OntheWilderSide

INTERNATIONAL PEACE EXHIBIT AT HOFSTRA
HIGHLIGHTS THE WORK OF GANDHI, KING AND IKEDA

Exhibit marks debut of Hofstra’s Center for Civic Engagement

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – Hofstra University’s new Center for Civic Engagement will host an international peace exhibit at Hofstra that focuses on three individuals who promoted peace and social change through non-violent action.

Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace, which looks at the lives and works of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Japanese peace activist Daisaku Ikeda, will debut Feb. 2, 2007 with an opening reception at 7:30 p.m. in the David and Sondra Mack Student Center, Plaza Room, north campus. This event is free and open to the public. Please call (516) 463-5672 for more information and to reserve a seat at the reception.

Lawrence Edward Carter, Sr., Ph.D., Dean of Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Dr. King’s alma mater, Morehouse College in Atlanta, will be the featured speaker at the reception. In designing this exhibit, Dr. Carter has taken the initiative to promote community building as it was modeled by Gandhi, King, and Ikeda, three men from different cultures and countries who followed a common path of profound dedication and achievement in addressing the plight of common people.

The Legacy of Building Peace exhibit, which is free of charge and open to the public, will be on display in the main dining room of the Student Center weekdays from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Feb. 2 to March 23, 2007. The display features photographs, quotations, and historical information about the three human rights leaders. It also notes the accomplishments of many other peace advocates, including Jane Addams (America’s first female Nobel Peace Prize winner), Nelson Mandela, Henry David Thoreau and others. Material from the Hofstra University Archives from Dr. King’s speech at Hofstra in 1965 will be incorporated into the show.

The exhibit delivers a striking message about individual leadership and the difference that one person can make in promoting peace and social change through non-violent action. Gandhi’s civil disobedience and nonviolent demonstrations won greater freedom and ultimately independence for 400 million citizens of India after three centuries of British colonial rule. Dr. King’s commitment to peace and justice inspired the movement for civil and human rights in the United States, giving voice to the hopes and dreams of the poor and dispossessed throughout the world. Dr. Ikeda’s work as a leading Buddhist philosopher, author, poet and educator has led to the non-violent democratization of Japan’s feudalistic social structures and an international grass-roots initiative of intercultural and interfaith dialogue and cooperation for global peace.

Having fought selflessly in their respective time, each has left an enduring legacy for humanity, illuminating the path to non-violence, human rights and peace. “I conceptualized the exhibition with the hope that by examining the lives of these great individuals, viewers would be inspired to create value in the context of their own daily lives through the application of the ideals of peace and non-violence,” says Dr. Carter.

Bearden, Lawrence, Parks: Artists of Influence

As a companion exhibit, the Hofstra University Museum will present from its permanent collection Bearden, Lawrence, Parks: Artists of Influence from January 29 – April 5, 2007 in the David Filderman Gallery on the 9th Floor of the Donald E. Axinn Library, south campus. This exhibit focuses on the contributions of these three African-American artists, who through their artistic vision and talents, provided significant insights into African American history, experience and accomplishment.

Tours of both exhibitions are available for school groups and others. Advanced reservations are required. Please call 516-463-5672 for further information and to make your reservation.

The Center for Civic Engagement

The Center for Civic Engagement, the organizer and chief local sponsor of the exhibit, is Hofstra’s new university-based institute. Its primary mission is to strengthen democratic values by encouraging students of all ages to actively participate as knowledgeable citizens on their campus and in local, state, national and global communities. “We’re proud to be able to host this very worthy exhibit of the work of some of the world’s most dedicated citizens as our first official event,” said Prof. Cynthia Bogard, the Center’s director.

The exhibit is co-sponsored by the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College and Soka Gakkai International – USA, a culturally diverse Buddhist association with more than 80 centers throughout the country. Its community-based activities encourage a commitment to the values of peace, culture and education. Also supporting the project are the Herman Goldman Foundation of New York City and Michael D’Innocenzo, The Harry H. Wachtel Distinguished Teaching Professor for the Study of Nonviolent Social Change.

For more information, contact Stuart Vincent at 516-463-6493; Beth Levinthal, Hofstra University Museum, at 516-463-5672; or Michael D’Innocenzo, 516-463-5606.

Hofstra University

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students find their edge to succeed in more than 140 undergraduate and 150 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communication, education and allied human services, and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 25 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence, cutting edge technology, extensive library resources, internships and special educational programs that appeal to their interests and abilities. The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.

###

Filed under: Ballot issues, Education, events, international politics, More Events Calendars, Peace, rants Tagged: | Uncategorized, Working Families Party