Denver, April, 2008.

鈥淐ulture, Gender & Global Communication鈥 became a 2008 Spring Course at the School of Communication of the University of Denver where the book Women, Metamorphosis of the Butterfly Effect will become part of the syllabus.

The course explores the ways in which culture, gender, communication and media affect and are affected by a variety of issues from an international and intercultural perspective.

The class is co-taught by Mar铆a Su谩rez Toro, human rights and feminist activist and journalist from Puerto Rico/Costa Rica and author of the book; and Margaret Thompson, associate professor of mass communications and international journalist and editor if the English version translated by Marci Valdivieso in San Francisco for future publication in that language.

Topics covered in the 4 credit course for both graduate and undergraduate students include the role of gender & culture in globalization of media, women鈥檚 human rights, violence against women, social/political movements and change (focusing in particular on Central America), cultural & gender issues related to war and peace, and alternative uses of media & media activism related to culture, gender, disabilities, etc.

The topic 鈥淏reaking out of the box: Working toward social change鈥 features the 鈥淚maginary letter from Rosa Parks鈥 in the book Women, Metamorphosis of the Butterfly Effect, an in progress book published in 2008 by Editorial Farben/Norma in San Jos茅, Costa Rica.

鈥淢asculinity, femininity & feminism: Global & historical perspectives鈥 explores alternative paradigms by women & indigenous peoples, which have often been ignored, discounted or buried in history. Students read 鈥淚maginary letter by Lucy: A lost paradigm.鈥

鈥淒isability issues & media鈥 will have disabilities activist Laura Hershey, writer, poet, disabilities activist who happens to be the woman who made Maria aware of the unacknowledged scientific contributions of Mileva Maic, Eistein鈥檚 ex-wife an disabled student of math and physics in the same University where Eistein studied. Students will read the chapter in the book entitled 鈥淭he invisible Mileva Maric 鈥淓x-Einstein: If women counted.鈥

鈥淲omen, war & peacemaking:鈥 includes the readings about 鈥淐omfort women & Japanese American women in WWII: Breaking 50 years of silence鈥 in the book. Marge Taniwaki, character in the book telling her story as a Japanese American in the U.S.A. Concentration Camps during the war came to speak to the students presenting er personl accout.

On the topic 鈥淗olistic paradigms 鈥 Reconceptualizing women鈥檚 experiences in women鈥檚 human rights鈥 the 鈥淚ntroduction鈥 to the book will be studied alongside a 鈥渞esonance鈥 workshop where students are encouraged to make connections between their lives and those of the women in the book. Former course student last year, Carolyn Munoz shared her resonance story about her migrant grandmother, contributing to the exercise. (see www.alasdemariposa.org click on 鈥Butterfliers鈥.)

鈥淎ctivism toward social transformation & paradigm shift: Central America Women against CAFTA鈥 includes the chapter 鈥淔rancisca Alvarez: A Mayan feminist cosmo-vision鈥 and other material from the region.