Welcome to Fall Semester 2020
As we begin the upcoming semester, one which will look and feel very different to those past, the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace welcomes everyone back.
All of our events this semester will be held online only as we continue to operate in a time of uncertainty. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our wider community and holding our events in a virtual format allows us to do this.
Our events program begins this Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 2pm with Dr. Aurelien Mondon and Dr. Aaron Winter, who will be discussing Reactionary Democracy in the United States: How Racism and the Populist Far Right Became Mainstream. You can register to attend here.
On September 17, 2020 at 3pm, we will host The Baha’i Chair for World Peace Annual Lecture: A Conversation on Science, Policy, and Justice with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Dr. Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and Brooklyn native. She is founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities, and founder and CEO of Ocean Collectiv, a consulting firm for conservation solutions. You can register to attend here.
We are delighted to be co-sponsoring the 6th UMD Symposium on Environmental Justice and Health Disparities on September 26th, 2020 from 9am – 5.30pm. You can register to attend here.
Moving into October, Professor Jeffrey Herf will present a lecture titled From the Powerful and Evil Jew to the Zionist as Racist, Oppressor and Imperialist: Continuity and Change in Antisemitic Falsehoods from Ancient Times to the Present on October 6, 2020 at 4pm. This lecture examines the broad contours of the history of a hatred that became a form of racism not based on skin color but whose genocidal consequences flowed directly from very old beliefs, deeply embedded in Western culture of the alleged power and evil of “the Jew.” The fight against this longest hatred is central to all efforts to combat all forms of racism and intolerance. You can register to attend here.
This will be followed on October 29, at 3pm by Dr. Hollie Nyseth Brehm and her lecture on Reintegration and Reintegration of People Convicted of Genocide in Rwanda. One hundred and fifty-two countries have outlawed genocide since it became a crime of international law. While some people who commit genocide evade conviction, hundreds of thousands of people—from Cambodia to Rwanda to Bosnia-Herzegovina—have consequently been found guilty of genocide, served prison sentences, and returned home. This talk is based on a project that follows 200 people who spent time in prison for committing genocide in Rwanda and who returned to their communities. You can register to attend here.
The final event of the semester is the rescheduled lecture of Professor Joseph Richardson on Life After the Gunshot: A Digital Storytelling Project on the Impact of Structural and Interpersonal Violence and the Healing Process for Young Black Men The lecture will be held on November 24 at 2pm. Each year approximately 100,000 Americans are victims of nonfatal firearm injury at least 75% of this population are survivors of intentional firearm violence. Homicide, specifically via gun violence, is the leading cause of death and disability in the US among young Black males (ages 15-34). This talk will discuss the intersection of the gun violence, mass incarceration and trauma among violently injured young Black men and the ways structural and interpersonal affects their lives. You can register to attend here.
Be sure to follow us on social media @bahaichair and visit our website to stay updated on all we have planned for the semester. We wish all students a successful academic semester and hope to virtually ‘see’ you at our events!
About the Author
Kate Seaman is the Assistant Director to the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace where she supports the research activities of the Chair. Kate is interested in understanding normative changes at the global level and how these changes impact on the creation of peace.
You can find out more about the Bahá’í Chair by watching our video here.