Contacts:
Pat Suhrcke, Director
(617) 495-2727
email: Public Events@cambridgeforum.org
Press Release
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Cambridge
Forum - Winter 2008
Free and Open to the Public
January 30
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?
February 6
ENDING SLAVERY
International human rights worker and award-winning author of Ending
Slavery, 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?
February 11 (Monday @7pm)
FAITH AND POLITICS AFTER THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT
Best-selling 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?
FREE WILL DONATION REQUESTED at the door. $5 suggested.
February 22 (Friday)
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.
March 19
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.
In her new book, Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity and Courage in a World
Gone
Mad, Lappé 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. 6:30 reception precedes the
program.
March 26
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.
April 10 (Thursday)
WRITING AGAINST THE GATEKEEPERS
A panel of authors discuss the barriers to getting “dangerous” and important work published. Co-sponsored by PEN-New England, as part of the Freedom to Write series. * A selection of books will be available.
April 15 (Tuesday)
BAD MONEY
Best-selling author of Bad Money: Wreckless Finance, Failed Politics, and
the Global Crisis of American Capitalism 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?
April 25 (Friday)
BAD RELIGION: Greg Graffin, Cultural Humanist
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.
***
Event takes place at The Memorial Church
in Harvard Yard.
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Tickets are required; call Cambridge Forum at 617-495-2727 to
reserve.
Cambridge Forums are free and open to the public. Book signing will follow program. Open discussion follows speaker presentation. Events are recorded for public radio broadcast. CDs and tapes are available. Call 617-495-2727. Forums can also be viewed online: Go to www.cambridgeforum.org and click on the WGBH Forum Network. Cambridge Forum 3 Church Street Cambridge, MA 02138 Phone/fax: 617-495-2727 email: director@cambridgeforum.org website: http://www.cambridgeforum.org "Bringing people together to talk again . . ."