through keynote speakers, a series of workshops and other interactive elements. Past topics have included: Education Justice (2022), Collective Liberation (2021), Climate Justice (2020), Immigration (2019), Mental Health (2018), Grassroots Movements (2017), The War on Drugs (2016), Rape Culture (2015), Environmental Justice (2014), and Mass Incarceration (2013).

2022-2023 Building Bridges Co-Chairs