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News from The International
Center for Ethics, Justice,
and Public Life
at Brandeis University
Vol. 13, No.2
S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 0
Ethics Central Ethics Central
FROM THE DIRECTOR – DANIEL TERRIS Climate Change and the Choices We Make: A Year of Exploration
A line of students, faculty, and staff
several people wide circled the
Shapiro Campus Center atrium,
surrounding a patchwork of freshly painted
T-shirts carefully laid out on newspapers
on the floor to dry in the February sun
streaming through the tall windows.
At the end of the line: Hoseob Yoon –
artist, professor, environmental activist
– painting T-shirts to order, mostly with
environmental themes, some with a design
featuring a large “B” created just for this
visit to campus.
Yoon, a South Korean graphic artist and
professor of visual communication design
at Kookmin University in Seoul who has
devoted his career and his life to protecting
the environment, was in residence
last February as the Center’s fourth
Distinguished Visiting Practitioner.
The Yoon residency was a major part of
the Ethics Center’s engagement in a 2009-10
campus-wide initiative focused on climate
change. Academic departments and student
groups brought notable thinkers and creators
to campus, hosted lectures and discussions,
and sponsored some more unusual events, all
designed to raise awareness on the Brandeis
campus about climate change and the choices
we make with regard to the environment.
The International Center for
Ethics, Justice, and Public Life
was built on the conviction
that developing and nurturing active
communities across borders and
disciplines creates the knowledge and
inspiration for meaningful social,
institutional, and political change.
Our programs for international
judges foster vital dialogue between far-
flung courts, strengthening the system
of global justice. We helped develop
the field of coexistence by supporting
practitioners around the world with
publications and institutes that advance
tools and methods for creating just
and stable societies. Our network of
Brandeis students and alumni has
brought the wisdom and experience
of hundreds of NGOs from dozens of
countries into Brandeis classrooms –
and bolstered by their studies they have
moved out to their professional lives
with an even stronger commitment to
improving the world.
This fall, the Center extends that
practice of community building by
taking on a new shape. Following much
planning, we have found a new home
for our Masters Program in Coexistence
and Conflict: Brandeis University’s
Growth, Change, and Continuity
n continued on p. 7
Professor Yoon’s residency also featured
a gallery talk with students and faculty
members about artwork, activism, and
teaching, and how they interact; a keynote
address, “The Green Canvas: The Artist as
Environmental Activist;” and an informal
conversation with students, hosted by the
Korean Student Association in a dormitory
commons.
His visit culminated with the T-shirt
painting session, hosted by Students
for Environmental Action. “Designing a
Greener Future,” modeled on Yoon’s regular
practice of painting T-shirts for passersby
n continued on p. 7
The Distinguished Visiting Practitioner ProgramThe Ethics Center brings respected practitioners from a range of fields to the Brandeis campus for several days to examine the ethical challenges and dilemmas of their work. Brandeis faculty members from any department are invited to propose future distinguished visiting practitioners.For program and proposal details: brandeis.edu/ethics/atbrandeis/practitioner
Environmentally-themed T-shirts designed and painted by Hoseob Yoon drying on the floor of the Shapiro Campus Center atrium.
2 ThE INTErNaTIoNal CENTEr for EThICs, JusTICE, aNd PuBlIC lIfE n BraNdEIs uNIVErsITy
n I N T H E N E W S
The International Center for
Ethics, Justice, and Public Life
Brandeis university
Ms 086, P.o. Box 549110
Waltham, Ma 02454-9110 usa
Phone: 781-736-8577
fax: 781-736-8561
Email: ethics@brandeis.edu
Website: brandeis.edu/ethics
facebook: facebook.com/EthicsBrandeis
Twitter: twitter.com/EthicsBrandeis
StaffDaniel Terris, director
Cynthia Cohen, director of Programs in
Peacebuilding and the arts
Barbara Epstein ’73, Program administrator
for Peacebuilding and the arts
Marci McPhee, associate director
Barbara Strauss ’02, senior department
Coordinator
Leigh Swigart, director of Programs in
International Justice and society
David J. Weinstein, Communications specialist
and Newsletter Editor
International Advisory BoardRichard J. Goldstone, Chair
Diego Arria
Thomas Buergenthal
James Carroll
Hans Corell
Nancy Kassebaum Baker
Kishore Mahbubani
Jamie F. Metzl
Sari Nusseibeh
Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah
Michael Ratner ’66
Stephen J. Solarz ’62
Theodore C. Sorensen, founding Chair
Shiranee Tilakawardane
Norbert Weissberg
Mission: To develop effective responses to conflict and injustice by offering innovative approaches to coexistence, strengthening the work of international courts, and encouraging ethical practice in civic and professional life.
Staff Highlights Cynthia Cohen, director of Programs in Peacebuilding and the arts, presented “art and social Transformation: a framework for assessment” at the root Cause/social Innovation forum in Boston, and “acting Together on the World stage” at the uN Commission on the status of Women International Conference in New york in March. In July she co-convened the arts and Peace Commission at the International Peace research association in sydney. n an opinion piece by Coexistence International (CI) director Jessica Berns on a possible french ban on Islamic veils was published by GlobalPost.com in february. she presented “Coexistence and Why a Complementary approach: observations and Questions on latin america” at the latin american and Caribbean social science Conference in Mexico City in May. n Ted Johnson, assistant Professor in the Conflict and Coexistence program, presented on advanced negotiation, intercultural communication, and management culture to World health organization senior managers and directors in delhi in June. n In July, Center associate director Marci McPhee returned from a
The International Center for
Ethics, Justice, and Public Life
The 2010 sorensen fellows had the opportunity to meet with Theodore C. “Ted” sorensen during his visit to the Brandeis campus in March. The fellows discussed their internship plans, and asked sorensen about his work in the Kennedy administration and beyond.
The undergraduate sorensen fellowship honors Ted sorensen for his lifelong commitment to public service and his ten years as founding Chair of the Center’s International advisory Board. sorensen was policy advisor, legal counsel, and speechwriter to President John f. Kennedy, has practiced international law for four decades, and is a widely published author on the presidency and foreign affairs.
The 2010 sorensen fellows worked this summer on a diverse set of projects in five cities in four countries on three continents: Cairo, Egypt; Moshi, Tanzania; Bangalore and Mumbai, India; and the la loma region of Ecuador.
Sorensen Fellows Meet Distinguished Lawyer, Author, JFK Advisor and Speechwriter Ted Sorensen
Read about the 2010 Sorensen Fellows’ projects: brandeis.edu/ethics/atbrandeis/sorensenfellowship/bios2010.html.
The deadline to submit a preliminary internship proposal for feedback for the 2011 Sorensen Fellowship is October 6, 2010 (optional). The deadline for the complete final application is November 1, 2010. For details: brandeis.edu/ethics/atbrandeis/sorensenfellowship
one-year leave of absence spent teaching English in the Marshall Islands. she will talk about her experience september 16th. (See the Center website.) n “lessons on disaster response: Quick Checklist for relief organizations responding to the Earthquake in haiti” by John Lewis Moore, CI Program Manager, was published in the CDA Collaborative Learning Projects Quarterly Newsletter in february. n Congratulations to valued Ethics Center student workers and newly-minted Brandeis alums Tiffany Roberts, Jackie Saffir, and Dara Yaffe. n
senior department Coordinator Barbara Strauss’ short story “ready” was published in the literary magazine technicolor. n
Congratulations to Shannon Taylor, CI Program Coordinator, who graduated from the sustainable International development Masters Program of the heller school. n
In a Los Angeles Times op-ed published in april, Center director Dan Terris explained why he believes personal attacks on Justice richard Goldstone (Chair of the Center’s International advisory Board), by defenders of Israel are wrong. n David Weinstein, who served as Interim Program specialist during Marci McPhee’s absence, officially joined the Center as Communications specialist in July.
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Nathan Cummings Foundation Supports Acting Together Educational Toolkit, Book, and Documentary
n P E A C E B U I L D I N G A N D T H E A R T S
Coming Soon
People working on social justice,
post-conflict coexistence, and
peacebuilding do not commonly
intersect with those in the fields of the arts
and culture. The Acting Together project,
initiated through a collaboration between
the Ethics Center and Theatre Without
Borders (theatrewithoutborders.com), is
designed to strengthen work at the nexus of
the arts and peacebuilding.
A new print anthology and film, both
titled Acting Together, document exemplary
peacebuilding performance efforts around
the globe, and are intended to serve as
resources for education and advocacy.
The impact of this project will be
greatly magnified by support from the
Nathan Cummings Foundation, which has
awarded $75,000 to the Center’s programs
in Peacebuilding and the Arts to enable
the creation of an educational “toolkit” to
accompany the Acting Together anthology
and film, and to aid the distribution of these
resources to educators and practitioners
doing related work.
“In the Acting Together project we have
learned that collaborations between artists
Acting Together will be launched with a special screening at a major international conference on theater and peacebuilding in conflict zones at the la Mama Experimental Theatre in New york City on september 23, 2010. The anthology will be published by New Village Press in two volumes beginning in June 2011.
Visit brandeis.edu/ethics/peacebuildingarts for:• summaries of the case studies• biographies• updates on events• links to related resources• the trailer for the film
To be updated on the anthology and film, complete the contact form on the website or call 781-736-5001
and peacebuilders can be very effective,
yet they are fraught with challenges,” says
Cynthia Cohen, Director of the Center's
Programs in Peacebuilding and the Arts.
“Artists worry about their work being overly
instrumentalized, while peacebuilders
and funders generally need specific,
documentable outcomes. Support from the
Nathan Cummings Foundation will allow us
to reach artists and peacebuilders and help
them engage creatively with this tension,
respecting the strengths and the needs of
both fields.”
Each element of the Acting Together
toolkit – discussion guides, policy briefs,
and short video discussion-starters – is
crafted to stimulate conversation about
an issue or dilemma raised by this work.
The toolkit links the knowledge generated
through the Acting Together project to
particular constituencies, including
students, practitioners, policy makers, and
funders, addressing their distinct needs,
reservations, and concerns.
The anthology will consist of two
volumes of case studies and emerging
theory; the first will be published in June
2011 by New Village Press. The film
is based on interviews with the artists
and researchers who contributed to the
anthology; it will be launched at the La
Mama Experimental Theatre in New York in
September 2010 (see box below).
“The film’s subjects inspire me,” says
Allison Lund, who edited the documentary,
and produced it along with Cohen. Lund, a
filmmaker and editor who has had several
films selected for national and international
festivals, hopes Acting Together “will bring to
light the courageous actions being taken by
intellectuals and artists who believe in their
work as an affirmation of creativity over
destruction.”
acting Together documents performances ranging from reconciliation rituals (e.g. at left, from Australia), to staged works (e.g. at right, from Serbia), to community-engaged theater.
Visit the redesigned Peacebuilding and the Arts website:brandeis.edu/ethics/peacebuildingarts
…we have learned that
collaborations between artists
and peacebuilders can be very
effective, yet they are fraught
with challenges….”
– Cynthia Cohen
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n A T B R A N D E I S
“If we are truly committed to social justice, . . . we have to work to make it happen.”
In 2009 the Ethics Center launched Advocacy for Policy Change,
an initiative designed to encourage citizens to bring moral and
ethical insights to the process of making and revising laws. The
centerpiece of this initiative focuses on Brandeis undergraduate
students, through a Legal Studies Program course introduced in
spring 2010, taught by Professor Melissa Stimell.
“Advocacy for Policy Change” (LGLS 161b) combines an
investigation of the ethical dilemmas that arise in the process of
lawmaking with hands-on advocacy work with entities seeking to
reform laws or to propose new ones. Students choose existing laws
they feel could be credibly challenged on ethical or moral grounds,
or proposed laws being promoted to redress perceived wrongs.
Working in teams, students research the issues and design
and implement advocacy projects to address a particular law. They
are mentored by a state legislator and/or a member of an advocacy
organization, who helps them understand the lawmaking process,
connect with colleagues, and set realistic goals.
Vanessa Kerr ’11 says the course stretched her thinking on social
justice, a central component of the Brandeis University mission.
“In ‘Advocacy for Policy Change,’ my belief in social justice was
challenged,” she says. “Through being immersed in an advocacy
organization, lobbying legislators, and personally joining the fight
for positive change in state law, I now understand that social justice
is not something to study, or merely believe in. If we are truly
committed to social justice, then we have to work to make it happen.”
Each student documents and reflects upon the experience in an
“advocacy journal.” What follows is a brief, edited excerpt from the
Advocacy Journal – Vanessa Kerr ’11March 23, 2010
Morgan and I rushed across the Boston Common, inordinately heavy camera and tripod in tow. somehow, between the two of us, we balanced an umbrella over our heads and luggage, chatting excitedly over the noise of the rain about the meeting we were going to have with senator sonia Chang-díaz. When we decided to document our project on film, we thought it would be great to get a legislator on camera to talk about the In-state Tuition Bill. Today it was happening.We got to the senator’s office and breathlessly announced ourselves to the assembly of aides in the office. one looked to the other and I began to suspect that something was amiss.“We weren’t expecting a camera,” one of them said. Morgan looked confused. I knew that she had asked permission beforehand. Working with the student Immigrant Movement students had made us sensitive to privacy issues where filming is concerned, and we would treat the senator no differently. But sometimes, miscommunication happens. Perhaps this particular detail had gotten lost in the shuffle?
“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding,” Morgan replied politely. “Would the senator be willing to speak with us off-camera?”
There was a brief discussion and someone disappeared further into the office to speak with the senator. The aide came back out and asked us what the film was for. We explained it was for a class project, and we wouldn’t show it anywhere else without her permission. Thankfully, the senator agreed to go through with the interview.Morgan and I had heard senator sonia Chang-díaz speak several times and were now finally getting to meet her. her easy-going nature dispelled my nervousness and as the interview progressed her commitment to the immigrant youth of Massachusetts became apparent. she told the story of how her father came to this country with only a few dollars in his pocket and went on to become the first latino astronaut.
When the interview was finished we thanked her and assured her once more that we wouldn’t show the interview anywhere else without her permission. she smiled and said that the caution was really for her media coordinator’s sake, who was out of town and didn’t like her to do on-camera interviews without his approval. as we left, she told us that she expected to see us around the legislature, advocating for our cause.
I smile to remember her parting words. By the end of the semester, I think I spent more time in the state house advocating and attending events than in my own house!
advocacy journal of Kerr. She and her team partner, Morgan Manley ’11,
advocated for legislation to grant undocumented immigrants the
ability to attend Massachusetts public colleges at in-state tuition rates.
Vanessa Kerr ’11 and Morgan Manley ’11 (behind table, left to right) ask Brandeis community members to sign petitions and write letters in support of the Massachusetts In-State Tuition Bill.
Advocacy for Policy Change is supported by generous multi-year commitments from Center board member Norbert Weissberg and his wife, former board member Judith Schneider.
Read more about the Advocacy for Policy Change initiative: brandeis.edu/ethics/atbrandeis/advocacy
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Toward an International Rule of Law: The 7th Brandeis Institute for International Judges
n I N T E R N A T I O N A L J U S T I C E
In 2010 Brandeis collaborated with the
Grotius Centre for International Legal
Studies at the University of Leiden to
launch a summer study abroad program at
The Hague in the Netherlands. Eighteen
Brandeis undergraduates spent six weeks
exploring how international law seeks to
further peace, justice, and human rights
amidst the hard realities of a complex world.
The program culminated a process
begun with contacts at The Hague made by
Dan Terris, Director of the Ethics Center and
Brandeis Vice President for Global Affairs,
with the idea of creating a student learning
experience that built on the Center’s expertise
in the field of international justice. Professor
Richard Gaskins (Legal Studies), the Office
of Global Affairs, and the Office for Study
Abroad developed this idea in detail, and
ensured a successful pilot program.
“The students exceeded my expectations,”
said Gaskins, who led the program and
taught with guest faculty from the University
of Leiden. “We really tested their endurance,
setting the bar very high, and I’m impressed
with how much they learned so quickly.”
Along with coursework, students
met with judges, advocates, and policy
specialists, including Hague Prosecutor
Ekkehard Withopf and former NATO
Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
They applied readings to events taking
place in the courtrooms, visiting the
International Court of Justice, the
International Criminal Court, and the
Special Criminal Tribunals for Sierra Leone
and the Former Yugoslavia.
“I’m constantly thinking and engaged,”
wrote Shira Straus ’11 during the program.
“Taught by international lawyers and
academics, we’ve covered everything from
overviews of international institutions to
the specific definitions and histories of
international crimes to cross-examination
workshops. It has all been extremely
interesting!”
During workshops at the Grotius Centre’s
Bilingual Summer School, the Brandeis
students connected with graduate students
and professionals from all over the world.
Among the interactive exercises was a moot
court competition. The three Brandeis teams
did well, and one distinguished itself by
winning the top prize – after competing in the
final round against a French-speaking team
of seasoned lawyers – a fitting achievement
for students representing a school named for
Justice Louis D. Brandeis.
Brandeis plans to continue this
program, with the continued involvement
of the Ethics Center’s international justice
community. For details contact the Office of
Study Abroad: abroad@brandeis.edu.
Students Encounter International Justice at The Hague
Sixteen judges from thirteen
international courts and tribunals
gathered at the seventh Brandeis
Institute for International Judges (BIIJ) in
Salzburg, Austria this July.
The participants represented a
wide spectrum of international justice
institutions, including long-time supporters
such as the International Court of Justice,
the International Criminal Court, and the
European Court of Human Rights; as well
as two institutions participating for the
first time: the Extraordinary Chambers in
the Courts of Cambodia and the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon.
The theme of this year’s Institute,
“Toward an International Rule of Law,”
encompassed topics including the fairness
of international law, the accessibility of
international courts and tribunals, and the
impact of diversity on the establishment of
an international rule of law. The Institute
also continued a tradition of examining
ethical issues faced by members of the
international judiciary.
“This year’s theme was particularly
interesting,” said Fausto Pocar, a judge and
past president of the International Criminal
Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. “It allowed
us to discuss a number of topics pertinent
to our work in an integrated manner.”
The institute also featured a keynote
address by United Nations Under-Secretary-
General for Legal Affairs Patricia O’Brien,
and an informal session led by Associate
Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Anthony Kennedy.
Over the past eight years the BIIJ has
developed a reputation among members
of the international judiciary for offering
a unique opportunity to discuss diverse
aspects of their work with colleagues from
far-flung institutions in an intimate and
relaxed setting.
Since 2002 the Ethics Center has
hosted more than 65 international judges
and law experts at the Brandeis Institute
for International Judges. Participants have
met in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and
the United States to reflect on the practical
challenges as well as philosophical aspects of
their work, share best practices, and expand
their circle of professional acquaintances.
For more on Brandeis Programs in International Justice and Society, visit brandeis.edu/ethics/international justice
For Institute reports, photos, and more information, see brandeis.edu/ethics/internationaljustice/biij
Gérard Niyungeko of Burundi, a judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Nina Vajić of Croatia, a judge of the European Court of Human Rights, in conversation at the BIIJ in Austria.
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n H I G H L I G H T S O F R E C E N T E V E N T S
JANUARYInternational judges and international law experts from the Israeli government, military, academic community, and judiciary convened in Jerusalem for “Balancing Sovereignty, Security, and Regard for International Norms,” organized by the Ethics Center, hosted by the Mishkenot sha’ananim international cultural and conference center, and funded by the david Berg foundation.
Coexistence International and the Masters Program in Coexistence and Conflict sponsored “leadership for Coexistence,” featuring panelists affiliated with the Club of Madrid, an independent organization dedicated to strengthening democratic values and leadership around the world, consisting of former heads of state and government from 50 countries.
FEBRUARYsouth Korean graphic artist and professor Hoseob Yoon served as the Center’s fourth distinguished Visiting Practitioner. See page 1.
MARCHGloria White-Hammond, Co-founder of My sister’s Keeper, presented “Building Pathways to sustainable Peace in sudan: Why We Can’t Wait,” a social Justice leadership series lecture, in cooperation with the schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism.
Panelists discussed “Changing People in a Changing Climate? The Ethical Implications of Climate Disruption”. See page 1.
Brandeis students discussed world events with eminent members of the Center’s International Advisory Board. See article above.
APRILdocumentary films and guest speakers explored conflicts in Bosnia-herzegovina, haiti, and Cyprus at “Women in Conflict,” organized by Masters Program in Coexistence and Conflict (CoEX) students diler Erdengiz and denil Ertug and cosponsored by CoEX, the Graduate student association, and Brandeis Girl Effect.
students from "advocacy for Policy Change" (see page 4) presented their work at “Present and Defend.”
MAYIn an annual tradition, the Center celebrated undergraduates and graduate students who have been affiliated with the Center during their time at Brandeis at “UnCommencement” 2010. honoree Mohammad Kundas ’10 performed with a member of his band Mochila. Photos: facebook.com/EthicsBrandeis.
In a lunchtime conversation, Ron Gerlitz and Ali Hader, Co-Executive directors of sikkuy: The association for the advancement of Civic Equality in Israel, provided insights into their most recent sikkuy Equality Index, measuring the socio-economic gaps between Jewish and arab citizens of Israel. hosted by Coexistence International and the schusterman Center for Israel studies.
JULYThe seventh Brandeis Institute for International Judges was held in salzburg, austria. See page 5.
The Center, in collaboration with the Social
Justice Leadership Series, invited Brandeis
students to small, informal conversations
with eminent members of the Center’s
International Advisory Board in March.
In “The Obama Administration, One
Year On” former U.S. Senator Nancy
Kassebaum Baker, lawyer and former John
F. Kennedy legal advisor and speechwriter
Theodore Sorensen, and businessman and
philanthropist Norbert Weissberg discussed
the political landscape and challenges facing
the Administration.
In “Update from Across the Globe” the
President of Al-Quds University in Jerusalem
Sari Nusseibeh, Special Representative of
Students Engage with World Leadersthe U.N. Secretary General for Somalia
Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah of Mauritania, and
Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
Shiranee Tilakawardane spoke about recent
developments connected with their work.
“The question is,” said Nusseibeh during
the Q&A, “how can somebody step in and
help, not on the basis that he’s on one side
against the other, but with the understanding
that he is in fact for both sides.”
Justice Richard J. Goldstone of South
Africa, Chair of the Ethics Center’s
International Advisory Board, and diplomat
and jurist Hans Corell of Sweden were
guests of the “International Law and
Organizations” course (LGLS 125b).
Former U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker (R-Kansas) talks with Brandeis students.
Read more and see more photos:brandeis.edu/ethics/news/2010/2010.March.8.html
n A T B R A N D E I S
Interested in Ethics Center Cosponsorship?The Center provides financial and/or publicity support for selected student-, department- and faculty-sponsored events and activities throughout the year. Proposals are reviewed monthly by a committee of faculty, staff, and students. for the application, complete guidelines, and upcoming deadlines, see: brandeis.edu/ethics/events/cosponsorship
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n F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R
n continued from page 1
Growth, Change, and Continuity
Heller School for Social Policy and
Management.
The Heller School, with a 50-year
tradition of blending sophisticated
analysis with real-world practice, is the
ideal permanent home for the M.A.
Program. The Coexistence and Conflict
Program and its longstanding Heller
School partner the Masters Program in
Sustainable International Development
can continue to build mutually beneficial
connections between students, faculty
members, and practitioners in the field.
Coexistence International (CI),
engaged in the vital work of building
bridges between the coexistence field and
fields such as human rights, democracy-
building, and economic development,
will also move to Heller.
We extend our thanks and gratitude
to the faculty and staff who have
built the M.A. Program and CI: Mari
Fitzduff, Ted Johnson, Anne Gudaitis,
Jessica Berns, and John Moore. At the
Heller School they will remain our
Brandeis colleagues, and we anticipate
with pleasure and pride much fruitful
collaboration as we build communities
for knowledge and action.
The Center continues to be the
home for pathbreaking programs in
peacebuilding and the arts, our flagship
program for international judges, the
undergraduate Sorensen Fellowship, and
extensive programming at Brandeis.
Indeed, 2010-11 promises to be
a banner year, with the publication
of a major anthology on theater and
peacebuilding and the release of a
companion documentary (page 3),
our seventh Brandeis Institute for
International Judges (page 5), and the
continued development of the Advocacy
for Policy Change initiative (page 4).
We look forward to new ventures and
new opportunities to build networks of
knowledge and practice that strengthen
the quest for peace and justice.
in downtown Seoul, was one of the most
unusual – and most popular – events of his
residency.
In March, the Center continued its
commitment to the campus-wide climate
change initiative by hosting Changing
People in a Changing Climate? The Ethical
Implications of Climate Disruption, an
interdisciplinary conversation on the
ethical implications of climate change,
with organizers Charlie Chester of
Environmental Studies and Irving Epstein
of the Chemistry Department.
The multi-part event brought
together Michael Appell of the Brandeis
International Business School; Bernadette
Brooten of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies,
Women’s and Gender Studies, and Classics;
Cristina Espinosa of the Sustainable
International Development Program of
the Heller School; and sculptor Tory Fair, a
professor in the Department of Fine Arts.
Changing People included a slideshow
of student environmental installations;
and the first screening of a short film of
Brandeis community members’ perceptions
of climate change and our personal and
collective responsibilities, produced by
n Climate Change–continued from page 1
Charlie Radin, Brandeis Director of Global
Communications and Operations, followed
by responses from the panel.
Changing People was introduced
by Saleem Ali, Associate Professor of
Environmental Studies at the University
of Vermont, and author of Treasures of the
Earth: Need, Greed, and a Sustainable Future.
“Should we think about resources as a
planetary trust?” asked Ali in his keynote.
“Think about it in terms of contingency
planning. But my argument is that we must
not neglect our responsibility as humans.
We in a university have a role to find
solutions to problems ultimately. At some
level, that’s the goal in any department. You
are channeling that great human endeavor
of finding solutions. So, that remains an
ethical imperative as well.”
• The yoon residency was hosted by Eric olson,
senior lecturer in Biology and the heller school.
for more about yoon’s residency, life, and work:
brandeis.edu/ethics/events/yoon.html
• In a continuing collaboration between hoseob
yoon and Brandeis, one of yoon’s designs was the logo of a set of campus sustainability
initiatives around green commuting. Visit the Brandeis Campus sustainability Initiative
website: brandeis.edu/campussustainability
Learn more:• read brief essays by the panel sharing their perspectives on climate change: brandeis.edu/ethics/events/ChangingClimate.html• Explore the issues with the Ethical Inquiry “Who Bears responsibility for the Environment?”: brandeis.edu/ethics/ethicalinquiry/2010/february.html
(Above) Professors Cristina Espinosa and Bernadette Brooten (l-r) discuss the ethical implications of climate disruption.
(Left) During a gallery talk Hoseob Yoon explains his design for a Brandeis T-shirt.
8 ThE INTErNaTIoNal CENTEr for EThICs, JusTICE, aNd PuBlIC lIfE n BraNdEIs uNIVErsITy
n N E W C E N T E R R E S O U R C E S
Brandeis universityMs 086 P.o. Box 549110Waltham, Ma 02454-9110 usa(781) 736-8577
The International Center for
Ethics, Justice, and Public Life
was established through
the generosity of the late
Abraham Feinberg.
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Read or download this newsletter online (PDF): brandeis.edu/ethics/publications/newsletters.html
Report on South American Judicial Colloquium now available in SpanishIn collaboration with the International Judicial academy, the Center organized “The Value of International law for National
legal systems” (“El Valor del derecho Internacional respecto de los sistemas legales Nacionales”), in Buenos aires, argentina, in November 2009. Now available to view or download: a complete report in spanish and a summary in English:
brandeis.edu/ethics/news/2009/2009.November.4_7.html
Coexistence Focus Papers newly translated to Spanish and FrenchCoexistence International recently published its first spanish translation, “¿Qué es la convivencia y por qué adoptar un enfoque complementario? (“What is Coexistence and Why a Complementary approach?”), already available in french, and two new french translations: “accent sur la Coexistence et le
renforcement de la démocratie en afrique occidentale” (“focus on Coexistence and democracy-Building in West africa”), and “accent sur la Coexistence et les droits de la Personne” (“focus on Coexistence and human rights”). These and many other publications are available at www.coexistence.net and by request at coexistenceintl@brandeis.edu.
“Key Issues in Coexistence and Education”The newest installment in the Coexistence International focus Papers series, “Key Issues in Coexistence and Education,” compares and contrasts the education policy choices of Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, the united states, and others, and discusses how education relates to the creation of shared societies, acknowledging that it can be an opportunity both to reinforce a common national identity and to recognize the diverse cultures within a nation.
n N E W B O A R D M E M B E R
The Center is pleased to welcome Thomas Buergenthal to its International advisory Board. a united states citizen, Judge Buergenthal has been a judge on the 15-member International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The hague since 2000, and will be resigning from the Court in september 2010. he is a former President of the Inter-american Court of human rights and a former member of the uN human rights Committee. recipient of the Gruber foundation International Justice Prize and member of the Ethics Commission of the International olympic Committee, he has been re-appointed lobingier Professor of Comparative law and Jurisprudence at the George Washington university law school, where he taught before his election to the ICJ. Judge Buergenthal is author or co-author of numerous books and law review articles on international law and international human rights topics. his memoir A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy was published in 2009.
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