She will speak at the university's Manzanita Hall at 11 a.m., and will autograph copies of her book, I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala following her presentation. The book recounts her life as a young peasant woman in Guatemala while providing insight into the experiences of Indian communities in Latin America.

Menchu has acquired an international reputation as a leading advocate of Indian rights and ethno-cultural reconciliation. Raised in the Quiche branch of the Mayan culture by an Indian family, Menchu involved herself with social reform activities at an early stage of her life.

As a teenager, Menchu dedicated herself, through the Catholic church, to the women's rights movement and social reform activities. Since then, she has joined the Committee of the Peasant Union (CUC) where she became a prominent figure in the CUC's organization of a strike for improving farm worker conditions.

She also joined the 31st of January Popular Front, assisting the education of the Indian peasant population. After being forced to go into hiding in Mexico, she organized resistance movements to Guatemalan governmental oppression and fought for Indian peasant rights. She assisted in founding the United Representation of the Guatemalan Opposition (RUOG) and she became a member of the National Coordinating Committee of the CUC.

Menchu has been recognized with several international awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992.

"Educator's Day 2003: Celebrating Diversity in Our Classrooms and in Our Communities" costs $20 for Alumni Association members and $25 for non-members.

The event will consist of a continental breakfast, a campus tour and a series of lectures including:

• "Bridging Cultures: Collectivism versus Individualism and the Hidden Assumptions"
• "The Michael D. Eisner College of Education: An Update of our College's Accomplishments and Future Plans"
• "Successful Approaches to Inclusive Education: Welcoming Children with Disabilities into Your Classroom" and
• "Considerations of White Privilege in the Classroom and in Counseling Sessions."

CSUN is located 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge. The breakfast will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held in Manzanita Hall, located at the southwest corner of campus. Event parking will be available in lot B2, off the corner of Dearborn St. and Darby Ave.