Archives
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.
Archives
Lou Dobbs
Monday, November 19
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Book signing will follow lecture and discussion
Lou Dobbs is the anchor and managing editor of CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight as well as a best-selling author and syndicated columnist. Tonight, he examines the impact of U.S. public policy on a range of pressing issues – from national security to worker rights to the current political climate. Are our borders secure? Is there a more effective way for us to share in the tremendous benefits and harsh costs of free trade and outsourcing? What are the critical issues and challenges that confront the presidential candidates and American voters as we approach the 2008 election? This program is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Seriers.
Archives
Rami Khouri
Thursday, November 15
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Raytheon Amphitheater, Egan Research Center,
Northeastern University
Small reception will follow lecture and discussion
Rami Khouri is a Beirut-based internationally syndicated columnist, Director of the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut, and editor-at-large of The Daily Star newspaper. He also regularly shares his insights on the BBC, NPR, and CNN. Tonight, he joins us to shed light on the forces shaping the direction and impact of United States policy in the Middle East. Where is the failing? Are there effective policies and programs that should be expanded? And what are the challenges that lay ahead?
Archives
Joan Blades
Thursday, October 18
6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Rabb Auditorium, Boston Public Library
Joan Blades, well known for co-founding the e-advocacy group MoveOn.org with her husband, Wes Boyd, has set out to empower the motherhood movement with a new organization, momsrising.org. with this site, she hopes the build an army of citizen activists who will push for strong maternity leave laws, improved health care coverage, and fair wages, among other issues. Do more “family friendly” policies make economic sense for our country? Does an active online community necessarily translate into political influence? Blades joins us tonight to screen her documentary film, The Motherhood Manifesto, and to explore the Internet’s ever-changing role in our political proves.
Archives
Kitty Dukakis, Michael Dukakis, and Larry Tye
Monday, oct. 15, 2007
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Raytheon Auditorium, Egan Research Center, Northeastern University
Book signing will follow lecture and discussion
After suffering from decades from severe depression, substance abuses problems, and hospitalizations, kitty Dukakis now credits her recovery to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Opponents of ECT would like to see the treatment banned on the basis of its common side effects, including memory loss. Many patients say these are a small price to pay for control over a disabling condition. Governor Michael Dukakis and author Larry Tye join Kitty Dukakis for a discussion on how this medical treatment – along with the support of family and loved ones – can potentially help individuals through the horrors of clinical depression.
Archives
Charlie Savage
Thursday, October 4
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Book signing will follow lecture and discussion
President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution. Is such an interpretation of presidential power necessary in an age of terrirism and imminent security threats? Or, as one critic suggests, will these new tools “lie around like a loaded weapon” for any future president, liberal or conservative, to impose his or her own agenda on the country? Charlie Savage, Boston Globe reporter and winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, joins us tonight to address the Bush administration’s expanding executive powers and what it means for the future of our country.
This program is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
Archives
Garrison Keillor
Monday, September 17
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Blackman Auditorium, Ell Hall, Northeastern University
Book signing of Pontoon: A Novel of Lake Wobegon will follow lecture and discussion
Garrison Keillor, author, storyteller, humorist, and creator of the weekly radio show A Prairie Home Companion, joins us tonight to share from his latest Lake Wobegon novel. Set in the iconic Midwestern small town – a place where “the women and strong, the men are good looking, and all the children are above average” – Pontoon is a story about a woman with a secret. Keillor’s tales of lake Wobegon have touched the hearts of millions and, as stated by the Chicago Tribune, captured “what is small and ordinary and therefore potentially profound and universal in American life.” This program is presented in collaboration with WGBH.
Archives
John W. Dean
Thrusday, September 13
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Brook signing will follow lecture and discussion.
John W. Dean, counsel to president Richard Nixon, the government’s key witness in the Watergate trial, and best-selling author of Conservatives without Conscience and Worse than Watergate, joins us tonight to address what he sees as the “dysfunction chaos and institutional damage” the Republican party and its core conservatives have brought to the federal government. Are the nation’s current political ills primarily the fault of the Republicans? Have the Democrats been any better? Most importantly, what can politically moderate citizens do to combat extremism, authoritarianism, and incompetence from political leaders of either party? The program is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
Archives
The Frederic G. Corneel Memorial Lecture
Paul Hawken, environmentalist, author, founder of Erewhon Trading Company, Smith & Hawken, and the Pax Group, and executive director of the Natural Capital Institute. Moderated by Steve Curwood, host of Living on Earth.
Monday, May 21
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
From billion-dollar nonprofits to single person causes, there is a growing worldwide movement of organizations dedicated to restoring the environment and fostering social justice. This is a movement with no name, leader, or headquarters, but it can be seen in every city, town, and culture. It is organizing from the bottom up and is emerging as an extraordinary and creative expression of shared values worldwide. What are the driving forces behind these developments? Can the interests of these organizations translate into effective government policies and profitable businesses? Join us tonight as Paul Hawken—environmentalist, businessman, and founder of the first natural foods company—addresses the creation of a worldwide grassroots movement based on hope and humanity.
This program is part of the Ford Hall Forum’s continuing series on environmental issues. It is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
Archives
Paul D. Biddinger, MD, FACEP, chairman of the Massachusetts Medical Society Committee on Preparedness, and physician at Massachusetts General Hospital; Lisa Stone, MD, Hospital Preparedness Coordinator, Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Moderated by Stephen Smith, Boston Globe public health reporter
Thursday, May 3
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Real and predicted calamities during the last decade have placed a sharp focus on America’s need to prepare for disaster. In particular, Hurricane Katrina showed the nation just how devastating a lack of preparation can be. Massachusetts now faces a host of questions about our ability to respond to emergency situations – whether it is an LNG tank explosion or an avian flu pandemic. Officials are raising their voices to say we need to do more, and do it soon. But is anyone listening? With the State Legislature yet to act on a pandemic preparations bill and hospital emergency rooms throughout the Commonwealth already operating beyond capacity, just how ready is our state to cope with a major disaster? What really needs to be done to prepare? And what are the consequences of inaction?
The program is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Medical Society and is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
Archives
Edward Albee, playwright, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner; Rick Lombardo, director, and producing artistic director at New Repertory Theatre; Karen MacDonald, actress, founding member of American Repertory Theater. Moderated by arts critic Ed Siegel.
Monday, April 30
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Boston Public Library, Rabb Auditorium
“You need three things in the theater,” said Kenneth Haigh, “The play, the actors and the audience, and each must give something.” Today, with expanding options for at-home-entertainment, the theater is faced with increasing competition to attract the last, and perhaps, most important element – the audience. What is it that still draws millions every year to a darkened auditorium and a stage? What are writers, directors, and actors doing to bring in new generations of theater goers? Will we continue to make our way to Broadway and regional productions for decades (and centuries) to come? Tonight we are joined by playwright Edward Albee, producing artistic director Rick Lombardo, actress Karen MacDonald, and arts critic Ed Siegel to reflect on current and future directions of theater.
Archives
Richard S. Lindzen, Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT, member of the National Academy of Sciences
Sunday, April 22
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Our planet has become warmer in recent decades, and there is a growing chorus—as evidenced in the recently released summary report of the U.N. Panel on Climate Change—claiming that, unless we curb production of greenhouse gases, the consequences will be disastrous. However, some still remain unconvinced that economy-wide carbon caps and similar regulatory measures will help the situation, the President among them. Does the cost of regulation outweigh the damage of inaction? Should the United States government take dramatic public policy steps and become a party to international treaties, or continue to wait and see? Should we brace for stronger hurricanes, invasions of tropical diseases, and significant increases in sea levels, or is the danger overstated? Prof. Richard Lindzen steps into the fray to offer his view that irrational alarm may be clouding our judgment. Join us for tonight’s discussion as we explore what the future holds for our planet—and what we should do about it.
This program is part of the Ford Hall Forum’s continuing series on environmental issues. It is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
Archives
Herman Badillo, counsel to the law firm of Sullivan, Papain, Block, McGrath & Cannavo, former deputy mayor of New York, and former U.S. Congressman. Moderated by State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez.
Sunday, April 1
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Raytheon Amphitheater, Northeastern University
Since our nation’s founding, those who come here fleeing poverty and persecution abroad have formed a vibrant and important part of American culture. Today, however, America is facing an onslaught of issues surrounding immigration, both legal and illegal. Herman Badillo, who rose from poverty to become the first Puerto Rican native elected to the U.S. Congress, says his community’s path to prosperity, political unity, and the American mainstream must be through self-reliance. “We must not delude ourselves believing that government will provide Hispanics with adequate health care, employment, or housing for all,” he says, “or even offer our children a proper education.” Does liberal social policy do more harm than good? Does success for immigrant communities lie in the restoration of traditional values: hard work, thrift, and integrity? Join us tonight, as Herman Badillo addresses questions that impact every American.
Archives
Marshall Goldman, Katherine Wasserman Davis Professor of Russian Economics at Wellesley College (Emeritus), associate director of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University; Uri Ra’anan, director of the Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy, and professor of international relations at Boston University.
Thursday, March 22
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Russia is reemerging as an international power—as strong as in czarist or Soviet times—and President Vladimir Putin shows troubling tendencies of reverting to authoritarian and imperial habits. Russia recently overtook Saudi Arabia as the world’s leading producer of oil, and it has demonstrated a clear willingness to flex this muscle on the world stage. Within its own borders, corruption, contract killing, and media censorship have become routine. Should we regard this nation as a threat to the West, or as an ally? How does its use of energy supplies as an instrument of foreign policy affect global markets? In a country that historically lacks a mechanism for legitimate succession, what should we expect as Putin steps down in 2008? Tonight, two renowned scholars Prof. Marshall Goldman and Prof. Uri Ra’anan, join us to explore the impact of the Kemlin’s concentrated political power in an age of booming oil and gas wealth.
This program is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
Archives
Ali S. Asani, professor of the Practice of Indo-Muslim Languages and Culture at Harvard University, member of the Board of Directors of the American Islamic Congress; Mona Eltahawy, award-winning New York-based journalist and commentator, international lecturer on Arab and Muslim issues. Moderated by Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe columnist.
Thursday, March 15
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
The world’s 1.4 billion Muslims encompass an enormous range of beliefs and practices, a world of cultures—from Arab to post-Soviet to Indian to American, and a wide spectrum of movements—from liberal progressive to Islamist. However, today’s headlines all too often highlight the familiar stories of violence and extremism within the Islamic world. Is religion truly the driving force behind these actions? Where is the space for voices of the moderate majority to be heard? In our country, where many became acquainted with Islam only in the context of September 11th, how can we better understand this major world religion? Tonight, Prof. Ali Asani and Mona Eltahawy explore the tensions within modern Islam and how we can better understand them.
This program is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
Archives
George Lakoff
Thursday, june 5
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Boston Public Library, Abbey Room
Professor George Lakeoff, author of Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think, Whose Freedom?, and Don’t Think of an Elephant!, explores the connections between cognitive science and political action. Why do many American vote against their own interests? Humans, he argues, are not the rational creatures we’ve so long imagined ourselves to be. Any savvy political campaigns should not assume people will use an objective system of reasoning when deciding how to vote. Lakoff joins us tonight to discuss his new book, The Political Mind, and explore how the mind works, how society works, and how they work together.
Book Signing will follow lecture and discussion.
Archives
Yaron Brook
Thursday, May 8
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
In 1969, Ayn Rand’s Ford Hall Forum talk, “Apollo and Dionysus,” addressed the near simultaneous events of Woodstock and the first lunar landing. Employing Greek mythology’s god of the sun and god of wine, she compared the aweinspiring accomplishments of NASA’s Apollo space program to the famous three-day concert that has come to exemplify the counterculture of the 1960s and the “hippie era.” Almost four decades later, Dr. Yaron Brook, President and Executive Director of the Ayn Rand Institute, reflects on her words and takes a new look at our society’s drives toward individualism versus wholeness, light versus darkness, and civilization versus primal nature.
The program is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
Archives
Cecile Richards
Thursday, May 1
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
“You all know that i have been gagged. I have been suppressed. I have been arrested numerous times. I have been hauled off to jail. yet every time, more people have listened to me, more have protested, more have lifted their own voices.” Thus read Arthur Schlesinger, Sr. in 1929 as Margaret Sanger sat silent beside him on the stage of Ford Hall, banned under court injunction from speaking herself. Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood, joins us tonight to reflect on that event; its meaning, its messengers, and the era that gave us the phrase, “Banned in Boston.”
This program is presented in collaboration with the Old South meeting House as part of the partners in Public Dialogue Seriers.
Archives
Danny Schechter
Thursday, April 17, 2008
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Danny Schechter “The news Dissector,” launched a media career in Boston on WBCN Radio. He became a Nieman Fellow in Journalism at harvard, a reporter at WGBH, a producer at WLVI and WCVB, and then went on to CNN and ABC News where he won two Emmys. However, he believes media, the field in which he has worked for four decades, is harming our democracy. Are major corporations capable of presenting the news effectively? Can independent media — empowered with the tools of a technological revolution — do any better? Schechter joins us tonight to look back on his journey from Boston to the world stage and explore the rapidly changing ways in which we receive our information.
This program is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
Archives
Herman Badillo
Sunday, April 13
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Old South Meeting House
Since our nation’s founding, those who come here fleeing poverty and persecution abroad have formed a vibrant and important part of American culture. Today, however, America is facing an onslaught of issues surrounding immigration, both legal and illegal. Congressman Herman Badillo, who rose from poverty to become the first Puerto Rican native elected to the U.S. Congress, says his community’s path to prosperity, political unity, and the American mainstream must be through self-reliance. Does liberal social policy do more harm than good? Does success for immigrant communities lie in the restoration of traditional values? Join us tonight as Herman Badillo addresses these questions that impact every American.
Book signing will follow lecture and discussion.
This program is presented in collaboration with the Old South Meeting House as part of the Partners in Public Dialogue Series.
