Previous Events
2005 - 2006
The Hon. Roméo Dallaire - March 20, 2006
4:30 p.m. - Gaston Hall
(Co-sponsored wtih the Georgetown University Lecture Fund)
A decorated Lieutenant General, Roméo Dallaire served for 35 years with the Canadian Armed Forces. A best-selling author, his recently released book, Shake Hands With the Devil (which was awarded the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction in 2004) is a stirring account of his experience as the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission to Rwanda and exposes the failures by humanity to stop the worst genocide in the 20th century. General Dallaire completed a Fellowship at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Kennedy School of Government, at Harvard University to pursue his research in conflict resolution. He received the Order of Canada in 2002. As well, he was recently presented with the United Nations Association in Canada's Pearson Peace Medal by Canada's Governor-General, Adrienne Clarkson. Of most recent note, on March 24, 2005, Prime Minister Paul Martin announced that Her Excellency the Governor General has summoned Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire to the Senate. Lieutenant-General Dallaire will be sitting in the Senate as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Dr. Peter Piot - March 7, 2006
11:30 a.m. - Riggs Library
Dr. Peter Piot is Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of theJoint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). After he qualified as a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Ghent in 1974, he became co-discoverer of the Ebola virus in Zaire in 1976. In 1980 he received a Doctorate in Microbiology from the University of Antwerp. From 1991 to 1994 Dr. Piot was president of the International AIDS Society. 1992 he became Assistant Director of the World Health Organization's Global Programme on HIV/AIDS. On December 12, 1994 Peter Piot was appointed Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations. Dr. Peter was born in Leuven, Belgium, and currently resides in Geneva, Switzerland. Click hear to view a webcast of Dr. Piot's lecture!
Mr. Stephen Lewis - January 25th, 2006
6:30 p.m. - ICC Auditorium
(Co-sponsored wtih the Georgetown University Lecture Fund)
Stephen Lewis has focused much of his humanitarian effort on the African continent. As Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations from 1984-88, he chaired the Committee that drafted the 5-year UN Programme on African Economic Recovery. In September 1986, the Secretary-General of the United Nations appointed Mr. Lewis as his Special Advisor on Africa to aid in "the mobilization of the international community." Most recently, Mr. Lewis was appointed as the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. His mandate is to ensure follow-up to the April 2001 Africa Summit on HIV/AIDS and to the July 2001 United Nations Special Session on HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Charles Villa-Vicencio
Monday, November 14th, 2005 - 7:00 PM - Copley Formal Lounge
Dr. Villa-Vicencio is Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, based in Cape Town, South Africa. He was formerly the National Research Director in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in which capacity he was responsible for the five-volume report of the Commission handed to President Mandela in October 1998. He has taught as Professor of Religion and Society at the University of Cape Town and was appointed a Fellow of that univeristy in 1994, subsequently becoming an Professor Emeritus there. He has published in excess of one hundred scholarly articles, as well as having authored and edited eighteen books. A regular contributor to debate in South Africa, his present work is largely in the area of transitional justice. He works closely with universities and research institutes in other parts of Africa and elsewhere in the world in matters of justice.
His Eminence Renato Cardinal Martino
Monday, November 14th, 2005 - 4:00 PM - Copley Formal Lounge
Cardinal Martino is the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Vatican dicastery created in 1967 by Pope Paul VI under the mandate of the Second Vatican Council "to stimulate the Catholic Community to foster progress in needy regions and social justice on the international scene." A veteran Vatican diplomat, Cardinal Martino served as permanent observer for the Vatican at the U.N. headquarters in New York from 1986 until October 2002, when he was appointed to his current post. He was elevated to the Sacred College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II in October 2003. His Eminence recently oversaw the publication of the major document, "The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church," which serves as a tool to inspire and guide the faithful and all those of good will who are faced daily with moral and pastoral challenges. It was first published in English in March of 2005.
Father Robert Vitillo - October 24th, 2005
Father Vitillo, a Catholic priest, is the Special Advisor on HIV/AIDS to Caritas Internationalis, Vatican-based global confederation of national Catholic social service and development organizations that operates in some 200 countries. In this capacity, he coordinates an advisory group on HIV/AIDS, serves on the AIDS Funding Network Group of Catholic organizations engaged in HIV and AIDS programs in the developing countries, and assists the Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis in liaison with the Pontifical Council on Health Care and the Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations. Vitillo is also president of the National Catholic AIDS Network board of directors, serves as co-convenor of the Strategy Group on HIV and AIDS for the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (based at the World Council of Churches), and is a member of the Boards of Directors of the National Council for Adoption, the Global Community Service Foundation, and Medicines for Humanity. He coordinates collaboration with other Catholic organizations and directs the Caritas Internationalis response to wide-ranging aspects of the global pandemic in various parts of the world. Click here to read Fr. Vitillo's remarks.
Dr. James Martin - September 30, 2005
James Martin is founder and chairman emeritus of Headstrong, a global consultancy that helps leading companies worldwide create real business values from digital technologies. Known as 'the Guru of the Information Age' he is widely recognised as an authority on the social and commercial ramifications of computers and technology. He has written more than 100 textbooks, some of which were seminal works that changed perceptions in the IT industry. In 1977, his book The Wired Society: A Challenge for Tomorrow, which is based on his predictions and progressive views about technology, received a Pulitzer Prize nomination. And Computerworld, in its 25th anniversary issue, ranked him fourth among the 25 individuals who have most influenced the world of computer science. His next book, The Meaning of the 21st Century: Transformation and Survival, is to be published by Riverhead/Penguin. It is currently being filmed for American Public Broadcasting. The very generous support that has made the 21st Century School a reality is his second major benefaction to the University of Oxford. It builds on the work of the James Martin Institute for Science and Civilization, which has already established itself as an influential force.
Dr. Marcello Pera - September 22, 2005
Senator Pera is the current President of the Senate of the Italian Republic. As a scholar and as a politician, he has had distinguished careers in both the academic world and in politics. Senator Pera taught at the University of Pisa, where he was appointed full Professor of Philosophy of Science in 1992. As a Fulbright scholar, he studied at University of Pennsylvania and continued his scholarly work in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT. He sits on the scientific boards of several authoritative international periodicals of science and philosophy, and is currently a Fellow of the University of Virginia's Center for the Study of Science in Society. Elected Senator in 1996, Senator Pera has dedicated himself to furthering Italy's progress as one of the world's leading democracies, and its prosperity as one of the major world economies. Pera has been a leading Italian voice in promoting strong trans-Atlantic relations. He recently co-authored a book with the then Card. Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) titled "Senza Radici" ("Without Roots"), and is the author of the foreword of the book by the Holy Father entitled "The Europe of Benedict XVI". Click here to read Senator Pera's remarks
Father Cedric Prakash, S.J. - September 19th, 2005
Prakash, a Jesuit Priest, has committed himself to the service of faith and promotion of human rights, communal harmony, justice and peace, for the last 30 years. Fr. Prakash is Director of "Prashant" - a center for human rights, justice and peace, and is also the Coordinator of the Province Office for Integral Social Development (POISD) - an organization dedicated to coordinate developmental, justice and peace works of the Society of Jesus in Gujarat, India. Fr. Prakash's areas of study include Economics, Philosophy and Theology. Besides his major responsibilities, he is currently also the Director of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Baroda Diocese and the Secretary for Social Communications for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) for 14 Dioceses of the Western Region of India. He is also a liaison for the Local Capacities for Peace Project out of Harvard University. Additionally, he is the spokesperson of the United Christian Forum for Human Rights in the Gujarat province of India. Click here to read Father Prakash's remarks.
2004-2005
David Blood - April 26, 2005
With former Vice President Al Gore, David Blood co-founded Generation Investment Management, an investment management firm that blends traditional equity research with a focus on social and environmental responsibility and corporate governance. When determining shareholder value and long-term return, Generation considers transparency, innovation, environmental stewardship, community investment, employee compensation, and social accountability in addition to economic growth. Mr. Blood previously served as the CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management with responsibility for $325 billion in assets under management and all aspects of global business including portfolio management, sales and client service, risk management and infrastructure. Mr. Blood is a member of the Board of Trustees of Hamilton College, New Philanthropy Capital, and SHINE.
Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, M.Afr. - February 28, 2005
A member of The Society of the Missionaries of Africa, Archbishop Fitzgerald served as Secretary for Interreligious Dialogue before being appointed President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue by Pope John Paul II in 2002. He studied theology at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, as well as Arabic at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. From 1968 to 1978, he was on the staff of the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies and he has worked extensively on the African continent both in pastoral and academic settings. The magazine Inside the Vatican named Archbishop Fitzgerald one of the "Top 10 Catholics" of 2002. Click here to read Archbishop Fitzgerald's remarks.
Ambassador Tony Hall - February 8, 2005
Ambassador Hall has long been a leading advocate for hunger relief programs and human rights around the world. As the U.S. Ambassador to the Agencies for Food and Agriculture (FAO), he has sought to promote agricultural development and achieve true food security for all peoples. Founded in 1945, the FAO works to raise nutrition levels and standards of living, and to improve the overall condition of rural populations. Ambassador Hall represented Ohio's 3rd District in the House of Representatives for nearly 24 years before being appointed to his current post by President Bush in 2002. Click here to read Ambassador Hall's remarks.
Professor Muhammad Yunus - February 1, 2005
Listen to an audiocast of this lecture
As founder of the Grameen Movement, Professor Muhammad Yunus has coupled capitalism with social responsibility and revolutionized the face of rural economic and social development. His work with Gram Sarker (village government), a form of local government which emphasizes the participation of rural peoples, proved so successful it was adopted by the Bangladeshi government in 1980. He serves on several committees and commissions dealing with education, population, health, disaster prevention, banking, and development. Since 2002, he has served as Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). He received the World Food Prize in 1994 and the Bangladeshi President's award in 1978.
Mr. Jonathan Fanton - November 15, 2004
Mr. Jonathan Fanton is the president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The Foundation, with assets of roughly $4.2 billion, provides grant support for national and international projects that focus on issues including development, education, the environment, international security, and human rights. Mr. Fanton also served as chair of the board of directors of Human Rights Watch between 1998 and 2003. Founded in 1978, the group conducts regular and systematic investigations into human rights abuses in roughly seventy countries worldwide. Click here to read Mr. Fanton's remarks.
Mr. Jonathan Kozol - November 8, 2004
Mr. Jonathan Kozol has written extensively on the current state of education in our nation. His work offers a first-hand account of his experiences in some of this country's most disadvantaged neighborhoods. As a teacher and activist, he has been a voice for the poor and awakened the conscience of America to the need for educational equity and social justice. Death At An Early Age, his first book, won the National Book Award in 1968 and chronicles his first year teaching in the Boston public school system. Mr. Kozol serves as an advisor to Campaign for America's Future and the Institute for America's Future.
Paul Farmer, MD, PhD - October 19, 2004
Dr. Paul Farmer is a medical anthropologist with an active clinical practice serving the poor. He divides his time between the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and a charity hospital in rural Haiti, where he serves as medical co-director. He is also on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Farmer writes extensively on the social and economic rights of the world's poor. His life and work is the subject of the recently published Mountains Beyond Mountains by Pulitzer Prize winning author Tracy Kidder.
Professor Andrea Riccardi - October 14, 2004
Professor Andrea Riccardi is known internationally as the founder of the Sant'Egidio Community, a lay Roman Catholic association of more than 40,000 members dedicated to prayer, communicating the gospel, solidarity with the poor, ecumenism, and dialogue. The Community's mediation was instrumental in the 1992 agreement that brought peace to Mozambique after 16 years of civil war. Professor Riccardi is a professor of modern church history at Rome University where he specializes in relationships among the world's religions. Click here to read Prof. Riccardi's remarks.
Dr. Miroslav Volf - October 5, 2004
Dr. Miroslav Volf is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale University Divinity School and author of Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Togetherness, and Reconciliation, an examination of Christian belief during war time, based on his experiences teaching at a seminary in Croatia during years of conflict. In his writings, he has explored the theme of reconciliation and the resources of Christianity in fostering peaceful social environments. Click here to read Dr. Volf's remarks.
Rt. Hon. Baroness Shirley Williams - September 30, 2004
Rt. Hon. Baroness Shirley Williams has led the Liberal Democrats in the British House of Lords for the past three years. She has also served in the House of Commons and as a Minister of Education and Science. Baroness Williams has had a distinguished second career in academic life, which included appointment as Public Service Professor of Elective Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University from 1988-2000. She serves on the Council on Foreign Relations and the board of directors of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Click here to read Baroness Williams' remarks.
2003-2004
Mr. Peter Bell - April 5, 2004
Mr. Peter Bell is president of CARE USA, a global humanitarian organization devoted to fighting hunger and poverty in 60 nations. In a career devoted to philanthropic and humanitarian endeavors, Mr. Bell has held senior positions with the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He served in the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and as president of the Inter-American Foundation and of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. Click here to read Mr. Bell's remarks.
Archbishop Rowan Williams - March 29, 2004
View a webcast of this lecture
Dr. Rowan Williams was confirmed as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury on December 2, 2002. A well-respected theologian, Dr. Williams is a Fellow of the British Academy and was previously a professor of divinity at Oxford -- the youngest ever to be appointed at the University. Dr. Williams is devoted to strengthening interrelgious dialogue and has brought together Christian and Muslim scholars throughout the world for his "Building Bridges" seminars, which he convened while on Georgetown's campus. Click here to read the Archbishop's remarks.
Mr. Ka Hsaw Wa - February 18, 2004
Ka Hsaw Wa has endured imprisonment and torture to document human rights abuses in Burma. He discovered that the widespread brutality, forced labor, and relocation of Burmese villages he encountered were all connected to the exploitation of natural resources in the name of development. In response, Mr. Wa founded EarthRights International to raise awareness about the inextricable link between human rights and environmentalism. The organization documents government-sponsored human rights abuses in Burma and has trained hundreds of people from indigenous groups on nonviolent resistance, the protection of human rights, and the conservation of natural resources and the environment.
Dr. William Schulz - February 9, 2004
Dr. William Schulz has served as Executive Director of Amnesty International since 1994. Prior to his appointment he served on the Council of the International Association for Religious Freedom, the oldest international interfaith organization in the world. He is known as an outspoken voice for the opposition of the death penalty and support for the rights of women, gays and lesbians, and people of color. His recent book, In Our Own Best Interests: How Defending Human Rights Benefits Us All, makes the case to the American public that human rights ought to be worthy of support, not just because they are morally compelling, but also because they are in our best interest. Click here to read Dr. Schulz' remarks.
Professor E.J. Dionne - November 25, 2003
Professor E.J. Dionne has been called one of the 40 most influential thinkers of our time. He is a prominent political commentator and University Professor in Georgetown's Public Policy Institute, delivered a lecture at the inauguration of Georgetown's Chair in the Foundations of Democracy and Culture.
Cherie Booth QC, Conor Gearty, Ambassador Michael Novak, and Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick - November 17, 2003
Prominent British and American legal and political scholars and practitioners discussed perspectives on how "Human Rights Are Best Served By Democracy and International Law." Dialogue participants included:
Dr. Peter Steinfels - October 10, 2003
Dr. Peter Steinfels, ethics columnist for The New York Times, delivered the inaugural Pacem in Terris lecture. He is a former visiting professor of history at Georgetown and author of more than 2,000 articles and 10 books on topics related to religion, ethics, and politics. His most recent work, A People Adrift: the Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in America, was published in 2003 to critical acclaim. Click here to read Dr. Steinfels' lecture.
