Past Events 2014-2016

Memory-Public Space-Identity
 The Department of Theatre and Dance in Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters presents “The Last Night of Ballyhoo,” a play by Alfred Uhry. The play runs from Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 19 in the Studio One Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. More info...
Taner Ackam
Turkish historian Taner Açkam speak about the Ottoman-Turkish genocide against Armenians during World War I. Açkam is the first Turkish scholar to draw attention to the historicity of the Armenian Genocide.  He suffered persecution and imprisonment by the Turkish government for his work as early as 1976 when Amnesty Interntational adopted him as a prisoner of conscience. After escaping prison, he was able to gain political asylum in Germany where he received the Ph.D. degree writing about the question of Turkish responsibility for the Armenian Genocide.  In April 2006, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts presented him with a distinguished award for his outstanding work in human rights and fighting genocide denial. Currently, he holds the Kaloosdian/Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies at the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University. The program will take place on Sunday evening April 19, at 7 pm on the Boca Campus in Performing Arts Building (PA100), next to the Schmidt Gallery. View flyer...  
James Finley
Conference with Thomas Merton Scholar James Finley  "A Path to Inner Peace: Applying the '12 Steps' to Daily Practice,"  Friday, April 10 – Sunday, April 12,  Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Auditorium.   Tickets*: $75,  FAU Faculty and Staff $50.  *Includes all programs and lunch (Continuing Education credits may be availa ble).    View brochure...   More information at: 561-297-2337
Holocaust Memorial Concert
Memory and Memorial: Music of the Holocaust. Heather Coltman, Michael Klotz and Jason Calloway present a musical tribute to Alice Herz-Sommer(1903-2014), the late pianist and survivor of Theresienstadt concentration camp. Declaring a firm belief in the power of music, Herz-Sommer said, "Music saved my life and music saves me still." 7pm, Thursday, April 2 at 7 pm in the University Theatre. Visit www.fauevents.com for tickets. 
Memory-Public Space-Identity
  The artist talk entitled "Memory, Public Space and Identity" by Beirut-based artist Nada Sehnaoui will occur tomorrow, Thursday, April 2 from  5:30-7pm, Arts and Letters Building, room AL 189.View flyer... 
 Critchley
Jay Critchley will be returning to FAU to discuss his environmental activist art projects on Tuesday, March 31 at 7 pm in PA 101 (Performing Arts Building). The talk is titled, "Don’t Be Crude: Art and the Energy Grid." Mr. Critchley is a multi-disciplinary artist known internationally for  his humorous art works that respond to the ecological, cultural, and political concerns of local communities. In collaboration with activists and community stakeholders, the Province town, Massachusetts based artist has tackled issues such as HIV/AIDS, climate change, and  corporate domination, often resulting in real-world consequences that  benefit and enrich communities." View flyer...
 First Language Lecture

 Public screening of a documentary entitled " First Language - The Race to Save Cherokee " (2014; 57 minutes). The documentary is part of our Invited Speakers’ Colloquium series. It will be shown on  Thursday, March 26, at 7pm in PA101 .  "First Language": The Cherokee language has been used in North America for approximately 3 thousand years, and is still used by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the mountains of North Carolina. However, the language is now in jeopardy, with the last generation to learn the language in the home now reaching middle age and the number of speakers dwindling to less than 300. "First Language" is a documentary about the history of the Cherokee language and the current efforts to revitalize it. 
 

energy-solutions   "Your Energy Solution." Forum on Environmental and Energy Solutions , explore the impacts of oil and natural gas extraction in America and the current activities of oil and gas interests in Florida. Learn about the promise and potential of renewables. Join a discussion with leaders from you national and regional organizations examining these issues. Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. in General Classrooms South (GS) 119.   View flyer...
Communist Practices Conference

FAU Peace Studies Program and the FAU  Peace, Justice, and Human Rights Initiative present the international conference: Colonizing and De/Re-Colonizing Nations: A Research Inquiry into Communist Practices 25 Years Later on the Boca Raton campus.   Lectures open to the public include: 

"Post-Colonialism as a Discursive  and Political Issue: The Case of Poland,"  12-1 pm, Thurs, March 12, Live Oak Pavilion, Student Union Complex. Lecture by  Cezar Ornatowski, Ph.D., Professor, San Diego State University 

"Belated Modernity: The Colonization  of the Future in Post-Communist Culture,"  12-1 pm, Fri, March 13, Senate Chambers, Student Union Building. Lecture by Bogdan Stefanescu, Ph.D., Professor, University of Bucharest, Romania

These Lectures are free an open to the public. Generously sponsored by the Chastain-Johnston Fund and Lynn, Wold, Schmidt Peace Studies Endowment.  For additional information, email nmarin@fau.edu or rshaykhu@fau.edu .

Lecture on Chechnya's Northern Caucusus

 

 PEACE STUDIES LECTURE SERIES: " The North Caucasus and the Changing Nature of the Chechen Republic, 1980s-1990s,"  Thurs, February 26, 11 am-12:20 pm,  Engineering East (EE 106).  Lecture by Mark Kramer, Ph.D.,  Professor at Harvard University  and Program Director of Harvard’s Cold War Studies.

"The Dissolution of  Yugoslavia and its International Response:  A 20-Year Retrospective on the Violent Breakup of a Country,"  Thurs, February 26, 12:30-1:50 pm,  Sanson Life Sciences Bldg. (SC 180) . Lecture by Nadia Boyadjieva, Ph.D.,  Professor of International Law & International  Relations at the University of Plovdiv and Visiting Senior Scholar for Policy, Strategy,  and International Relations, Harvard University. Both lectures g enerously funded by the Lynn, Wold, Schmidt Peace Studies Endowment.  These events are free and open to the public.   More information at rshaykhu@fau.edu  or   561-297-3775.

 AnShin Thomas Lecture

Claude AnShin Thomas,Vietnam War veteran, Buddhist Monk, International Speaker, Teacher, Writer, and Non-Violent Advocate presents:

At Hell’s Gate: A Soldier’s Journey from War to Peace 
Tue | Feb 24 | 7-8:30 pm,  FAU Jupiter, SR 149

 Awakening - A Dialogue with a Zen Monk  
Wed | Feb 25 | 7-9 pm,  FAU Boca Raton, PA 101

Claude AnShin Thomas is the founder of the Zaltho Foundation, a spiritually based foundation committed to ending violence by encouraging and establishing socially engaged projects in schools, communities, organizations, and families, with an emphasis on the most important ingredient, the individual. More information

Hsu Lecture   "Understanding the Potential of Chinese Non-Governmental Organizations,"  Lecture by Jennifer YJ Hsu, Assistant Professor, University of Alberta, Thursday, February 12, 5 pm, College of Business Bldg. (BU 120). The broad appeal of studying non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to understand state and social transformation is evident: They are at once beacons of democracy and alternative social service providers. This lecture will examine the potential of Chinese NGOs in contributing to state and social transformation across four NGO sectors: environment, HIV/AIDS, migrants and general social service delivery. View flyer.  For more information, e-mail rshaykhu@fau.edu.
Dalleo Lecture    PJHR colloquium: "The U.S. Occupation of Haiti and the rise of Caribbean Anticolonialism." Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at Noon in the Culture and Society Building (CU 301). The 1920s and 1930s are usually viewed as crucial years for the emergence of modern Caribbean politics and literature throughout the region. The U.S. occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1934 crucially shaped those movements. Led by Raphael Dalleo, Associate Professor of English at FAU and a Peace, Justice and Human Rights Faculty Fellow. He is the author of Caribbean Literature and the Public Sphere: From the Plantation to the Postcolonial (University of Virginia Press, 2011), coauthor of The Latino/a Canon and The Emergence of Post-Sixties Literature, and coeditor of Haiti and the Americas. For more information, contact rdalleo@fau.edu 
CLAS Lecture  Thursday, January 22 at 4pm.  "When Good Climates Go Bad: Extreme Events, Climate Cycles, and the Opportunities for Cuban History" is a panel discussion featuring Dr. Sherry Johnson, Professor of Latin American History at FIU. The panel discussion will be held at Wimberly Library, 5th floor, FAU Boca Campus. Dr. Johnson's research and teaching interests include Cuba and the Caribbean, environment and climate change, disasters such as hurricanes, medicine, women and gender, and social history. View flyer for more information.
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo 'The Practice' workshops by Barb Schmidt: Outer Peace Begins with Inner Peace, 6 - 9 pm, Tuesday, January 20 and 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, Saturday, January 24 in the Senate Chambers at the FAU Student Union, Boca Raton.  Using her book "The Practice," combined with teachings from the great masters, Barb will present practical strategies for finding your "center" and knowing your self-worth while staying confident and strong, even she the external world feels incomprehensible and beyond your control. $25 each workshop. See the highlights on Boca Mag TV. Watch the video
Mlk "The Dream of Martin Luther King," a 2015 MLK Celebration, Monday, January 19, 9 am - 3 pm, MLK Memorial, 200 NE 12th Street, Boca Raton, FL.  View flyer for complete schedule. 
MLK   “The Dream: Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.” FAU's Dr. Doug McGetchin will give a lecture in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 19, 2015, 8-9 am at  El Sol Neighborhood Resource Center, 106 Military Trail, Jupiter, FL 33458. Please visit http://friendsofelsol.org or call (561) 745-9860 for more information. View flyer.
Dance4Food Dance4Food, Sunday, 3 pm, November 23
at the Eissey Theatre/Palm Beach State College (Palm Beach Gardens).  Giving and Giving Thanks: Anna Preston, the artistic director of the Dance for Food Series, invited the FAU Repertory Dance Theatre Ensemble to perform in a charity event on Sunday, November 23 at the Eissey Theatre/Palm Beach State College (Palm Beach Gardens). This hour-long contemporary dance concert is produced by Artists for a Cause (www.a4ac.org) and features several regional professional dance companies. The Sunday concert is free with suggested non-perishable food donations. More information at Clarence.Brooks@fau.eduRead more about the Dance4Food program here...
Gabby Bernstein An Evening of Peace & Inspiration with ‘New York Times’ Bestselling Author Gabrielle Bernstein and Friends, 5-9 pm, Wed., November 12, Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium, FAU Boca Raton  
Join Barb Schmidt, founder of Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life, for a Wellness Expo at 5 pm and Workshop at 6:30 pm with natural skincare entrepreneur Tata Harper, singer Skye Dyer, author Serena Dyer. At 7 pm, Gabrielle Bernstein will present “Your Presence is Your Power.” Q&A and book signing to follow. Tickets: $25 in advance; $30 at the door. Alumni, faculty and staff $20; Students $5 with school ID. Admission includes gifts from Expo exhibitors and a cd/video gift from Bernstein. Tickets at 800-564-9539 or at  www.fauevents.com .  
More information here...
Pacific Aviation Museum  Sunday, Nov 9, 2 pm, Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, Fort Island Hawaii: With their Voices Raised. The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor and the Alliance for Drama Education invite you to experience this documentary theater performance that highlights the stories of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima survivors. Written by Kate Morris. For tickets and information call 808-441-1007 or visit PacificAviationMuseum.org . View program flyer. View  Researchers’ Notes.

Trans* Initiative

 

 Thursday, Nov 6, 6-8 pm, College of Education Building (ED) 119, FAU Boca Raton - The Second Annual Trans* Initiative Forum: Transgender Research, Social Work and Advocacy in South Florida Panel Discussion.  More information here...
 Lessons and Legacies Thurs, Oct 30 - Mon, Nov 2, Windham Hotel in Boca. In partnership with the Holocaust Educational Foundation (HEF), Florida Atlantic University will host Lessons and Legacies XIII, “The Holocaust after 70 Years: New Perspectives on Persecution, Resistance, and Survival.” The HEF co-sponsors this biannual conference, the top conference in its field, the first weekend in November. Interdisciplinary and international in scope, the conference typically attracts 200-250 scholars and teachers of the Shoah from around the world. The book series, featuring selected referred conference presentations, published by Northwestern University Press has received great critical acclaim. Click here for more information.
Christopher Browning  Wed, Oct 29, 2014, 4 pm - The John O'Sullivan Memorial Lecture, Hitler and the Decisions for the Final Solution featuring Professor Christopher Browning,  one of the most distinguished scholars of the Holocaust currently working.  University Theatre, Boca Raton Campus.  For tickets, directions and other information, call 800-564-9539 or visit www.fauevents.com or visit the FAU Box Office located in the Student Union Building.  Admission: $20; Groups of 20 or more: $15; Faculty, Staff and Alumni: $10; FAU students with current student ID: $5. 
sewha conference  Friday-Saturday, Oct 10-11, FAU Boca Raton and Wyndham Boca Raton: 26TH Annual Southeastern World History Association (SEWHA) Conference, Peace & Human Rights in World History . Hosted at FAU. The annual SEWHA conference explores the complex strands of peace, human rights, and conflict resolution within a historical span of interconnected global trends. Participants will share research and teaching about peace, international cooperation, social justice, and world history.Click here for conference public programs . To view the entire conference program booklet,click here.
Sommer  Mon, Oct 6, 7 pm, University Theatre: Key note speaker: *Doris Sommer, Ph.D., Harvard University, presents “Art Works: Cultural Agents Tackle Urgent Social Challenges” and faculty panel discussion, “Advocacy & Activism: Catalysts for Social Change” as part of  the Graphic Advocacy: International Posters for a Digital Age 2001–2012 exhibition in the Ritter Art Gallery, FAU Boca Raton. View lecture flyer here.  *Sponsored by the generous support of Walter and Lalita Janke and the Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative.Information at  561-297-2661 orwww.fau.edu/galleries  

Digital Activism

Mon, Sept 8, 2-4 pm, Advanced Media Production Lab, Arts and Letters Building (AL-240): Presentation on digital activism by Kathryn Comer, Assistant Professor of English at Barry University. Dr. Comer is editor and co-founder of the online journal Harlot , and she will give a brief presentation about Harlot's latest issue, which focuses on Digital Activism. View flyer…
THe Practice

Tuesday, May 13, 7 pm
"The Practice" Lecture, Q&A and Book Signing with Barb Schmidt
Auditorium, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, FAU Boca RatonLecture, Q&A, and book signing with featured author Barb Schmidt, founder of Peaceful Mind, Peaceful Life, discussing her new book. More info at 561-297-2337. Free event. Registration required at fauf.fau.edu/ThePractice

 
Ekman Monday, April 7 , from  5  – 6:30 pm
‘Moving Toward Universal Compassion’ – a Public Talk with Paul Ekman, Ph.D. 
College of Business, Room BU 120, Boca Raton Campus 
Paul Ekman, Ph.D., is widely recognized as one of the world’s preeminent psychologists studying emotion and non-verbal behavior. His work was the inspiration for the television program “Lie to Me,” and is path-breaking in helping understand empathy — a crucial component of civility and civil discourse. See Flyer… For more information, contact William Trapani, Ph.D., at  561-297-2051 , or email wtrapan1@fau.edu  or agoraproject@fau.edu
constitution day 2015

Constitution Day Events 

Wednesday, Sept.16 - Thursday, Sept. 17.

In observance of Constitution Day and to celebrate the principles enshrined in America’s founding document, the Jack Miller Forum at FAU hosts an annual series of events during the week of September 17th.  Participants include FAU faculty and students, as well as members of the general public.  Events include guest lectures, teach-ins, an undergraduate essay contest and discussion sessions. Free and open to the public. More info here

CHHRE Schedule

 

  The Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education at FAU announces their schedule of events for 2014-15.  View schedule here…

 

  

 With Their Voices Raised 2014

U.N. International Day of Peace

Monday, Sept. 21, 6 pm University Theatre, FAU Boca Raton 

Join FAU’s first Lady Caroline Kelly, guest U.N. Dignitary, community partner Barb Schmidt and FAU Scholars as they celebrate this year’s theme of “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All.” Featuring a performance of “With Voices Raised.” View flyer here
rabil

 The Tragedy of Syrian Refugees: The Case of Lebanon

 Thursday, October 15, 7pm, Kaye Hall 102, FAU Boca Raton

The Political Science Department, in conjunction with The Peace, Justice, and Human Rights Program, and Hillel, would like to invite to a special talk on Syrian Refugees. Based on primary sources, interviews and field research trip to Lebanon’s Syrian refugee camps especially along the Lebanon-Syria border, this talk attempts to shed light on the overall conditions and excruciating challenges faced by Syrian refugees.  View flyer here

Wolfson Flyer 2015
 

The Birth of The Cyber Left: Technology, Capitalism, and Contemporary Social Movements

Tuesday, Oct. 20, 5pm, General Classroom South, GS 117, FAU Boca Raton

Todd Wolfson is an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University. His research focuses on the convergence of new media and social movements and he is author of the recently published book Digital Rebellion: The Birth of the Cyber Left. Wolfson is also a co-founder of the Media Mobilizing Project (www.mediamobilizing.org), which uses media and communications as a core strategy for building a movement of poor and working people in Philadelphia and beyond. Free and open to the public. View flyer here. 
wolf cigar

From Goethe To Grass And Beyond: Responsibilities Of The Writer In The Postwar Period

Thursday, Oct. 22, 12 pm, House Chamber, FAU Student Center, FAU Boca Raton

Dr. Howard R. Wolf’s lecture will address the question of whether Gunter Grass had a moral-political responsibility to reveal his youthful service in the Waffen-SS; or would that have compromised the effectiveness of his role as a “reform” writer in Post-War Germany? In so doing he will draw upon Dr. Wolf’s personal reflections as a published author himself to address the role of the post war writer and their responsibilities to society. View flyer here.

girl rising

Movie, Bites, & Discussion: Girl rising

Sunday, Oct. 25, 3:30-6:30 pm, Cosa Duci Restaurant, 141 NW 20th Street B-21, Boca Raton FL, 33431

Educating girls can break cycles of poverty in just one generation, yet millions of girls aren’t in school. Girl Rising uses storytelling to inspire action that gets girls into classrooms worldwide. Cost: $30.00. RSVP by Thursday, Oct. 22 to gvorsas@fau.edu or 561-297-2337. All proceeds benefit FAU’s Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. For more information about the FAU Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, visit www.fau.edu/wgss or call 561/297-3865View flyer here

 Allida Black John O’Sullivan Memorial Lecture: “Eleanor Roosevelt and the Battle for Human Rights: 1945 to the Present.”

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 4 pm, University Theatre, FAU Boca Raton

Featuring Allida M. Black with “Eleanor Roosevelt and the Battle for Human Rights: 1945 to the Present.” A book signing will follow the event. Tickets $20; Groups of 20 or more: $15; Faculty, staff and alumni: $10; FAU students with current ID $5. 800-564-9539 or visit ww.fauevents.com. More information here

 Feed the Green  Feed the Green: Feminist Voices for the Earth
Tuesday, November 3, 6pm, PA 101 (in the Fine Arts building, next to the Schmidt Gallery)

Join us at FAU for a premier of a 35-minute documentary featuring interviews with 16 feminists, including Vandana Shiva, Starhawk, and La Loba Loca.  Their voices are interspersed with over 200 images from advertising, myth, art, history, activism, and the news, pointing to the ways that an environmentally destructive worldview is embedded in mainstream culture, but also highlighting an active global resistance movement and an alternative imagination of resistant green consciousness, ecosexuality and ecospirituality. "Feed the Green: Feminist Voices for the Earth" is scripted by Jane Caputi, Professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at FAU. She will lead a discussion after the showing. A reception will follow.  View flyer

   An Icon Of Liberty: The Magna Carta At 800

Thursday & Friday, Nov. 5-6, 4 pm, Wimberly Library

On Thursday night there will be a lecture by Ralph V. Turner, Professor Emeritus, University of Florida. On Friday night there will be a Panel discussion with FAU’s British historians Boyd Breslow, Ben Lowe and Douglas Kanter. Free event. For more information, visit www.fau.edu/history

Presidential Cabinets Talk 2015

“Women in Presidential Cabinets: Power Players or Abundant Tokens?”

Monday, Nov. 16, 2:30-4:00 pm, Senate Chamber, FAU Boca Raton 

Are the women appointed to presidential cabinets in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and the United States different from the men in terms of their backgrounds, work experience, and interest group links?  Taking into account those differences in background and experience are women treated equally well and as successful as men once they enter the cabinet? Dr. Maria C. Escobar-Lemmon, Associate Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University, studies the ways democratic institutions affect how citizens are represented by and interact with government, with a regional focus on Latin America and special emphasis on the representation of women. Her work has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, Electoral Studies, Journal of Policy Studies, Political Research Quarterly, and Publius: the Journal of Federalism. Her research combines statistical techniques for studying Latin America as a whole with in-depth field research in specific countries. She has done field research in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Venezuela, collecting data in government archives (including legislative records), and conducting interviews with members of congresses, officials in the executive branch, and other important actors. View flyer here. 

 Theatre Lab  

“The Playwright’s Forum: An Evening of Political Theatre with Israel Horovitz”

Wednesday, November 18 at 7:30pm, Parliament Hall, FAU Boca Raton

Theatre Lab is presenting a reading of three of Israel Horovitz’s short plays followed by a post-show discussion with the playwright. $35 General Admission; $10 for Students with ID. Call 561 297 4784 or email theatrelab@fau.edu.

 Shannon  

PJHR FACULTY FELLOWS COLLOQUIUM: Islam, Women's Human Rights, And U.S. Foreign Policy

Thursday, Nov. 19, 1 pm, AH 205, FAU Boca Raton

Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, a broad array of state and non-state actors have contributed to a broad American public understanding that Muslims oppress women. In the aftermath of the civil rights, human rights, and Second Wave feminist movements in the U.S., the pervasiveness of such views and lobbying efforts by women’s human rights activists pushed U.S. policymakers to treat women’s human rights as a legitimate policy concern. Dr. Kelly Shannon will argue that concern for women’s rights by the 1990s often drove U.S. policy towards the Islamic world by examining the Clinton Administration’s decision not to recognize the Taliban regime in 1996-1998. This policy decision set the precedent for post-9/11 U.S. policies that aimed to promote women’s human rights in the Islamic world. Her project provides a new lens through which to understand the history of U.S. foreign policy. View flyer

  Peaceful Mind event  

Transforming the Addictive Habits of the Mind

Saturday, Dec. 5, 10am-12:30pm. Tuesday, Dec. 8, 6-8:30pm. Senate Chambers, FAU Boca Raton. 

Learn how to let go of what does not serve you and to create space for your best self to emerge. The workshops will offer guidance on learning how to let go of what does not serve you, and to creating space for your “best self to emerge,” according to Schmidt.Schmidt is the founder of Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life and a teacher of practical mindfulness tools called “The Practice.” She has been conducting workshops on peaceful, mindful living for 10 years. For more information about “The Practice,” click here. The Peaceful Mind/Peaceful Life Series is presented by FAU’s Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative, in partnership with the Schmidt Family Foundation. $30 each workshop. For more information, call 561-297-2337 or click here

War on Girls

Special Report from the War on Girls

 

 

Sunday, December 13th at 2:00pm in Studio One, FAU Boca

Keynote Address by Marsha Norman, followed by reading of “Special Report from The War on Girls." Theatre Lab is the professional resident company of FAU that is dedicated to the development and production of new work in American theater. Tickets are $20. View flyer here

  New authoritarian wave  

Does Fascism Have a Future in Europe? Reflections on the New Authoritarian Wave. 

Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016, 6:15-7:45 pm, College of Business 120, FAU Boca Raton

Public Lectures by Vladimir Tismaneanu and Marius Stan. A new authoritarian wave has been sweeping across Europe, East and West. Walls have been erected in striking contrast to the spirit and legacies of 1989. Russian authoritarianism has made a spectacularly disturbing comeback. Hungary is engaged in full de-democratization. Poland's conservative right champions illiberal policies. In Romania, laws are proposed to punish "social defamation." For more information, contact Renat Shaykhutdinov at rshaykhu@fau.edu

  Taking Sides  
 MLK Diversity Address  
MLK DAY DIVERSITY ADDRESS
Wednesday, Jan. 20, 5:00-6:30pm, Live Oak Pavilion, FAU Boca Raton
In honor and celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs proudly presents the 2016 MLK Diversity Address, "Advancing the Dream Together." The goal is to examine social justice issues that impact our daily lives and to promote continuing efforts to advance "the dream" collectively and bridge the gaps of inequality. Keynote speaker Tim Wise will focus on dismantling years of inequalities and creating change in our communities. RSVP here by Jan. 15 to participate in the Boca Campus Reception where you will be able to meet and dialog with Time Wise. 
 Watchers of the Sky Movie Poster  

MOVIE: WATCHERS OF THE SKY

Wednesday, Jan 20, 5pm, FAU Living Room Theaters, FAU Boca Raton

This movie is about Raphael Lemkin, the man who created the word “genocide,” and believed the law could protect the world from mass killings. The movie takes you on a journey from Nuremberg to The Hague, from Bosnia to Darfur, from criminality to justice, and from apathy to action. For tickets and more information, visit fau.livingroomtheaters.com

 Coltman coltman  

Performance by Heather Coltman and the Amernet String Quartet

Friday, January 22, 7 pm, University Theatre, FAU Boca Raton

Heather Coltman and the Amernet String Quartet: Rare performances of music by Mieczyslaw Weinberg, who was a Polish-Soviet Jewish composer and colleague of Shostakovich. This performance features his piano quintet among other works. Tickets $20 at www.fauevents.com or 800-564-9539. View flyer here

 voices for human rights  

Voices for Human Rights: An awareness program on crimes against humanity and oppression of Christians and other minorities in Iraq and Syria.

Sunday, Jan. 24, 6:30pm, Temple Beth El, 2815 N. Flagler Dr., West Palm Beach, FL

Featuring Steve Maman, the founder of the Liberation of Christian and Yazidi Children of Iraq (CYCI), whose rescue of more than 120 Christian and Yazidi girls forced into slavery by ISIS has earned him international recognition. The program will also feature David Schenker, the director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Dr. Robert Rabil, a Professor in the Department of Political Science at FAU. To register visit, www.jewishpalmbeach.org/humanrights by Monday, January 18. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Linda Melvin at lmedvin@fau.edu. View flyer here

   Lawrence Sanders Writer-In-Residence Lecture

Thursday, Jan. 28, 7:00pm, Majestic Palm Room (Student Union), FAU Boca Raton

Tom Sleigh's many books include Station Zed; Army Cats, winner of the John Updike Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (AAAL); and Space Walk, winner of the Kingsley Tufts Award. Far Side of the Earth won an Academy Award from the AAAL, The Dreamhouse was a finalist for the LA Times Book Award, and The Chain was a finalist for the Lenore Marshall Prize. His work appears in The New Yorker, Poetry, as well as The Best of the Best American Poetry, The Best American Travel Writing, and The Pushcart Anthology. He's received the PSA's Shelley Prize, and awards from the American Academy in Berlin, Civitella Ranieri, the Lila Wallace Fund, the Guggenheim, two NEAs, among others. He teaches at Hunter College and works as a journalist in the Middle East and Africa. Free event. More info at www.fau.edu/english/

   Bodies Of Care: Somaesthetics Of Vulnerability

Thursday, Jan. 28 – Friday, Jan. 29, FAU Boca Raton

Conference presented by FAU’s Center for Body, Mind and Culture. This conference will examine the wide range of somatic conditions that require care and the variety of somatic methods of providing such care, while exploring how these conditions and methods are represented in cultural theory, health and wellness studies, literature, and the arts. Free event. More info at www.fau.edu/bodymindculture

   Teacher Appreciation Dinner Gutterman Family Outstanding Holocaust Educator Awards

Wednesday, Feb. 3, Double Tree Hotel: 100 Fairway Dr, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Join us as we celebrate K-12 teachers’ contributions in the field of Holocaust, genocide, and human rights education. For more information, email Linda Medvin, lmedvin@fau.edu or call 561-297-2929. 

   "Earth Ethics"

Thursday, Feb. 4, 2:00pm, Theatre Lab, FAU Boca Raton

View flyer.

Lecture by Dr. Kelly Oliver, W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. The first images of Earth from space taken by the Apollo missions met with contradictory responses that are telling in relation to the problems of globalism and the environmental movement today.  In Earth Ethics, Kelly Oliver shows how the “autoimmune” response to seeing the Earth from space signals the need to rethink our bond to the Earth, our status as earthlings, and our relationships with Earth’s co-inhabitants, in a new Earth Ethics. For more information, contact Lauren Guilmette at lguilmette@fau.edu

   USHMM Panel Discussion Exposing the Darkness: Photography in Conflict Zones

Feb. 9, 7:00 – 8:30pm., FAU Live Oak Pavilion, FAU Boca Raton

View flyer.

Based on the documentation taken by photojournalists, this event will raise awareness about genocide and crimes against humanity. For more information, email Linda Medvin, lmedvin@fau.edu or call 561-297-2929. 

   The Politics Of Women’s Empowerment In Post War Sierra Leone

Wednesday, Feb. 10, 4:00-5:30pm, Live Oak Pavilion, FAU Boca Raton

Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Conference featuring keynote speaker Zainab Bangura, special envoy to the UN Secretary General for Sexual Violence in Conflict. She will give a talk on “Sexual violence in conflict: The Moral Challenges of Our Time.” Free event. More info at www.fau.edu/wgss or contact Dr. Josephine Beoku-Betts at beokubet@fau.edu

   "The New Diaspora: The Changing Landscape of American Jewish Fiction" 
 
Thursday, Feb. 11, 4:00pm, Social Science Building, room 207
 
Avinoam J. Patt, the Philip D. Feltman Professor of Modern Jewish History at the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford, where he is also director of the Museum of Jewish Civilization. Previously, he worked at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He is also director of the "In Our Words Interview Project" with the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and most recently, is co-editor of an anthology of contemporary American Jewish fiction titled "The New Diaspora: The Changing Face of American Jewish Fiction."
  "Keeping Holocaust Memory Alive to Inspire People to Confront Hatred,"
Sunday, Feb. 14, 4 p.m.Performing Arts building, Room 101
 
Magda Bader, a Holocaust survivor, was born in Munkacs, a small town in Czechoslovakia which later became Hungary. Magda's father was a businessman and she was the youngest of 10 children. Life was good until at age 14 in April 1944, Magda was deported from her home to Auschwitz. Taken at that time were her parents, four sisters and a niece. Magda and three of her sisters survived Auschwitz, escaping from a concentration camp at Tannenberg in April 1945.
   
Alan B. Larkin Symposium On The American Presidency
Wednesday, Feb. 17 – Thursday, Feb. 18, Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium, FAU Boca Raton
“The President and American Capitalism Since 1945,” featuring keynote speaker Brian Balogh.Admission: $35, FAU faculty staff alumni $10, students $5. For tickets, call 1-800-564-9539 or visit www.fauevents.com.
   
Public Reading Of The Work By Dwayne Betts, Followed By A Q&A
Thursday, Feb. 18, 7:00pm, Majestic Palm Room, Student Union, FAU Boca Raton
Public reading of the work by Reginald Dwayne Betts. In 2012, President Barack Obama appointed Mr. Betts to the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. An award-winning writer and poet, Mr. Betts’ memoir, A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison, was the recipient of the 2010 NAACP Image Award for non-fiction. In 2010 he was awarded a Soros Justice Fellowship to complete The Circumference of a Prison, a work of nonfiction exploring the criminal justice system. In addition to his writing, Mr. Betts is National Spokesperson for the Campaign for Youth Justice, a not for profit organization dedicating to ending the practice of sendingjuveniles to prison with adults. For more information, contact Rebecca McKay at rmckay3@fau.edu
 
Chaos & Governance in the 21st Century: Prospects & Challenges to Peace & Justice in the Age of US Hegemonic Decline Thursday & Friday, Feb. 18 & 19, 9:00am-5:00pm, House Chambers, Student Activities Center, FAU Boca Raton
At the close of the 20th century Giovanni Arrighi and Beverly Silver published, Chaos and Governance in the Modern-World System (1999), an intellectual tour de force that examined the rise of market fundamentalism, the financialization of capital, economic globalization, and US hegemonic decline. This conference, co-organized by the Johns Hopkins Arrighi Center for Global Studies (http://krieger.jhu.edu/arrighi/), brings together leading international, national, and local scholars to revisit these questions nearly two decades later. Peace Studies Conference. Free event. More info at www.fau.edu/peacestudies
 
Trialogue: Beating Plowshares into Swords: Religion and Violence 
Sunday, Feb. 21, 7:30pm, University Theater, FAU Boca Raton
This trialogue between Rabbi A. James Rudin, Dr. Peter A. Pettit, and Imam Antepli brings together three leading experts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is sponsored by B’nai Torah Congregation, Florida Atlantic University, and St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church. Contact Bonnie Lander at blander@fau.edu for more information.
    "Unscrolled: The Torah on Display"
Thursday, Feb. 25, 4 p.m., Fleming Hall, FAU Boca Raton
Jenna Weissman Joselit, the Charles E. Smith professor of Judaic Studies and professor of history at George Washington University. Joselit is the author, among other things, of "The Wonders of America," which received the National Jewish Book Award in History, and "A Perfect Fit: Clothes, Character and the Promise of America." She also writes a monthly column for
The Forward, which is now in its 16th consecutive year of publication.
   
Greening Death – Reclaiming Burial Practices & Restoring Our Tie to the Earth
Monday, Feb. 29, 2:00pm, CU 301, FAU Boca Raton
We once disposed of our dead in earth-friendly ways – no chemicals, biodegradable containers, dust to dust. But over the last 150 years death care has become a toxic, polluting and alienating industry in the U.S. Over the last fifteen years, however, people have been slowly waking up to the possibility of more sustainable and less disaffecting death care, reclaiming old practices in new ways, in a new age. Kelly will discuss the philosophical and historical backstory to this awakening, highlight the passionate on-the-ground work of the Green Burial Movement, and raise questions about some of the obstacles and other challenges getting in the way of more robust mobilization.
 Agora  
 Agora Project:  “Campus Carry” Forums and Action Pavilions
Monday, Feb. 29, 2:00pm, Free Speech Lawn, FAU Boca RatonIn conjunction with student efforts and with university faculty, staff and administrators the Agora Project will sponsor a series of events to raise awareness and facilitate campus dialogue on the various proposals to allow citizens to carry firearms on Florida college and university campuses. Events will include a panel discussion, open forum for public participation and information/action stations providing the opportunity for citizens to get engaged with legislative process prior to votes on the bills in late spring. For more information, contact Bill Trapani at wtrapan1@fau.edu.
   "Unscrolled: The Torah on Display"
Thursday, Feb. 25, 4 p.m., Fleming Hall, FAU Boca Raton
Jenna Weissman Joselit, the Charles E. Smith professor of Judaic Studies and professor of history at George Washington University. Joselit is the author, among other things, of "The Wonders of America," which received the National Jewish Book Award in History, and "A Perfect Fit: Clothes, Character and the Promise of America." She also writes a monthly column for The Forward, which is now in its 16th consecutive year of publication.
 
 
Greening Death – Reclaiming Burial Practices & Restoring Our Tie to the Earth
Monday, Feb. 29, 2:00pm, CU 301, FAU Boca Raton
We once disposed of our dead in earth-friendly ways – no chemicals, biodegradable containers, dust to dust. But over the last 150 years death care has become a toxic, polluting and alienating industry in the U.S. Over the last fifteen years, however, people have been slowly waking up to the possibility of more sustainable and less disaffecting death care, reclaiming old practices in new ways, in a new age. Kelly will discuss the philosophical and historical backstory to this awakening, highlight the passionate on-the-ground work of the Green Burial Movement, and raise questions about some of the obstacles and other challenges getting in the way of more robust mobilization.
 
 
Agora Project:  “Campus Carry” Forums and Action Pavilions
Monday, Feb. 29, 2:00pm, Free Speech Lawn, FAU Boca RatonIn conjunction with student efforts and with university faculty, staff and administrators the Agora Project will sponsor a series of events to raise awareness and facilitate campus dialogue on the various proposals to allow citizens to carry firearms on Florida college and university campuses. Events will include a panel discussion, open forum for public participation and information/action stations providing the opportunity for citizens to get engaged with legislative process prior to votes on the bills in late spring. For more information, contact Bill Trapani at wtrapan1@fau.edu.
 
   Enemy Within: Tutsi Women During the Genocide

Wednesday, Mar. 2, 4:00 pm, PA 101, FAU Boca Raton

Dr. Karera explores the treatment of women in Rwanda during that country’s genocide against Tutsis. She unpacks assumptions about African, especially Tutsi women, showing that many concepts used by academics to “make sense” of rape as a genocidal tool are inadequate for understanding the case of Tutsi women during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. She argues that too often we have fallen prey to the use of reductive tropes imposed on Africa from the outside.  In turn, she contends that the extraordinary array of genocidal practices that were directed against Tutsi women took the precise form that they did because Tutsi women had, for some time prior to this tragic event, been presented as a very specific kind of threat to Rwanda's postcolonial social space. Genocidal rape in Rwanda requires attending to the lived experience of Tutsi women, before, during, and after the genocide. For more information, contact Dr. Lauren Guilmette at lguilmette@fau.edu.

   Comparative Studies Colloquium on Interdisciplinarity: Art and Activism in a Time of crisis

Thursday, Mar. 3, 12:30 pm, CU 301, FAU Boca Raton

Dr. Susan Noyes Platt, art historian, art critic, and activist, analyzes social and political concerns in contemporary art, with a perspective shaped by her background as an art historian. The colloquium will begin with an overview of the 450 mile long “Confluence Project” on the Columbia River, the boundary between the states of Washington and Oregon. We will briefly compare it to the historic “earthworks,” of Robert Smithson, then emphasize the ways in which it demonstrates her evolving understanding of the philosophies of the contemporary Native American cultures along the Columbia River. For more information, contact Dr. Michael Horswell at horswell@fau.edu.

   The Feminist Graduate Student’s Association 18th Annual Conference Keynote Address: “Does the South Still Have Something to Say: Marriage Equality, HIV, and Black Queer Resistance in the New South”

Friday, Mar. 4, 11:30 am, Student Union, FAU Boca Raton

Dr. Lamonda Horton Stallings, Associate Professor of Women’s Studies at the University of Maryland at College Park, is the keynote speaker. For more information, contact Dr. Josephine Beoku-Betts at beokubet@fau.edu.

   Worldmaking: The Art and Science of American Diplomacy

Monday, Mar. 14, 5:30 pm, Engineering East Room 106, FAU Boca Raton

Lecture by Dr. David Milne, Senior Lecturer in the School of History, University of East Anglia. Free event sponsored by PJHR, Peace Studies, the Diplomacy Program, and the Department of History. For more information, contact Dr. Kelly Shannon at shannonk@fau.edu.

   Lock Up America: Why Mass Incarceration Matters To Our Cities, Our Economy And Our Democracy

Tuesday, Mar. 22, 3:00 pm, Wimberly Library, FAU Boca Raton

Lecture by Heather Ann Thompson, Professor of African American Studies and History, Temple University. Free event. For more information contact Dr. Evan P. Bennett in the Department of History at (561) 297-0008 or ebennett@fau.edu.

 
"An Abley Saturated Field: The Case of Anna Stubblefield and the Intelligibility of Disability"

Thursday, Mar. 24, 6:30 pm, PA 101, FAU Boca Raton

Talk titled by Dr. Joel Michael Reynolds from Emory University. Was D.J., represented by the plaintiffs of the highly publicized case of Professor Anna Stubblefield, made unintelligible by virtue of the form of material supports his disability required for him to flourish? Does a prior, uncritical judgment concerning disability structure the field in which one judges Professor Stubblefield’s actions? Drawing upon formal elements of Butler’s analysis of the Rodney King beating, he will suggest that an abley saturated field structured the judgments of the case of Anna Stubblefield. The verdict, then, was a charge not just of Stubblefield’s actions, but for the possibility of a radical(ly) disabled political subject. For more information, contact Dr. Lauren Guilmette at lguilmette@fau.edu.

   2nd Annual Ethics Bowl on the Jupiter campus

Wednesday, March 30, 7:00p m, SR Burrow, FAU Jupiter

Ethics bowl is an event where undergraduates break into teams and debate on a variety of ethical controversies. Students are scored on the substance and delivery of their arguments as well as on their team participation, use of ethical perspectives and principles, thoroughness of responses to questions, and the level of respect displayed towards judges and opposing teams. For more information contact Dr. Mark Tunick at tunick@fau.edu.

 Agora  Agora Project:  Forum on Academic Speech and Campus Activism

Thursday, Mar. 31, 6:30-8:00 pm, Location TBD, FAU Boca Raton

 In recent years issues of speech and conduct have taken center stage on America’s college and university campuses. From student activism to debate over “trigger words” to the range of acceptable speech acts colleges everywhere are considering ways to balance academic freedom with institutional well-being and the rights of all members of a campus community. In this special forum a panel of experts from wide-ranging fields discusses the state of academic free speech today and offer suggestions on how it should look tomorrow. For more information, contact Dr. Bill Trapani at wtrapan1@fau.edu.

   "From Yesterday to Today, The Church, Antisemitism, and the Jews" 
Sunday, April 3, 2:30 p.m., Engineering East building, room 106
 
Kevin Spicer of Stonehill College. Spicer is the James J. Kenneally Distinguished Professor of History at Stonehill College, Easton, Mass. Spicer's research centers on the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the German state under National Socialism. He is the author of "Hitler's Priests: Catholic Clergy and National Socialism and "Resisting the Third Reich: The Catholic Clergy in Hitler's Berlin."

View the Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education 2015-2016 events here

  PJHR Fellows Colloquium:  Nonviolent Struggle Across Continents: Linking Global Movements in the 20th Century

Tuesday, April 5, 12:00-1:30 pm, CU 301, FAU Boca Raton

While the use of Gandhian Nonviolence by Martin Luther King during the Civil Rights Struggle is well known, the longer-term foundation upon which this adaptation rested spread back to the turn of the 20th century and linked figures from four continents.  This lecture will look at several of these figures and links, all based on an ongoing book project. This talk will be led by Dr. Doug McGetchin. Please visit www.fau.edu/pjhr for more information.

  PhD in Comparative Studies Conference: Crossings and Intersections

Friday & Saturday, Apr. 8 & 9

Our annual conferences reflect our program’s interdisciplinarity, with specific annual themes that help to narrow the focus. This year’s theme is no different: Crossings & Intersections touches on hybridity, “osmosis,” cross-pollination, intersectionality, and intertextuality. This year’s key note speaker will be Dr. Mike Sell, Assistant Professor of English at Indiana University of PA. He has published on Samuel Beckett, Arthur Miller, Vsevelod Meyerhold, film violence, performance art, the relationship of the avant-garde to transformative economic systems, and the relationship of interdisciplinary method and critical perspectives on gender, race, and place in avant-garde studies. More information here

 Arn  Arn Chorn-Pond
 
Tuesday, Apr. 12, 7:30 pm, University Theatre, FAU Boca Raton
 
Arn Chorn Pond is a renowned human rights activist, musician, and Cambodian genocide survivor. Separated from his family and forced by the Khmer Rouge into a youth work camp, he survived the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime by playing revolutionary songs on flute. Eventually he escaped and reached a refugee camp near the Thailand border. He started a new life as a refugee in the U.S. with the help of the Reverend Peter L Pond, his foster father. He inspires thousands with his incredible stories of hope, endurance, and survival through the power of music. See flyer here
   Movie: Imaginary Witness

Wednesday, Apr. 13, 5:00 pm, Student Union, House Chambers, FAU Boca Raton

This is a documentary directed by Daniel Anker and narrated by Gene Hackman. It examines the treatment of the Holocaust in Hollywood films over a period of sixty years and the impact of the films on public perception and thinking, and vice versa. For tickets and more information, visit fau.livingroomtheaters.com.

 Agora  Agora Project:  “It’s on Us” – Ending Campus Sexual Assault

Thursday, April 14, 3:00-5:00 pm, Student Union, FAU Boca Raton

 In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness month, the Agora Project will facilitate a dialogue on campus sexual assault including awareness and safety tips, information on current consent and conduct expectations and ways we continue to ensure a safe atmosphere on university campuses. For more information, contact Dr. Bill Trapani at wtrapan1@fau.edu.

 Agora  Agora Project:  Celebration of Civility and Kindness

Tuesday, April 19, 7:00-8:30 pm, Live Oak Pavilion, FAU Boca Raton

This event closes the 2015-2016 academic year programming for the Agora Project with guest speakers reflecting on the importance of civility in today’s society. The event will also include updates on our inaugural “Kindness Campaign” as well as the recognition of faculty, staff and students who have made unique and valuable contributions to our campus community. For more information, contact Dr. Bill Trapani at wtrapan1@fau.edu

 barb  

Barb Schmidt Workshop Series: Making Your Everyday Life Your Spiritual Life

Saturday, Apr. 23, 10:00am-12:30pm, Senate Chambers, FAU Boca Raton

Barb Schmidt has studied mindfulness and meditation for over 30 years with teachers around the world including the Dalai Lama XIV, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Jetsuma Tenzin Palmo. In her 2016 workshop series, she will focus on mindful approaches to everyday living, offering practical tools for living a life of meaning, happiness and power in the midst of a world which often times is fast paced and chaotic.

barb  

Barb Schmidt Workshop Series: Making Your Everyday Life Your Spiritual Life

Monday, Apr. 26, 6:00-8:30pm, Senate Chambers, FAU Boca Raton

Barb Schmidt has studied mindfulness and meditation for over 30 years with teachers around the world including the Dalai Lama XIV, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Jetsuma Tenzin Palmo. In her 2016 workshop series, she will focus on mindful approaches to everyday living, offering practical tools for living a life of meaning, happiness and power in the midst of a world which often times is fast paced and chaotic.

 barb  Barb Schmidt Workshop Series: Making Your Everyday Life Your Spiritual Life

Saturday, Apr. 23, 10:00am-12:30pm, Senate Chambers, FAU Boca Raton

Barb Schmidt has studied mindfulness and meditation for over 30 years with teachers around the world including the Dalai Lama XIV, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Jetsuma Tenzin Palmo. In her 2016 workshop series, she will focus on mindful approaches to everyday living, offering practical tools for living a life of meaning, happiness and power in the midst of a world which often times is fast paced and chaotic.

barb

Barb Schmidt Workshop Series: Making Your Everyday Life Your Spiritual Life

Monday, Apr. 26, 6:00-8:30pm, Senate Chambers, FAU Boca Raton

Barb Schmidt has studied mindfulness and meditation for over 30 years with teachers around the world including the Dalai Lama XIV, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Jetsuma Tenzin Palmo. In her 2016 workshop series, she will focus on mindful approaches to everyday living, offering practical tools for living a life of meaning, happiness and power in the midst of a world which often times is fast paced and chaotic.