2007-08 series focuses on 'Five Pillars of a New World Building'

ARCHDIOCESE - Xavier University's third annual "Vision of Hope" speaker series began with a presentation by philosophy professor Ronald Glossop Nov. 5 in Kelley Auditorium in Alter Hall on the university campus.

Glossop explored the shift from internationalism to globalism, from separate and somewhat independent but cooperating national communities to an increasingly integrated global community.

CT FILE PHOTO

Jesuit Father Ben Urmston

Each talk addresses one of the five main structures of a world more in accord with God's word: A global ethic agreed upon by all the religions; the various forms of non-violence; a culture of basic human rights; a just distribution of wealth achieved through economic democracy; and world peace through democratic world order.

Each keynote speaker's presentation addresses one of these pillars as it pertains to her or his particular area of research and experience. Furthermore, each speaker addresses three thematic questions: Is it necessary? Is it possible? What is the way forward? The program includes an introduction from Father Urmston on the current "pillar" being addressed and concludes with an audience question-and-answer session.

The four remaining scheduled presentations include:

Non-Violence: Perspectives from the Front Lines of Non-Violence: Dec. 6, 7 p.m., Kelley Auditorium in Alter Hall. This lecture examines the work of domestic-violence shelter advocates and the ways their daily service provision intersects with larger non-violent movements. Jennifer Wies, director for Xavier's new women's center, earned a Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Kentucky. She has provided intimate partner violence intervention services and prevention programming at the University of Kentucky Women's Place, the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program, the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center and the Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center.

A Global Ethic: Four Religious Perspectives on Universal Health Care: Jan. 29, 7 p.m., Kelley Auditorium in Alter Hall. As a unique approach to a global ethic, four speakers address the concern of universal health care from her or his religious perspective as a Christian, Jew, Buddhist and Muslim, respectively.

Marie Giblin is an associate professor of theology and chair of the department at Xavier, where she has taught since 1994. She has a Ph.D. in Christian ethics from Union Theological Seminary in New York and taught at the Maryknoll School of Theology. She served as an ethics consultant to Mercy Health Partners of Southwest Ohio. She lived in Tanzania for nine years and returned there in 2006 for research.

Rabbi Abie Ingber has served as the executive director of Hillel Jewish Student Center of Cincinnati for the past 30 years. Hillel is an international movement to inspire young people to a life of meaningful Jewish experiences. In addition, Rabbi Ingber serves as an adjunct professor in Homiletics (sermon writing) at Hebrew Union College and adjunct professor in theology at Xavier.

David R. Loy is the Besl Family Chair Professor in the ethics, religion and society program at Xavier. His field is Asian and comparative philosophy, especially comparing Buddhism with modern Western thought and culture. Having lived in Japan for 21 years and a Zen student for 35 years, he is qualified as a Zen teacher in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition.

Anas Malik was born in Pakistan, grew up in Libya, received his B.A. from Marlboro College in Vermont, and his master's in economics and Ph.D. in political science from Indiana University. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Jordan and Pakistan. An assistant professor of political science at Xavier, Malik has research interests in political Islam, international political economy and development.

Human Rights: Perspectives of Human Rights from Latin America and Asia: Feb. 26, 7 p.m., Kelley Auditorium in Alter Hall. Each speaker addresses the complex topic of human rights from her own experience and research, in Latin America and in India, respectively.

Irene Hodgson came to Xavier in 1986 and is a professor of Spanish in the department of modern languages. Her areas of specialization include contemporary Latin American literature and culture, with an emphasis on human rights and justice issues. She has translated Chilean exile poetry, the diary of assassinated Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero and a collection of excerpts from his homilies.

Carol Winkelmann, an English professor and linguist at Xavier, teaches courses on anthropological linguistics, political language and the media, and women and sacred language. She has written several books and articles on violence against women and social change. Her current research is on Tibetan Buddhist nuns in northern India.

Economic Democracy: Paths to a Democratic and Egalitarian Economy in the New Era: April 7, 7 p.m., Conaton Board Room in Schmidt Hall. A presentation on what can be done to make global economic systems more fair and just.

Gar Alperovitz, a political economist and historian, earned his Ph.D. in political-economy at Cambridge University. He is the Lionel R. Bauman Professor of Political-Economy at the University of Maryland. His most recent book is America Beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty and Our Democracy. He is also co-author of Making a Place for Community. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, The Nation and The Atlantic.

Father Urmston's video, "A Vision of Hope," will be available for purchase at each session. For more information, please contact Patrick Welage at 513-745-3768.