Speakers

The chapter has hosted talks by a range of speakers, including Marcus Raskin, co-founder of the Institute for Policy Studies; U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, sponsor of the U.S. Department of Peace proposal; Dr. Imad Moustapha, Syrian ambassador to the United States; Adm. Eugene Carroll of the Center for Defense Information; Lt. Col. Robert Bowman, president of Institute for Space and Security Studies and an expert on Star Wars; Anna Baltzer, Fulbright Scholar and author of an eyewitness account about human rights issues in the Palestinian territories; Max Aristide of the Quixote Center and a specialist on Haitian history, politics and culture; and Monica Green and Kevin Martin, national executive directors of Peace Action. The chapter organized a well-attended forum that featured talks by Israeli and Palestinian students about their life experiences, their perceptions of the “other side”, and their thoughts about the prospects for the peace process. Colman McCarthy of the Center for Teaching Peace in Washington, DC (pictured) was among five speakers at a 1960s style teach-in organized by the chapter in 2002 on “What Will Result from a War Against Iraq.” Those who filled the Great Hall at St. John's College heard what proved to be prescient warnings about the consequences of an attack on Iraq.

In addition to a public address, the chapter often arranges for its guests to talk to high school and community college classes, to participate on radio talk shows, and to speak with the editorial board of area newspapers.