Lees-McRae College’s second annual Global Community Week (after last year’s Tibetan monks’ visit) will focus on “Pathways to Peace”. Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, will be on campus to give the keynote speech, participate in a panel discussion and open the new Global Community Center (http://www.globalcommunity.lmc.edu/). He will also meet with the honors students and freshmen. (http://www.gandhiinstitute.org/AboutUs/Founders.cfm). The full schedule can be found at the base of this article.
Visiting us again, after packing Evans two nights in a row during the summer, is Dr. Steven Haynes, Professor of Religion, Rhodes College, and an author and expert in the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and in Jewish-Christian dialogue. Bonhoeffer was a German theologian and pacifist who attempted to assassinate Hitler, was imprisoned and executed. Steve will talk about lessons we can learn from role of the German church during and after the holocaust. He will also take part in the panel discussion.
Rounding off the three-member panel is Herb Walters. Herb is founder/director of the Listening Project. The Listening Project teaches rival factions across the world ways to sit down and have constructive dialogue with each other. With projects in such areas as South Africa, Croatia and Cambodia, as well as several in the United States, Herb has wide experience of facilitating peaceful dialogues. (http://www.listeningproject.info/aboutus.php)
Accompanying the week’s events will be an art exhibit in King-Shivell Gallery featuring local artists and school children on the theme of Pathways to Peace. The week will open with an Inter-faith service Sunday night and a Teach In Monday afternoon. To round off the week there will be a campus International Unity Festival on Friday night to remind us how much fun diversity can be. A day of service on Saturday will put our passion generated during the week into action.
Schedule of Events:
Sunday Oct 29th
6-7 p.m. Interfaith Worship Experience in Evans (Open to all)
Monday Oct. 30th
2-3 p.m. Teach-In offering four perspectives on peace and non-violence taught by Lees-McRae Professors, held in Hayes Auditorium (Open to all)
Tuesday Oct 31st
7:30-9 p.m. Arun Gandhi- “Lessons Learned from Grandpa” Hayes Auditorium (Open to all)
Wednesday Nov 1st
8 a.m. Breakfast with Arun Gandhi for honors students and invited guests in the Heritage room
10 a.m. Arun Gandhi- Formal Opening of the Global Community Center, McRae House (Open to all)
2 p.m. Arun Gandhi- “What Young People Can Do To Promote Peace and Justice” (Evans)
7-9 p.m. Panel Discussion: “Breaking Down Barriers that Separate Us” in Evans Arun Gandhi, Steve Haynes, and Herb Walters (Coffee and tea offered afterwards by Mona’s in King-Shivell for continuing discussion) (Open to all)
Thursday Nov 2nd
11a.m-12:30p.m., Steve Haynes will be visiting Allen Speer’s Honors Class
7:00-8:30 p.m Staley Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture: Steve Haynes will discuss the German churches’ response to the holocaust and apply the lessons learned to the issues of our day and our world. Evans (Open to all)
Friday Nov 3rd
7:00 p.m. International Unity Festival celebrating our diversity—ethnic foods, music, and dance. Evans (Open to all)
Saturday Nov 4th
Community Service Day organized by Community Outreach Office (Open to all)