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News & Highlights
VoteDeis: Make a plan and vote!
The Ethics Center is leading The VoteDeis Coalition with support from the Office of the Dean of Students. 
VoteDeis is a non-partisan, campuswide initiative supporting voter registration and participation among the Brandeis community. Check out how to register, how to vote, and “Why I Vote” videos by students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Though campus may appear different, our mission remains the same: to provide every enrolled student with a world-class Brandeis education and enriching experience. Learn more about our campaign to help students in response to COVID-19, today. Learn more.
Applications are being accepted and considered on a rolling basis. Read details about the fellowship and access the online application here. Read about the first cohort of Faculty Fellows here and the second cohort here.
The Summer/Fall 2020 Ethics Central newsletter is now available. Click here to access the newsletter.
Voting and Democracy in 2020 & Beyond
On March 9, ENACT hosted a panel discussion at Brandeis on voter engagement, access and suppression with special guests Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards and Massachusetts State Senator Becca Rausch '01.
Young Political Leadership - An ENACT Forum
On March 10, ENACT hosted a forum at Brandeis discussing of the challenges and opportunities for young people in politics, and the politics and political advocacy careers of four young state legislators featuring MA State Sen. Diana DiZoglio, CT State Rep. Quentin "Q" Phipps, and ME State Rep. Harold "Trey" Stewart III.
Toni Shapiro-Phim joins the Ethics Center
The Ethics Center is delighted to announce the appointment of Toni Shapiro-Phim as Associate Professor of Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST) and Assistant Director of the Center's Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts. Beginning in the fall semester 2019, she will support the program in Peacebuilding and the Arts, co-chair the CAST minor, offer its core course, “Introduction to Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation" (CAST 150b) and develop two new CAST-designated courses. Read more here.
The 2019 Brandeis ENACT Anthology is available online
The 2019 Brandeis ENACT Anthology "Advocacy for Policy Change: Brandeis students work to reform Massachusetts law" is available as a PDF. View or download here. Advocacy for Policy Change (LGLS 161b), is taught by Professor Melissa Stimell and is part of the national program ENACT: The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation.
BrandeisNOW, part of Brandeis's offical media team, has written about the ENACT program and student participation in classes and events. To read the article, "Brandeisians leading through legislation," and to find out more about the ENACT mission, click here.
ENACT Awarded a Multi-Year Grant to Expand to All 50 States
ENACT is expanding to all 50 states thanks to a grant from the Teagle Foundation.
Advocacy for Policy Change: Present and Defend
On Wednesday, May 1st, the students of Advocacy for Policy Change (LGLS 161b) presented the legal advocacy projects they developed over the course of the semester and tried to persuade votes for their bills, which were considered by the Massachusetts State Legislature. Explore the work of Brandeis ENACT students here.
2019 Richman Fellowship Winner Anna Deavere Smith
Anna Deavere Smith, an award-winning playwright, actor, and educator, was the 2019 winner of the Richman Fellowship. Smith visited campus for a residency and award ceremony in March 2019. She performed portrayals of people she has interviewed from across the country and from all walks of life to showcase the diverse opions on controversial issues. Read more about her visit here. Read a BrandeisNOW article about her here. Watch her presentation here.
The Trials of Richard Goldstone book launch event
In “The Trials of Richard Goldstone,” Daniel Terris examines the extraordinary life of Richard Goldstone and the price he pays for his convictions. The Ethics Center hosted a reading, discussion and reception featuring author Daniel Terris, Director Emeritus of the Ethics Center, and Richard Goldstone, Ethics Center Board member. Read more about the event here. Read a BrandeisNOW article about the event here.
Leigh Swigart Featured in TV Series
Leigh Swigart was featured in an episode of the Curiosity Foundation’s TV series “New England Authors with Kameel Nasr” discussing The International Judge: An Introduction to the Men and Women Who Decide the World’s Cases, which she wrote with Daniel Terris and Cesare P. Romano. Watch the episode here.
2018 Gittler Prize Winner Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum visited Brandeis
Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on racial identity and resegregation in America, was the 2018 winner of the Gittler Prize. Tatum visited campus for a residency and award ceremony in October 2018. She gave a lecture about issues relating to her critically acclaimed landmark book from 1997, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race. Read more about her visit here. View a video of her lecture here. Read a BrandeisNOW article about her here.
12th Brandeis Institute for International Judges (BIIJ) held in Oslo
From May 30 to June 2, 2018 the 12th Brandeis Institute for International Judges (BIIJ) took place in Oslo, Norway. Read a summary of the session now, and stay tuned for a downloadable pdf report.
Complete Ad Hoc Tribunals Oral History Collection now available
All of the interviews conducted as part of the Ad Hoc Tribunals Oral History Project are now available to the public. The Oral History Project aims to preserve the voices of those individuals who worked to bring justice to areas of conflict. More information about the completion of the project is available here. The full collection can be accessed here.
Visit the Ethics Center News Page
There's always a lot happening at the Ethics Center! Keep up-to-date by visiting the Ethics Center's news page regularly – and follow us on Facebook, too!
The International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life encompasses the Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts, Programs in International Justice and Society, ENACT: The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation, and a range of Brandeis campus programs:
Programs in International Justice and Society
Promoting Just Societies and a Global Rule of Law
- Language, Culture and Justice Hub, a clearinghouse for scholarship and practitioner-based commentary about how language and culture impact justice.
- Brandeis Institute for International Judges: View the summary of the 12th session.
- All of the interviews of the Ad Hoc Tribunals Oral History Project are now available to the public. Details. Full collection here.
Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts
Transforming Violence Through Creativity
- New interdisciplinary minor focused on the intersection of peacebuilding, justice and culture: Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation (CAST). Details.
- With support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the IMPACT: Imagining Together - a Platform for Arts, Culture and Conflict Transformation planning process is designing a university-based infrastructure for the field.
- Acting Together on the World Stage: Anthology, documentary and toolkit now available.
ENACT
The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation
- A new national program to engage young people in state-level legislative change. Details.
- 29 Faculty Fellows from colleges and universities across the country have joined Brandeis in the ENACT network.
- Alumni of ENACT courses from across the country have served as ENACT Student Delegates.
Brandeis Campus Programs
Knowledge, Action & Reflection for the Next Generation of Social Justice Leaders
- The Center hosts two University-wide awards on behalf of the Office of the President: the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize and the Richman Distinguished Fellowship in Public Life.
- Sorensen Fellowship: the 2017 anthology of narratives is in print: Progress in Process: Stories of Growth Towards Justice [PDF].
- "Advocacy for Policy Change" (LGLS 161b) students work with Massachusetts legislators and advocacy groups to reform and propose laws. Read more.
- 'deis IMPACT : The 8th annual Brandeis "festival of social justice" took place Feb 3 - Feb 9, 2019. See the schedule and details here.