Reducing student political apathy and sparking a desire for social change are two goals the Progressive Student Union of WSU hopes to work toward with events beginning today.

The group is hosting the first annual Northwest Progressive Conference, which begins this afternoon and runs through Saturday evening. Events include workshops, speakers and academic panels. All are free and open to the public.

“The goal of the 2007 Northwest Progressive Conference is to give a voice to artists, activists and speakers – anyone who promotes social change – for an opportunity to share ideas and values,” PSU co-president Eric Johnson said. “It will provide interaction between groups that often don’t go to each other’s meetings.” The conference has a long list of scheduled events. There will be workshops on the Iraq war, environmental concerns, reproductive justice and a number of other topics.

“I think a lot of the workshops present a lot of views and ideas that aren’t common in society,” co-president Jason Puz said.

There will be a focus on activism, but he also hopes the conference covers some ideas that people have never heard before, he said. The conference discussions will not take sides on the different issues, but rather provide an opportunity for discussion of different viewpoints.

The events will continue into each evening. “An Inconvenient Truth” will be shown at 7 p.m. tonight at Wilson Room 13, followed by a panel discussion. At 7:30 p.m. there will be a Spoken Word Showcase in the Terrell Library Atrium.

On Friday, Adrienne Maree Brown, co-founder of The League for Young/Pissed Off Voters, will give a keynote address at 6 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium. Favianna Rodriguez, founder of Eastside Arts Alliance in Oakland, Calif., will speak at the same time and place on Saturday.

“I would encourage students to go to the workshops,” Johnson said. “[They should] choose an issue they have a personal interest in and where they have something to contribute.” The ideas and material covered in the discussions depend upon those who attend, he said.

“Students need to know that there are other opinions out there,” said Erika Schoonmaker, an ASWSU senator who plans to attend the conference. “I would encourage students to go and be open-minded. ... Students can gain a broader perspective and better understanding of what their fellow Cougars are like.”