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 RegionalDirector, 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.
Lou DobbsMonday, 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.
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?
Joan BladesThursday, 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.
Kitty Dukakis, Michael Dukakis, and Larry TyeMonday, 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.
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.
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.
