History is full of brilliant leaders making incredibly poor choices. From President John F. Kennedy’s Bay of Pigs invasion to Wall Street’s heavy bets in the mortgage market, we see people with extraordinarily powerful cognitive abilities make terrible decisions. Why does this happen? Sydney Finkelstein, bestselling author and Steven Roth Professor of Management for the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, joins Sally Jackson, public relations consultant and founder of Jackson & Company, to addresses the specific ways our minds are lured into making misguided judgments. Most importantly, he identifies the way wise leaders sidestep these pitfalls, and how you can do the same.
The United States has seen a consistent increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism, with one out of every 150 children now affected by the disorder. What does science tell us about effective treatments? What resources are available for children with autism? How can we best support our friends and neighbors who are impacted by this complex and often misunderstood disorder? Susan M. Wilczynski, Ph.D., BCBA, Executive Director of the National Autism Center, and Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D., author and consultant with the Ziggurat Group, join James T. Brett, President & CEO of the New England Council and current chair of the Governor’s Commission on Developmental Disabilities, to discuss how we can address this urgent public health issue.
Disclosure: Ford Hall Forum President Dominick Ianno is an employee of Pfizer, Inc and the Pfizer Foundation is a contributor to the Ford Hall Forum. This program was planned well in advance of the Ford Hall Forum’s awareness of Pfizer’s interest in this area and Pfizer, Inc. has no influence over the content or speaker selection for this program.
Presented in collaboration with
the Massachusetts Poetry Festival
with media sponsorship from
Ifeanyi Menkiti
Massachusetts Poetry in Hard Times:
What the Best of Bay State Bards Offer
Us in Bad Times and Good
Thursday, October 15
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Rabb Auditorium, Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
While the Dow tumbles, joblessness soars, and two wars stretch our military abroad, what do the works of Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow have to offer? What could words, rhythm, and rhyme provide to those down on their luck or even facing crisis? Poets David Ferry, Suji Kwock Kim, Jill McDonough, Ifeanyi Menkiti, Gail Mazur, and Lloyd Schwartz join Christopher Lydon to answer with readings from classic Massachusetts authors as well as those contemporary artists writing their masterpieces today. From lyric and verse to slam and spoken word, they offer their perspective on current affairs, as well as the evolving ways we use language to understand and experience our world today.
Presented in collaboration with the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service
Public Accountability After the Age of Newspapers
Thursday, October 1, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Paul Starr, Professor of Communications and Public Affairs at Princeton University and Co-editor of The American Prospect, joins Martin Baron, Editor of The Boston Globe, and Dan Kennedy, Assistant Professor at the Northeastern University School of Journalism and nationally recognized media critic, to discuss the future of journalism and how the rapidly changing media landscape will impact us all. Moderated by Alasdair Roberts, the Jerome L. Rappaport Professor of Law and Public Policy at Suffolk University Law School.
VIDEO OF DISCUSSION BELOW:
Introduction by Professor Alasdair Roberts, then opening remarks from Professor Paul Starr:
What makes poor people poor? What can they do about it? And why have traditional international aid programs fallen so short of their promise? These questions drove Dr. Paul Polak to work with thousands of farmers in countries around the world — including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe — to help design and produce low–cost, income–generating products that allow individuals to create their own wealth and build better lives. Innovations such as the $25 treadle pump and $3 small farm drip–irrigation systems have already generated enormous sums of money and helped to raise millions out of poverty. Dr. Paul Polak, writer and founder of International Development Enterprises, joins Dr. Jasmine Waddell, Senior Officer for Research and Learning for the US Regional Office of Oxfam America, to discuss how innovative entrepreneurial practices are empowering individuals to address poverty at its roots.
“Suppression of dissent.” “Self-censorship.” “Cult of personality.” While such problems are usually associated with corrupt dictatorships or dysfunctional corporations, Wendy Kaminer, lawyer, social critic, and former American Civil Liberties Union national board member, argues that they threaten the effectiveness of all institutions – including civil liberties groups. She joins Peter Kadzis, Executive Editor of The Boston Phoenix and political commentator on FOX25 News, to discuss the virtues of dissent and free speech, as well as the forces that pull organizations of all kinds away from these essential principles.
Thursday, September 17
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
C. Walsh Theatre, Suffolk University
Dan Kennedy, former media critic for the Boston Phoenix and currently Visiting Assistant Professor at Northeastern University School of Journalism and Jay Rosen, founder/author of PressThink and Professor of Journalism at New York University. Moderated by Steven Burgard, Chair Northeastern University School of Journalism.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 6:30 p.m.
Raytheon Amphitheater, Northeastern University
Blogging, the web-based publication phenomenon started in the mid-1990s, has its critics, doubters and triumphalists. Ranging from hard news to personal commentary and with the immediacy of talk radio it is, arguably, revolutionizing how we get our information and how we learn about the world around us. Dan Kennedy and jay Rosen meet to talk about the blogosphere, its future, its impact on news, commentary and journalism.
Cokie Roberts, ABC News Chief Congressional Analyst, National Public Radio’s Senior News Analyst, former co-anchor This Week with Sam Donaldson & Cokie Roberts (1996-2002), bestselling author; Nina Totenberg, NPR’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, regular panelist on Inside Washington, frequent contributor to major newspapers and periodicals; and Linda Wertheimer, NPR’s Senior National Correspondent, former host of All Things Considered (1989 to 2001)
Friday, December 1st
6:30 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
From Watergate to the confirmation hearings of Samuel Alito, from the Reagan Revolution to war in Iraq – the highly praised and award-winning coverage of Cokie Roberts, Nina Totenberg and Linda Wertheimer has shed light on the people, institutions, and social forces shaping our nation. In print, on television, and, most notably, over National Public Radio airwaves, their groundbreaking journalism has not only changed the way millions of Americans view their country and their world, but also had a profound impact on the profession of broadcasting. They join us tonight to receive the Ford Hall Forum’s Louis P. and Evelyn Smith First Amendment Award and share their thoughts on their life and work.
Meizhu Lui, Executive Director, United for a Fair Economy; Rebecca Adamson, Founder and President of First Nations Development Institute and Founder of First Peoples Worldwide; and Betsy Leondar-Wright, author and Communications Director, United For a Fair Economy
Thursday, November 9th
6:30 p.m.
Ellsworth Theater, Pine Manor College
Free parking available
For every dollar in assets possessed by the average white family in the United States, the average family of color has less than a dime. Why is the distribution of wealth in our nation so uneven? Does public policy—even when well intentioned—reinforce existing inequalities? Do race and ethnicity continue to play a pivotal role in defining the haves and have-nots in our society? In this panel discussion, three leading experts on the wealth divide will explore the economic histories of Native Americans, Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, and European Americans, and tackle the relationship between race and finances in the United States.
Dr. Yaron Brook, President and Executive Director of the Ayn Rand Institute, contributing writer for The Objective Standard, entrepreneur
Sunday, October 22nd
6:30 p.m.
Faneuil Hall
After Sept. 11th, the Bush administration declared that we must bring freedom to the Middle Eastern nations that threaten us; thus, the Forward Strategy of Freedom. By establishing democracies in key Muslim countries, starting with Afghanistan and Iraq, we would spur a revolution in the rest of the Muslim world—a revolution that would bring free, pro-Western, anti-terrorist governments to power. But the strategy has failed. The Muslim world has grown more militant, radical leaders are being elected to power, and Islamic totalitarian groups like Hamas and Hezbollah are on the rise. Dr. Brook will examine the inherent flaws of the Forward Strategy of Freedom and explore what should replace it.
Ethan Gutman, author of Losing the New China: A Story of American Commerce, Desire and Betrayal, former Foreign Policy Analyst at the Brookings Institution; Hiawatha Bray, The Boston Globe’s technology reporter; and John Jaw, founder of the Boston’s English-language and Chinese-language editions of The Epoch Times. Moderated by Valerie Epps, Director of the International Law Concentration at Suffolk University.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
6:30 p.m.
Raytheon Amphitheater, Northeastern University
There is no Google in China—at least not one that is uncensored. Websites are blacklisted -Wikipedia, Blogspot, and BBC News, to name just a few – and content providers like Yahoo!, AOL, and Skype, censor themselves so that they can operate in the country. To the dismay of some human rights advocates and media groups, it is principally American firms providing the Chinese government with technology to filter data as it comes and goes. Is there a better way to deal with China’s laws and policies? Is a restricted internet better than no internet at all? And can the “Golden Shield” stand up to a barrage of software designed specifically to circumvent it? Tonight’s panel discussion will shed light on the collision between new technologies and the national interests of the world’s most populous country.
John Darnton, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, best-selling author of Neanderthal, The Experiment and, most recently, The Darwin Conspiracy, and Cultural News Editor of The New York Times.
Thursday, September 28th
6:30 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
A booksigning will follow the program
Darwin’s theories of natural selection and evolution have been debated and disputed since The Origin of Species was first published in 1859. The concept of humans evolving from apes challenged the prevailing sense of natural order and shifted the scientific paradigm. Drawing on the research for his best selling novel The Darwin Conspiracy, author and journalist John Darnton will examine what current theories of intelligent design share with the arguments of Darwin’s creationist critics and how they differ. Darnton will also discuss the often-thorny questions of separating fact and fiction in the writing of historical novels.
Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., author of Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States and The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Execution. Sister Helen currently works with the Death Penalty Discourse Center, the Moratorium Campaign, and the Dead Man Walking Play Project.
Tuesday, September 12th
6:30 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
A booksigning will follow the program
Should any state have the power to execute? Is the death penalty appropriate retribution for particularly heinous murders? Does it deter crime? Does it fundamentally violate human rights? Author and activist Sister Helen Prejean has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue around these questions. Her book, Dead Man Walking, which portrays her experiences as a spiritual advisor to death row inmates, became a best seller and spawned the Oscar-winning movie of the same title. Tonight, Sister Helen will discuss her life, her work, and why she continues to fight to end capital punishment.
Sarah Chayes, author and Field Director of Afghans for Civil Society, a non-governmental aid organization founded by Qayum Karzai, brother of President Hamid Karzai. Ms. Chayes was an overseas correspondent for National Public Radio from 1997 to 2002.
Monday, September 11th
6:30 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
A booksigning will follow the program
The Taliban regime was driven from power in Afghanistan in 2001, but the nation and the international community now face new problems: a devastated economy, the return of millions of refugees, drug trafficking, and a plague of corruption and violence. In addition, the fledgling government is struggling to unify and rebuild their nation and to define its future. Drawing upon her experiences living and working in the war-torn country as well as her unparalleled access to President Karzai‘s family, tribal leaders, and U.S. military officials, Sarah Chayes offers a unique view of Afghanistan’s modern history and the challenges ahead.
This program is co-sponsored by the WAND Education Fund (Women’s Action for New Directions) and presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
Dr. Thomas Payzant, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools since 1995; Assistant Secretary, United States Department of Education (1993-1995)
Thursday, May 11, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Dr. Payzant, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools for the past ten years, takes a hard look at the role of public schools in serving the common good. Is an increasingly negative view of government that has been growing in American society at odds with the expectations for what public schools must accomplish? Are public school districts asked to do too much? Is there an intimate connection between the compelling issues of social justice and the role of public schools, and is this connection more at risk today than any time in the past hundred years? Dr. Payzant will draw upon forty years of working to improve teaching and learning in public education to examine these and other questions.
George Q. Daley, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Stem Cell Institute; Dan W. Brock, Ph.D., Professor of Medical Ethics, Harvard Medical School; Rudolf Jaenisch, M.D. Member, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Moderated by Gregory D. Curfman, M.D., Executive Editor, New England Journal of Medicine.
Thursday, May 4, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Few topics have touched so many areas as stem cell research. It has stirred politics, medicine, business, economics, and religion. It presents much promise – from curing or easing disease and disability, to creating jobs that can energize state economies, to providing financial windfalls for investors. All of that holds great potential, but is surrounded by huge ethical and legal considerations. Where will the road lead? In a program co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Medical Society, medical experts examine two critical aspects of stem cell research: its medical promise and its ethical considerations.
Margaret Morganroth Gullette, Resident Scholar at the Women Studies Research Center at Brandeis University and author of the prizewinning Declining to Decline and Aged by Culture, a notable book of the year.
Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
“We are aged more by culture than by chromosomes” says Margaret M. Gullette, “and enemies on this front cannot be fought with gyms, Gingko, liposuction, or self-esteem.” The way Americans have come to view aging past youth has been affected recently by Supreme Court decisions, movements to counter midlife discrimination, and messages we send to our children and adolescents. Do our cultural norms affect the way we age? How does this work? What are the social and economic implications? Can there be a better way?
Maggie Gallagher, President of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy (www.marriagedebate.com), nationally syndicated columnist, and author of three books on marriage.
Thursday, April 6, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Mrs. Gallagher argues that to the only way to win the gay marriage debate is to win the marriage debate: to emerge with a deeper, richer, understanding of marriage as a social and legal institution. In Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that there is no rational reason why marriage has been almost universally considered a union of husband and wife. Other courts in New York and New Jersey recently disagreed. Why do we have laws about marriage? What is a “civil union”? The debate is not over.
Thomas B. Wilner, Partner at Shearman & Sterling LLP and lead counsel to the Kuwaiti citizens in Supreme Court case Rasul v. Bush; P. Sabin Willett, Partner at Binghman McCutchen and legal counsel to several Uighur detainees; Gita Gutierrez, civil rights attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, conducted the first visit by a habeas attorney to Guantanamo. Moderated by Joshua Rubenstein, Northeast Regional
Director, Amnesty International USA
Thursday, March 30, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.
Faneuil Hall
Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States government has held hundreds of men at Guantanamo Bay as part of its “global war on terrorism.” Some see the methods employed there as necessary to protect ourselves against new and horrifying threats to national security. However, the secrecy and questions about the legality of the imprisonments have drawn concern from lawmakers, foreign governments and human rights groups. They claim that such measures violate the Geneva Conventions, inspire anti-Americanism, and infringe upon the very foundations of our civil rights. In a program co-sponsored by Amnesty International USA, three lawyers currently defending prisoners in Guantanamo Bay talk about who the detainees are and why the United States continues to hold them.
Paul Cellucci, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Magna Entertainment Corp., U.S. Ambassador to Canada (2001- 2005), Governor of Massachusetts (1997 – 2001)
Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
America is faced with a new set of opportunities, threats, and moral responsibility on the world stage: How can the U.S. capitalize on the “flattened” economic playing field and three billion new participants joining the global marketplace? Can we defend ourselves against another major terrorist attack or developing nuclear threats? How effective are our foreign aid programs? The U.S. State Department increasingly finds itself on the front lines of these critical issues. Governor Cellucci will offer his offer his thoughts on how public diplomacy can help to ensure the safety, prosperity, and moral vision of our nation.
