Political Engagement presents:

Pathways to Activism.

Activism is NOT one major, resumé, or background. Hear from activists in a variety of fields making meaningful impacts all around Connecticut.

October 19th, 2pm, Bousfield A106

Special Guests:
Ayesha Clarke, MSW., Friends of Jahana Hayes Field Director & Hartford Board of Education

John Newman, ESQ. Senior VP & General Counsel at Covenant Health Inc. & UConn Health Law Professor

Maddie Granato, MSW., Policy Manager at CT Women's Education and Legal Fund

Kevin Bronson, Secretary of State's Executive Assistant & Deputy Communications Director

If you require an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Community Outreach at (860) 486-1165 or Amy Saji at UConn.Co.PoliticalEg@gmail.co by 10/10/18.

Community Outreach’s Dialogue Initiatives will be hosting a deliberative forum focusing on the opioid epidemic. The purpose of a deliberative forum is to: focus on the options, consider all options fairly, and maintain an open and respectful atmosphere. We hope to encourage participation from students who aren’t too familiar on the opioid epidemic to those who consider themselves well-versed on the topic. We want this to be an experience where we can listen and learn from each other. The event is participant-focused and there will be facilitator-led small group discussions.


Taken from the National Issues Forum (https://www.nifi.org/en/issue-guide/opioid-epidemic):


“Drug abuse, a problem the United States has faced for decades, has taken a sharply more lethal turn with the rise of opioids—both legal pain-killers, such as oxycodone and fentanyl, and illegal ones like heroin. More than 64,000 Americans were killed by drug overdoses in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control. At least two-thirds of those 2016 drug deaths were caused by opioids”.



We will present three options for deliberation. The options are: Focus on Treatment for All, Focus on Enforcement, and Focus on Individual Choice. Each option has its advantages as well as drawbacks.


During this forum, we will also discuss the implications of the opioid epidemic on the state of Connecticut. Recently, Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced that the State of Connecticut is receiving over $20 million in federal funding to enhance the state’s efforts in fighting the opioid epidemic. We will also juxtapose the sympathy and action given to the opioid epidemic with other epidemics (such as cocaine or marijuana).



When: October 22nd, 2018

Time: 5:00 -7:00 pm

Location: Rowe 122

Dinner WILL BE provided.

(RVSP at https://uconntact.uconn.edu/event/2840447)



If you have any questions or if you’d like to be more involved with this event (i.e. a facilitator), please email Hayley Rowe at uconn.co.dialogues@gmail.com.