Religious Violence: Myth or Global Reality?

Conventional wisdom in the west suggests that religion is to blame for many of the world’s violent conflicts. Theologian and historian William Cavanaugh (pictured) will challenge this assumption by exploring western ideas about religion, secularism, and power to discuss the idea that religion is to blame for many of the world's violent conflicts during a 7 p.m. presentation 26 January in Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University, 4600 Sunset Avenue, Indianapolis.

The event is presented by the Seminar on Religion and World Civilization at Butler.

Cavanaugh is an associate professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., where his research and teaching focus on the intersection of violence and religion. He is the author of The Myth of Religious Violence: Secular Ideology and the Roots of Modern Conflict (2009).

Respondents will be Margaretha Geertsema and Lawrence Gerstein. Geertsema is an assistant professor of journalism at Butler University. Her research draws on studies of globalization, media, culture, sociology, and gender. Gerstein is a professor of psychology at Ball State University and director of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Ball State. He is president of the International Tibet Independence Movement.

(Photo courtesy of University of St. Thomas)

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'The Failure of Global Capitalism'

Terry Gibbs and Garry Leech, authors of The Failure of Global Capitalism: From Cape Breton to Colombia and Beyond, will speak at 7:30 p.m. 12 April in Room 141 of Jordan Hall on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, as part of the Drew Brahos Lecture Series.

In their lecture, to be delivered jointly, Gibbs and Leech will explain what they see as the untenable dynamics of the status quo and explore alternatives that might lead towards a sustainable global future.

Leech is an independent journalist and author of numerous books, including Beyond Bogotá: Diary of a Drug War Journalist in Colombia (Beacon Press, 2009) and Crude Interventions: The United States, Oil and the New World Disorder (Zed Books, 2006). He teaches international politics at Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Gibbs is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and director of the Centre for International Studies at Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia, Canada. She was formerly director of the North American Congress on Latin America.

Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call 317:940-9872. Copies of the authors’ books will be available for purchase and signing after the lecture.

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Madeleine Albright to Speak at Clowes Hall

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (pictured) will speak at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (24 March) in Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis.

According to Butler's news bureau, Albright, secretary of state from 1997-2001 under President Bill Clinton, speaks with humor, insight and eloquence about her life and career as a refugee girl who rose to become the world's most powerful woman. Albright sketches a vivid portrait of her years as secretary of state, and offers candid descriptions of foreign leaders she encountered throughout the world. She also discusses America’s role in the world, the effect of strife on the global economy, current regional conflicts, the future of democracy and the challenge of ensuring security and building peace.

As a best-selling author and successful businessperson, she provides a unique and no-holds-barred account of service at the highest levels of the American government. Albright discusses America’s indispensable role throughout the globe as defender and promoter of freedom, protector of democracy, blanket against terrorist threats, enforcer of global security and provider of both peaceful solutions and strategies for resolving conflict throughout the world.

In addition to her service as secretary of state, Albright served as the U.S. representative to the United Nations, was a member of the Cabinet and the National Security Council and is the former president of the Center for National Policy. In addition, she teaches at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and is chairperson to the Women, Faith, and Development Alliance.

The lecture is the concluding event in the 2009-2010 Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series, a collaborative diversity initiative between Butler University and the Office of the Mayor of Indianapolis. For information, contact Marc Allan, 317:940-9822.

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バトラー大学 MBA プログラム 日本研修旅行

In English, the headline reads: Butler University MBA Study Trip to Japan!

The MBA Program in the College of Business at Butler University has arranged a one-week study trip to Japan 8-16 May. Along with members and friends of the Japan-American Society of Indiana, outside participants are also invited to attend. The trip will include academic, business, and cultural activities in Tokyo and Kyoto and is intended to be of value to American business men and women who need to increase their knowledge of and exposure to business environments in Japan.

More information about the trip is online, along with a tentative agenda.

For more information, contact Dr. Noriko Yagi, 317:940-8260. Registration deadline is 19 March.

NOTE: Butler also is planning a study trip to China 17-24 October; deadline for registration is 30 April. Information on that trip is available from Bill O'Donnell, 317:940-9462.

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'The Cherry Orchard' at Butler Next Weekend

Butler Theatre will present 'The Cherry Orchard', a play by the Russian Anton Chekhov, 24-28 February in Theater 168 of Lilly Hall Studio on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis. It is part of “The World Comes to Butler,” the theater's 2009-2010 season.

All performances take place in Lilly Hall Studio Theatre 168. They'll be at 8 p.m. 24-27 February, and 2 p.m. 27 and 28 February. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students. Call 317:940-9247 for tickets.

The play, in a translation by Paul Schmidt, will be directed by Elaina Artemiev. Written in 1903, the play was given its first production early in 1904. Chekhov viewed the work as a comedy and was deeply frustrated that Konstantin Stanislavski, directing at the Moscow Art Theatre, made it into a tragedy. Most people would have difficulty thinking of the play as a comedy because the loss of the family estate seems so poignant. Yet, as we observe the life onstage we conclude that the characters’ actions are either ridiculous or utterly inept. One might feel sorry for the family – but then surely they could have done a better job of preserving the heritage that they claim is so important to them.

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Junot Diaz Speaks at Butler University

A presentation by author Junot Diaz (pictured) is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday (11 February) as part of the spring 2010 Vivian S. Delbrook Visiting Writers Series. It will be held in the Reilly Room of Atherton Union on the Butler campus in Indianapolis.

Diaz, who was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is the author of Drown (1996) and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007), which won the John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the 2008 Pulitzer Prize. His fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, African Voices, Best American Short Stories (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000), in Pushcart Prize XXII and in The O'Henry Prize Stories 2009. For more information, call 317:940-9861.

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Hip Hop and Its Influence on Global Culture

Brief keynote addresses will kick off a panel dialogue on the influence of Hip Hop, both positive and negative, on intergenerational behavior and perspectives, the economy, and the socio-political and cultural impact of the genre at 7:30 p.m. 21 January. Presented by the Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series, the evening takes place in Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University in Indianapolis. Admission is free, but tickets are required. They are available at the Clowes Hall Box Office; limit of two tickets per person. For more information, call the box office at 317:940-6444.

Participants are Mathew Knowles (at left in photo), President of Music World Entertainment and manager of Beyoncé; Jeff Johnson (right), political and social activist, host of BET's The Truth with Jeff Johnson, and Sandy "Pepa" Denton (center), Hip Hop pioneer and member of the legendary rap group, Salt-N-Pepa

Haitian Writer to Speak at Butler University

CANCELLED DUE TO EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI: Author Edwidge Danticat, winner of a 2009 MacArthur Foundation "genius grant", will NOTopen the spring 2010 Vivian S. Delbrook Visiting Writers Series at 7:30 p.m. 13 January in the Reilly Room of the Atherton Union at Butler University, Indianapolis. Her presentation will be rescheduled later.

Danticat is a novelist whose moving and insightful depictions of Haiti’s complex history are enriching our understanding of the Haitian immigrant experience. In works that chronicle the lives of ordinary Haitians, she evokes themes of family, isolation, and community that, while grounded in a specific cultural milieu, resonate with a wide range of audiences.

Her books include The Farming of Bones (1999), The Dewbreaker (2004) and the memoir Brother, I’m Dying (2007), which pays tribute to her father and uncle through an unflinching account of the triumphs and tragedies they experienced in Haiti and the United States. She has been a visiting professor of creative writing at New York University (1996-1997) and the University of Miami (2000 and 2008).

Next up on 11 February is Junot Diaz, who was born in the Dominican Republic. All events in the series are free and open to the public; no ticket is required. Call 317:940-9861 for more information.

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Chamber Orchestra from London Set for April

The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields will perform at 8 p.m. 10 April 2010 in Clowes Hall on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis as part of the Clowes Presents 2009/10 season. Tickets range in price from $20 to $35.

The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields was founded by Sir Neville Marriner in 1958. Formed from a group of leading London (England) musicians and working without a conductor, the Academy gave its first performance in its namesake church on 13th November 1959. Demand for the Academy, particularly in the recording studio, soon began to grow as did the size of the orchestra and the repertoire it performed. Eventually Sir Neville was forced to put down his violin and take up the conductor’s baton, but the collegiate spirit and flexibility of the original small, conductorless ensemble remains an Academy hallmark. Today the Academy performs in combinations ranging from a chamber group to a symphony orchestra.

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The World Comes to Butler

“The World Comes to Butler” is the theme for the 2009-10 theater season at Butler University in Indianapolis. It opens with Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle on 7-11 October, followed by William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (11-15 November), Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard (24-28 February) and a fourth production to be directed by Colombian-born Bernardo Rey (pictured), a visiting artist in residence next spring (14-18 April).

The Mahler Project - Germanic Creative Expression

Butler University, the American Pianists Association, the German Consulate, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis Opera, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Max Kade Center at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis and WFYI have organized a series of events throughout 2009–2010 to honor the 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Gustav Mahler (7 July 1860), commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (9 November 2009) and celebrate Germanic creative expression. You can see the whole schedule here.

First up, at 7:30 p.m. 10 September, is a presentation on "The Two Gustavs: Mahler, Klimt, and Vienna's Golden Decade, 1897-1907" by Alessandra Comini in the Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis. It is open to the public at no charge.

Awarded the Grand Decoration of Honor by the Republic of Austria for contributions to Germanic culture, and voted "outstanding professor" 19 times by her students at Columbia and Southern Methodist Universities, Comini has published eight books in the fields of art history and musical iconography, concentrating on 19th and 20th century Vienna. Her publications range from Egon Schiele's Portraits (nominated for a National Book Award) to The Changing Image of Beethoven: A Study in Mythmaking.

This lecture focuses on the hurdles and prickly reception imperial Vienna afforded the works of its leading composer and painter and explores the interlocking history of both men with the aspiring composer Alma Schindler Mahler.

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Students Learn Leadership in London

Seventeen Butler University students are visiting England, through 24 July as part of a new site-based course called "Leadership London", reports the Butler news bureau.

Taught by College of Business Dean Chuck Williams (pictured), the course focuses on leadership by utilizing the resources, institutions and history of London. Williams said he chose London for the course because its one of the largest financial centers in the world.

The city is also familiar to him because he taught a similar course for 12 consecutive years at his previous institutions, Texas Christian University and the University of the Pacific.

Follow their adventures in London through the Leadership London blog.

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Taiwanese Cultural Troupe to Perform in Indy

Ro Han Mem" performs at 7 p.m. 5 May in Clowes Memorial Hall, Butler University, Indianapolis, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Indiana-Taiwan Sister State agreement, the 31st anniversary of the Indianapolis-Taipei Sister City relationship and Taiwanese Heritage Week.

The cultural troupe is presented by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Butler and the Taiwanese-American Association of Indianapolis.

Sponsors are the State of Indiana, the City of Indianapolis, Telamon Corporation and the Taipei Economic and Culture Office in Chicago.

Admission is free, but tickets are required -- pick them up in person at the Clowes Hall Box Office (limit: two per person). For more information, go online.

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Year of the Ox Celebrated at Clowes in Indy

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"Great Decisions" Series Starts Next Month

The Great Decisions Lecture Series addresses eight current international issues important to the United States. The series includes a lecture followed by group discussion.

Participation in this Indy-based series, sponsored by the Indiana Council on World Affairs, is open to the public, with sessions scheduled for eight Tuesday evenings. They will be held in the Pharmacy Building, Butler University, Indianapolis. Registration begins at 7 p.m. with the program following at 7:30 p.m.

THE ARCTIC AGE - 3 February - Richard Fredland, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Political Science, Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis

AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN - 10 February - Milind Thakar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of International Relations, University of Indianapolis

ENERGY & THE GLOBAL ECONOMY - 17 February - Jesse Kharbanda, Executive Director, Hoosier Environmental Council

THE U.S. AND RISING POWERS - 24 February - Pierre Atlas, Ph.D., Director of the Richard G. Lugar Franciscan Center for Global Studies, Marian College

EGYPT IN THE 21ST CENTURY - 3 March - Amira Mashhour, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, World Languages and Cultures, IUPUI

GLOBAL FOOD SUPPLY - 17 March - James Morris, Former Executive Director of the U.N. World Food Program

CUBA AFTER CASTRO - 24 March - Gaston Fernandez, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, Indiana State University

UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS? - 31 March - Paul Hanson, Ph.D., Professor of History, Butler University

For further information on the local, contact Annette Johansson, 317:879-1338.

"Great Decisions" is a program of the Foreign Policy Association.

Former Child Soldier from Sierra Leone to Speak

Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier and author from Sierra Leone will speak on ""A Long Way Gone: A Story of Redemption and Hope" at 7:30 p.m. 26 January 2009 in Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis.

His presentation is part of Butler's 21st annual Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series.

America's Future as a World Power

A tripartite discussion of the future of America's power in the world takes place Wednesday (15 October) at Butler University in Indianapolis.

John Clark of Sagamore Institute for Policy Research, Dave Mason of Butler University and Michael Kraig of the Stanley Foundation are the discussants.

It starts at 3 p.m. in Pharmacy Room 204 on the Butler campus. You can read more about the event here.

Prof. Mason's new book is The End of the American Century that dissects in great detail the causes of the current (and he believes continuing) decline of American power in the world.

Dr. Kraig is Director of Policy Analysis and Dialogue at the Stanley Foundation, a think-tank based in Iowa. He's leading a major project called "Rising Powers: New Global Realities".

Teaching Locally, Thinking Globally

In today's globalizing world, countless children are growing up among many cultures. How does this "new normal" shape the child? What opportunities and challenges does it create for teachers? How are these students an untapped resource for bringing more global awareness into our classrooms?

Find out at a workshop targeted at Middle/Secondary, Early/Middle Childhood, Physical Education, Counseling, Administration and Special Education professionals.

"Teaching Locally, Thinking Globally: Recognizing the Hidden Diversity of Cross-Cultural Kids in the Classroom" is a one-credit class (ED 501) taught by Ruth Van Reken. It will be offered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on two Saturdays, 4 and 11 October.

The Continuing Professional Development Workshop is sponsored by the Butler University College of Education. Fee is $370. For information, contact Cindy Smith, 317:940-8464.

Mariane Pearl To Speak at Butler in March

Mariane Pearl, widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl and subject of the film "A Mighty Heart", will speak at Clowes Memorial Hall at 7:30 p.m. 2 March as part of Butler University's Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series. The lecture is free and open to the public, but a ticket is required for admission. Tickets may be obtained at the Clowes Hall box office, 317:940-6444. In her talk, "A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband, Daniel Pearl,” Mariane Pearl (pictured at right with their son) will address the kidnapping and brutal murder of her husband by a militant Islamic fundamentalist group in Pakistan. Her speech is a hallmark event of Butler’s Women’s History Celebration.

Gen. Powell Makes Return Visit to Indiana

Gen. Colin L. Powell, United States Army (Retired), will speak about "Diplomacy: Persuasion, Trust and Values" at 7:30 p.m. 18 February in Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, an event that will mark the 20th anniversary of the university's Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series, according to the university. Tickets will be distributed to Butler students, faculty, staff, alumni and parents on 23 January at the Clowes Hall Box Office. Any tickets that remain will be offered to the general public on a date to be announced.