Previous Events
Previous major events initiated by the Center include:
Richman Distinguished Fellowship in Public Life Lecture: Anna Deavere Smith
The Trials of Richard Goldstone
Gittler Prize Lecture: Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum
A celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Ethics Center
Replacing the Rule of Force with the Rule of Law
Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa
For round-ups of other past events, see our News section or use the "Search" function above to search for a specific event or topic.
Upcoming Events
All events are free and open to the public, except where noted.
Settling Down. Storytelling from and with Refugees with Britta Wilmsmeier
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Time: 12:00 - 2:00pm
Location: Mandel Humanities Center Reading Room (303)
Britta Wilmsmeier from Berlin, Germany will talk about her experiences as a professional storyteller. In recent years she has been working, sometimes for over a year, with schoolchildren, teenagers, young men and families looking for refuge in Berlin. She has developed formats and little shows that help to overcome language barriers - at least for the duration of the storytelling time - and create safe spaces for traumatized people. Britta Wilmsmeier and her colleagues have learned by experience that storytelling is also an effective way to learn language and negotiate cultural differences. She is very interested in a dialogue with the audience afterwards.
Sponsored by the Center for German and European Studies and cosponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST).
For more information, contact Professor Sabine von Mering.
Screening of Acting Together on the World Stage
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Time: 12:00 - 2:00pm
Location: Heller 163
In preparation for John Paul Lederach's Gittler Prize residency (see below), the MA Program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence at the Heller School will screen Acting Together on the World Stage: Performance and the Creative Transformatino of Conflict, a documentary film featuring the stories and cultural productions of nine artist peacebuilders from Argentina, Serbia, Uganda, Peru, United States (New Orleans), Australia, and Cambodia.
The feature documentary highlights courageous and creative artists and peacebuilders working in conflict regions. It describes exemplary peacebuilding performances and offers resources for the creative transformation of violence. It was produced by Cindy Cohen, Director of the Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts at the Ethics Center.
For more information, please contact Sarah LaMorey.
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| Sophiline Arts Ensemble performing Phka Sla; choreography by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro Photo by Nobuyuki Arai |
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| Prumsodun Ok & Natyarasa/Photo by Nobuyuki Arai |
Dance in the Aftermath of Mass Violence
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Time: 2:30 - 4:30 pm
Location: Shapiro Campus Center Theater
followed by a reception open to all
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Location: Heller - Zinner Forum
This event is sponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST). Cosponsored by the MA program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
For more information, please contact ethics@brandeis.edu. All are welcome!
Toi Derricotte Reading
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Time: 5:30pm
Location: Bethlehem Chapel
Toi Derricotte is the author I: New and Selected Poems and five previous poetry collections. She is also the author of The Black Notebooks, winners of the Annisfield-Wolf Book Award for Non-Fiction. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, American Poetry Review, Callaloo, The Paris Review, and she is the recipient of two Pushcart Prizes, the PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry as well as fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation, among other honors.
This event is part of the 2019-2020 Creative Writing Reading Series. Sponsored by the English Department and cosponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST), among others.
For more information, contact Elizabeth Bradfield.
Performance Studies with Sophiline Cheam Shapiro
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Time: 11:00 - 11:50 am
Location: Shiffman 219
John an open session of Prof. Tom King's ENG 151b Performance Studies for a visit by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro of the Sophiline Arts Ensemble.
All are welcome!
Poetry as a Space for Activists to Recharge and Replenish: An Event in Preparation for the Visit of Dr. John Paul Lederach
Monday, October 28, 2019
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex Atrium
"The process of paying attention to poetry, listening to a voice that seems to come from nowhere in the midst of turbulent inner seas, is very much like sorting through the storms of protracted conflicts." - Dr. John Paul Lederach
The internationally recognized peacebuilder Dr. John Paul Lederach is coming to campus at the end of October. Lederach talks quite a bit about how, for him, poetry - haiku in particular - has been a place to recharge and reflect for his more political work. In this hour-long discussion, we'll read excerpts from John's book, take time to write together, and share our experiences of how the focus of writing poems can refill the wells that oftentimes get drained through activist work of all kinds.
We will read excerpts of The Moral Imagination, in which Lederach talks about what poetry has meant to him, discuss how his words apply to our own work, write, and think about "writing as respite" - as a place where activists can recharge and reflect and consider things through a different lens.
Liz Bradfield, a professor of creative writing at Brandeis, will lead the discussion and writing exercises.
Refreshments provided. Sponsored by the Creative Writing Program and cosponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST).
For more information, contact Elizabeth Bradfield.
The Challenges and Opportunities of Being a Peacebuilder: An open class session of Deconstructing War, Building Peace with John Paul Lederach
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Time: 12:30 - 1:50pm
Location: Schwartz 103
Dr. John Paul Lederach will speak for 30-40 minutes to students and guests about how and why he became a peacemaker, what have been his greatest challenges and accomplishments and failures, and why and how he may be optimistic (or otherwise) about the possible winding down of war.
For more information, contact ethics@brandeis.edu.
Contemplation, Creativity and Imagination in Building Peace: An open, interactive session of CAST 150b with John Paul Lederach
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Time: 2:30 - 4:50pm
Location: Shiffman 002
Dr. John Paul Lederach will engage students in CAST 150b (Intro to Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation) and guests in activities and conversations that explore the disciplines of the moral imagination, and the inner and interpersonal work required to be an effective and ethical peacebuilder.
Cosponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST).
For more information, contact ethics@brandeis.edu.
Women in World Jazz
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Chums Coffeehouse
Join Women in World Jazz for a multi-cultural performance by local women musicians of different nationalities. The concert will feature Cuba's cha cha, Cape Verde's Coladeira, songs from Israel, Brazil, and Japan, jazz, and German singer/songwriter Bettina Wegner. The group strives to convey a message of tolerance and understanding in a diverse world.
The event is part of Hebrew Language Arts Week. For the full schedule, email hebrew@brandeis.edu. Sponsored by the Hebrew department and cosponsored by the Ethics Center, among others.
For more information, contact hebrew@brandeis.edu.
The Evolution of Conflict Transformation with John Paul Lederach: An open event with John Paul Lederach at the Heller School
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Time: 12:00 - 2:00pm
Location: Heller G4
Join us for a panel discussion with Gittler Prize winner Dr. John Paul Lederach and the faculty of the MA program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence as they discuss the evolution of the field of conflict resolution, conflict transformation and Lederach's contribution to the field. Panelists include Isabella Jean, Pamina Firchow, Ted Johnson, and Sandy Jones. Moderated by Alain Lempereur.
Sponsored by the MA program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence.
For more information, contact Sarah LaMorey.
"Dispatches from Nowhere Near the Promised Land: How a Peacebuilder Unlearned his Trade"
2019 Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize: John Paul Lederach
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Time: 4:30 - 6:00 pm
Location: Rapaporte Treasure Hall, Goldfarb Library
This event will also be live-streamed at https://www.brandeis.edu/streaming/
Dr. John Paul Lederach has navigated settings of violent conflict for decades. His personal stories of these experiences illustrate how the acts of pausing and listening allow local wisdom to emerge, leading to unexpected insights, paths toward re-humanization, and the transformation of deep divides. He will show how these journeys go well beyond the usual plans and proposals, crossing bridges from alienation toward compassion and connection, even with the persons we most fear. This approach requires the courage to unlearn cherished practices and the patience to take up the inner work needed to follow unexpected creative sparks that ignite and sustain peace.
John Paul Lederach is Professor Emeritus of International Peacebuilding at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame and Senior Fellow at Humanity United. He works extensively as a practitioner in conciliation processes, active in Latin America, Africa, Southeast and Central Asia. He is widely known for the development of culturally appropriate approaches to conflict transformation and the design and implementation of integrative and strategic approaches to peacebuilding. He served as the director of the Peace Accord Matrix research initiative at the Kroc Institute and is active as a member of the Advisory Council for the recently formed Truth Commission in Colombia. He is author and editor of 24 books and manuals, including Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies (US Institute of Peace Press) and The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace (Oxford University Press).
Opening remarks will be delivered by Provost Lisa Lynch.
The Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize was created by the late Professor Joseph B. Gittler to recognize outstanding and lasting scholarly contributions to racial, ethnic and/or religious relations. The Gittler Prize is hosted by the Ethics Center on behalf of the Office of the President.
Questions? Contact ethics@brandeis.edu.
Performance: "Eddie's Perejil"
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Time: TBA
Location: TBA
Professor Edward Paulino, CUNY/John Jay College, transforms his scholarship on the 1937 massacre of Haitians on the Haitian/Dominican border into a theatrical production exploring borders, race, sovereignty, oral histories, archives and the theater.
This event is sponsored by the Latin American and Latino Studies Program and cosponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST).
For more information, please contact ethics@brandeis.edu. All are welcome!
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| 2019 Guest Artist gamin |
MusicUnitesUS CAST 150b Class Visit
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Time: 2:00 - 4:50pm
Location: Slosberg 212
Join the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST) and the class "Introduction to Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation" as they welcome the Fall 2019 MusicUnitesUS residency artists. The mission of MusicUnitesUS is to further the understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures through music.
The MusicUnitesUS residency performers include gamin, Adam Robinson, and the Lydian String Quartet. Residency composers include Ki Young Kim and Yoon-Ji Lee. The residency visual artist is Chang-Jin Lee. All of the artists are coming together to commemorate the Comfort Women of occupied countries in East Asia, who were forced into sexual slavery between 1932 and 1945. The artists will be visiting the week of November 11, with a final concert November 16.
The event is free and open to all.
Familias Separadas/Stories of Families Affected by Detention
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Time: 3:00 - 4:30 pm
Location: Alumni Lounge, Usdan
followed by a reception open to all
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Location: Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex (ASAC) Atrium
Visual artist, muralist, community arts educator and immigrant rights activist Michelle Angela Ortiz will introduce the Brandeis community to her Familias Separadas project -- a series of public art installations in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, about the horrific impact of family separations and detention.
This event is sponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST) and cosponsored by the Fine Arts and English Departments. For more information, please contact ethics@brandeis.edu. All are welcome!
Gabriel Arboleda on Socially Enaged Design in Latin America
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Time: 2:00 - 3:20 pm
Location: TBA
Join an open session of Prof. Muna Guvenc's "Housing and Social Justice" (FA 181A) to hear from Professor Gabriel Arboleda of Amherst College.
This event is sponsored by the Fine Arts Department and cosponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST), among others. All are welcome.
For more information, please contact Christine Dunant.
Las Madres de Berks Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Time: 3:30 - 4:50 pm
Location: TBA
Michelle Angela Ortiz will screen her 30-minute documentary, Las Madres de Berks, a film that shares the testimonials of four Central American mothers detained for two years with their children at The Berks County Residential Center, a family prison in Pennsylvania. It also features the artworks that Ortiz created based on the Berks mothers' stories, and is part of Ortiz' Familias Separadas public art project which amplifies the stories of families affected by detention and deportation in Pennsylvania. The screening will be followed by a conversation with the artist.
This event is sponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST) and cosponsored by the Fine Arts and English Departments. For more information, please contact ethics@brandeis.edu. All are welcome!
2020 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life: Rebecca Cokley
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Time and Location TBA
Join the Brandeis community in welcoming the 2020 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life, Rebecca Cokley.
Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress, Cokley has worked as a disabilities rights activist to seek deeper connections across communities pursuing civil rights. Inducted into the inaugural class of the Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame, Cokley has also appeared on the Vox/Netflix series "Explained" and "Last Week Tonight" with John Oliver.
The Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life was created by Brandeis alumna Dr. Carol Richman Saivetz '69, along with her children, Michael Saivetz '97 and Aliza Saivetz Glasser '01, in honor of Carol's parents, Fred and Rita Richman. The Fellows are selected from among individuals active in public life whose contributions have had a significant impact on improving American society, strengthening democratic institutions, advancing social justice or increasing opportunities for all citizens to realize and share in the benefits of this nation.
The Richman Distinguished Fellowship in Public Life is hosted by the Ethics Center on behalf of the Office of the President.
Questions? Contact ethics@brandeis.edu.