Media are reminded that this morning delegates from China’s Sichuan province will be share stories of the May earthquake that devastated their region. The group will also speak about Sichuan’s to-date rebuilding efforts, as Sichuan was declared the epicenter of the quake.

The delegates are in Winnipeg this week to take as part of the Building Human Capacity - Social Work with Rural Women in China project as coordinated by the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Social Work. Together, Chinese and Canadian academics and authorities are exploring ways to help reduce gender inequality and enhance women’s basic human rights in Sichuan and other regions of China. The Chinese delegates are here to learn more about disaster recovery and how Manitobans dealt with the aftermath of the 1997 flood and last summer’s tornado in Elie. The project is funded by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and other organizations in kind, including the University of Manitoba.

What: Talk by Chinese delegates about the experience of the recent earthquake in Sichuan, China
When: Today, Friday, August 29, 2008, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Where: Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization boardroom, 1525 - 405 Broadway, Winnipeg

For more information contact the following Faculty of Social Work project co-directors at the University of Manitoba:

Dr. Maria Cheung, associate professor, (204) 474-6670
Dr. Tuula Heinonen, professor, (204) 474-9543
Ms. Hai Luo, China Project Coordinator, (204) 474-6812