
2008 Winter Series (text
version)
This
WINTER Cambridge Forum invites speakers to explore topics including: the
2008 presidential campaign, ending global slavery, climate
change,
the crisis of American capitalism, bad religion, and how to get our
democratic society on back on track to
reach its full potential. Join us in Harvard Square or on the radio or on the
Internet!
THE BULLDOZER
AND THE BIG TENT: Recovering American Ideals
Todd Gitlin, professor of sociology
and journalism at Columbia University and one-time president of SDS, brings
his political insights to the 2008
presidential campaign on the eve of the February 5 super-primary. Why have
Republicans been so much better than Democrats at getting and exercising
power? What does the Democratic Party need to do to change that?
» Book signing courtesy of Harvard Book Store
» press
release » Wednesday,
January 30th @ 7:30p

  
ENDING SLAVERY
International human rights worker,
President and co-founder of Free The Slaves, Kevin
Bales presents a 25-year plan to end global slavery and rebuild the lives of
27 million held in slavery today. What actions by governments, NGOs,
businesses, and individuals are required to bring an end to more than
5,000 years of human bondage?
» press
release
» Wednesday,
February 6th @ 7:30p

  
FAITH AND POLITICS AFTER THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT
Bestselling author, theologian, and founder of Sojourners, Jim Wallis discusses the end of the religious right’s dominance in American politics and looks forward to a new role for faith in American society. What happens when politics fails to solve our most pressing problems? What role can spirituality play in public life?
» DONATION REQUESTED at the door. $5 suggested
» press release » Monday, February 11th @ 7:00p

  
PLAN B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save
Civilization
Environmental guru Lester Brown proposes a plan of action
to address the challenges of climate change. How can nations cut carbon
emissions
by 80% by the year 2020? What are the economic and political prospects
for mobilizing the world to achieve Plan B 3.0?
» Co-sponsored
by the Harvard Book Store
» press
release » Friday,
February 22nd @ 7:30p

  
GETTING A GRIP ON DEMOCRACY
Visionary social activist Frances Moore Lappé challenges citizens
to examine their underlying assumptions and think about fear, power, democracy
and hope
itself in new ways. She argues that replacing a vicious “circle of powerlessness” with
a virtuous “circle of empowerment” enables a democratic society to
reach its full potential.
» Co-sponsored
by Food For Free
» press
release » Wednesday,
March 19th @ 7:30p

  
TIBET: Lens on Human Rights in China
Lobsang Sanjay, Senior Fellow of the East Asian Legal
Studies Program at Harvard Law School, discusses Tibet. Using Tibet's
status as a starting point for examining China's commitment to
human rights, Sanjay explores how Tibet's situation illuminates
shortcomings as well as strengths in international law and politics.
» Co-sponsored by Mullane, Michel & McInnes, Counselors at Law
» press release » Wednesday, March 26 th@ 7:30p
  
AMERICAN BLANDSCAPE: Risky Writing and the Forces That Silence It
A panel of authors and editors discuss the barriers to getting "risky" and important work published. The importance of politically challenging fiction and poetry, from Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin to Allen Ginsburg's Howl is undeniable. But has such writing been effectively muffled by current trends in publishing? What is the cultural impact of such censorship? What can an individual writer of conscience do?
»Co-sponsored by PEN-New England, as part of the Freedom to Write series.
» press release » Thursday, April 10th@ 7:30p
 
BAD MONEY
Best-selling author and political commentator Kevin Phillips exposes
the crisis of American capitalism. How has the interaction among reckless
financial dealings, excessive debt, worn-out politics and global over-reach
creates an Achilles heel for U.S. national security? What challenges
does the threat of “bad money” pose for the 2008 presidential
candidates? And for the new administration in 2009?
» press
release » Tuesday,
April 15th@ 7:30p
  
BAD RELIGION
Evolutionary biologist and punk rocker Greg Graffin receives
the 2008 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. The lead
singer and songwriter
for Bad Religion, arguably America’s most influential
punk rock band of the past generation and professor of life sciences at UCLA,
Graffin explores
the philosophies underlying human creativity in the sciences and in the
arts.
» Co-sponsored
by the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard
» press
release » Saturday,
April 26th @ 7:30p
  
PLANET WALKER
Author and environmental activist John Francis gave up motorized transport and began to walk everywhere after a major oil spill in San Francisco Bay in the early 1970s. His "planet walks" call attention to the impact human beings have on the earth and promote a new sense of responsibility for the planet's health.
» Co-sponsored by Lesley University, Natural Science and Mathematics and the Friends of Alewife Reservation.
» press release » Wednesday, May 14 th @ 7:30p

::::::: RECENT CAMBRIDGE FORUM EVENTS
(2007) AVAILABLE ON CD :::::::
Letters To A Young Teacher
Jonathan Kozol discusses his latest
book, inspired by his letters to Francesca, a first grade teacher at an
inner-city school in Boston. In Letters To A Young Teacher, Kozol
tackles a number of the controversial issues: the mania of high-stakes
testing that turns many classrooms into test-prep factories where spontaneity
and critical intelligence are no longer valued, and the inequalities of
urban schools that are once again almost as segregated as they were a century
ago. Kozol also portrays the happiness of teaching children, and their
ability to overcome their insecurities when they are in the hands of an
adoring and hard-working teacher.

  
PUBLIC POET: Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow at 200
Director of the National Endowment for the Arts and Longfellow scholar Dana
Gioia revisits the work of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with a group
of poets, writers, political leaders and educators. What does Longfellow’s
work say to the 21st century reader? Is there a place in our technological
age for public poetry?
» Co-sponsored
by the Longfellow National Historic Site, the American
Poetry Foundation, and the Paul Revere House



  
A Liberal Speaks
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and co-founder of The American Prospect, Paul
Starr discusses Freedom’s Power: The True Force of Liberalism.
Delving into the history of liberal philosophy, Starr asks what traditional
liberalism has to offer modern America.
  
The West And China: Divergence And
Convergence
Economic historian Niall Ferguson examines the impact of China’s
economic strength on the international economy. How has China made its presence
felt through manufacturing, its trade surplus, monetary policy, and acquisition
of Western corporations?
  
In The West Bank With Palestinians
And The Israelis
Veteran journalist Philip Winslow worked on the West Bank
with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency during the second intifada,
driving up to 600 miles a week between almost every Palestinian town, village,
and refugee camp and every Israeli checkpoint in the occupied territory. His
latest book presents a rare firsthand account of people’s lives in this
dangerous and contested region. What conditions would be necessary to stop
the ongoing violence? What conditions would allow real progress toward peace? book
info

 
Marco Polo
Author Larry Bergreen traces Marco Polo’s journey to
China along the silk road. As the West continues to discover China today, this
look back at Europe’s earlier encounter calls for a re-examination of
our traditional expectations.
  
The Israeli Lobby And U.S. Foreign
Policy
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt ignited
a storm of controversy when they first presented their argument that
the Israel lobby may be moving American foreign policy in directions
that are not in the United States’ best interests. Their new
book examines the impact of the Israel lobby on the United States and
Israel in greater detail and is sure to provoke a lively discussion.
  
American Creation
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph Ellis tells
six stories from the early years of the American Republic. How did the
decisions made by the
founders affect the shape of the young nation? What were their creative
achievements? And their failures? Despite the injustices and brutalities
that resulted from the continuation of slavery and the repression of
Native Americans, Ellis argues that founders’ strategy rose from
a profoundly realistic insight about how enduring social change best
happens.

  
Musicophilia
Neurologist Oliver Sacks investigates the power of music to move us,
to heal and to haunt us. Why
do humans make music? What does “your
brain on music” look like?
  
Unriddling The World
Why does an author choose to write fantasy? What opportunities does this
genre provide for their imaginations? Join Roger Sutton, editor-in-chief
of The Horn Book Magazine as he explores these questions with Susan
Cooper (The Dark Is Rising) and Gregory Maguire (Wicked),
two modern masters of fantasy in literature for children and adults.
The Writing Of Fantasy
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stata Center, 32 Vassar Street
Join Roger Sutton, editor in chief of The Horn Book Magazine. as he leads authors Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising) and Gregory Maguire (Wicked) in a roundtable discussion about the possibilities and problems in writing and reading fantasy for young people and adults.
 
  
Unriddling the World: Fantasy and Children
Cambridge Forum presents award-winning author Susan Cooper.
Why do children read fantasy? Does an adult understand fantasy in the same way
as a child? In what ways does fantasy help children cope with the real world?
Preceded by "Songs and Riddles": a musical introduction by Tony Barrand, singer,
dancer and scholar and George Emlen, music director of Revels.
  
Last Night's Dream
Rodger Kamenetz searches for spiritual truth in dreams. How has the quest
to interpret dreams shaped Western thought? How do dreams allow us to communicate
with our unconscious selves?

  
The Missing Class
Princeton sociologist Katherine Newman gives voice to 57 million
Americans sandwiched between the middle class and the poor. How do the stories
of these
families–21 million of them are children– demonstrate the need
to think about inequality in a new way. Through the experiences of nine families,
Katherine Newman and Victor Tan Chen trace the unique problems faced by individuals
in this large and growing demographic—the "near poor"—who
have transformed their lives through hard work and determination.

  
The Cambridge Forum series: Is
This America? is made possible in part
by:
A Cambridge Forum series of public discussions that
examines America's most deeply held values. How can our founding ideals
of liberty
and justice for all help restore respectful civic dialogue in a time of
contentious re-examination of constitutional principles.
  
Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Political scientist Paul Watanabe discusses immigrant entrepreneurs
with Michael Liu and Ramon Borges-Mendez of the University of Massachusetts,
Boston. What contributions do immigrants make to our nation's economy? What's
the relationship between immigrant populations and urban vitality?
» press
release » This program is funded in part by the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.
  
| Recent Cambridge
Forum radio broadcasts: |
The Planets
Author Dava Sobel discusses her history
of the nine planets of our solar system and the fascination they hold for
the human imagination. Sobel traces the lives of each member of our solar
family, from myth and history, astrology and science fiction, to the latest
data from the modern era's robotic space probes.
» press
release

  
THE SHAME OF THE NATION
Jonathan Kozol documents the reappearance
of separate and unequal schooling in our nation's educational system. Gary
Orfield of The Civil Rights Project at Harvard responds and moderates the
discussion. What factors are driving the reappearance of segregated schools?
What impact does this phenomenon have on the quality of our children's
education? What does it portend for the future?

 
THE RAW DEAL: Current Social Security Politics and
Policies
Best-selling author Joe Conason examines
the campaign for privatizing Social Security. Who supports the privatization
movement? And who benefits from it? How has the once unthinkable campaign
to change Social Security, the so-called "third rail" of politics,
developed support to move its agenda forward? Will the privatization movement
regain momentum after the 2006 mid-term elections?
  
GILEAD
Marilynne Robinson receives the 2005
Melcher Book Award from the Unitarian Universalist Association for her
Pulitzer Prize winning novel Gilead. Her compelling
and insightful reflection on the human spirit documents its search for
connection to other human beings and to a spiritual power.
 
GREEN CITIES
"Transit oriented development" and "smart
growth" are new initiatives in urban design aim to create "green
cities." Peter Smith of the Boston Society of Architects
discusses these movements with Larissa Brown, chief planner
for urban design firm Goody, Clancy, and Kristina Egan ,
director of the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance. How is it possible
to design urban communities that are economically and environmentally sustainable?
How do such communities work? Are they coming to your region soon?
  
ASSESSING THE HEALTH OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Robert Watson, chief scientist and director of the Environmentally
and Socially Sustainable Development Network of the World Bank and Chair
of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, explores
the implications of the 2005 report of the U.N. Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment. In the afternoon Watson discusses the evidence for global
climate change with a panel of scientists. At the evening forum he asks
what the future of the earth looks like if current climate trends continue.
What have we done to change the global climate? And how can we undo the
negative changes we have made?
  

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My Senses
Are Tingling
Current events provide plenty of material
for Jimmy Tingle's comedic genius these days.
When he focuses his zinging wit on world affairs, you're certain
to experience the power of laughter to clarify, to heal, and
to inspire change!
Jimmy Tingle's American
Dream
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TALKING
BACK . . . To Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels?
Andrea Mitchell, NBC's Chief
Foreign Affairs correspondent, discusses her trail blazing life
as a woman in journalism in her new memoir. Uniquely positioned
to provide an insider's view of the role of the media in the United
States today, Mitchell has had four decades of access to those
wielding power inside the Beltway and has seen firsthand how that
power is viewed and exercised around the world.

   
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These RECENT forums can
be viewed as WEBCASTS on the WGBH Forum Network:
Democracy in the Age of Dubya
Al Franken, political satirist and author Listen ... 
The Realm of Vanishing Cultures
Wade Davis, National Geographic explorer Listen ...
Bits & Bites From Hip Hop Life
Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, journalist and author Listen ... 
Little Red Hiding Hood Uncloaked
Sex, Morality and the Evolution of a Fairytale
Catherine Orenstein, cultural critic Listen ... 
Inventing Iraq: The Failure of Nation-Building
Toby Dodge, author, ABC News Iraq consultant Listen ... 
Israel/Palestine: Voices from the Ground
Robert Tobin, editor
Maureen Tobin, editor Listen ...
 
Some highlights from last year's programs:
OVER
THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
Historian Lawrence Bergreen offers
a stunning account of Magellan's historic journey, the adventures of
his crew, and his own tragic
end in a new book entitled Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the
Globe.
  
This
Just In
Veteran journalist Bob Schieffer, chief Washington
correspondent for CBS News and moderator of "Face the Nation," reveals
insights from his new memoir chronicling 40 years in journalism. How
has the business of news influenced politics and shaped public opinion?
Have the news media gained too much power?
  

Artists In Times Of War
A new book from leading American historian Howard
Zinn reflects on war, dissent, and the role of the artist, illuminating
some of the 20th century's most celebrated voices of conscience, from
Mark Twain to Langston Hughes. What is the everyday potential of artists
and citizens to create social apertures for change?
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Directions to Harvard Square
By Public Transportation: Take
the Red Line to the Harvard stop; Or take any number of buses
that come to the Square. Walk a short distance to the side entrance
of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist located at 3 Church
Street (just opposite the Harvard Square Cinema). To get a schedule
or for more information about public transportation, call (617)
222-3200 or (800)392-6100 toll free.
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By Car: From the Massachusetts
Turnpike (east and westbound): Take Exit 18 (Allston, Cambridge):
Go through toll booth, bear right towards Cambridge, then go straight
across the bridge over the Charles River, take an immediate left
onto Memorial Drive and follow past 1 bridge. At next bridge, take
a right on JFK Street into Harvard Square. See above.
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