INFOCUS: WAR & PEACE
The goal of IN FOCUS is for Moravian College, Moravian Theological Seminary, and the Comenius Center to realize the promise of becoming known as an institution that engages its students in the study of important issues that challenge humanity today and as we look to the future. Through grappling with complex problems, and examining them from several different perspectives Moravian’s graduates will be better prepared to contribute to a just society and a vibrant democracy.
InFocus Highlights 2018-2019
Past Events
- SAKURA: requiem for Hiroshima and Nagasaki (April 12-14)
- Green Zone Training (April 12)
- Town Hall (April 10)
- Dancers in Concert (March 29, 30)
- Community Clergy Training (March 7, 14, 21, 28)
- Hope in Hard Times: Prison Art and Social Justice (March 19)
- Brain Awareness Week (March 14)
- Moravian College Writer's Conference (February 15)
- What Educators Need to Learn About Refugees (February 13)
- Great Decisions: Foreign Policy Lecture Series (February 6–March 27)
- Life under the Mushroom Cloud: Peacebuilding and Activism (January 30)
- InFocus Peace and Justice Scholars (January 28-30)
- Eric Semien: Human Rights and International Lawyer (November 27)
- Exploring InFocus through Neuroscience (November 9)
- Salaam-Shalom Interfaith Activism (November 8)
- Office for DEI: Friday Forum (November 2)
- Town Hall on the Second Amendment (October 29)
- The Bomb: An Incredible Film
Moravian College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided for the event, please contact the event host prior to the event.
Calling All Dawns: April 27th, 2019 | Foy Hall at 7:30 PM
General Admission: $15.00 | Students and Seniors: $10.00 | Free with Moravian ID
The Moravian College Choir, led by Dr. Paula Zerkle, will perform the Lehigh Valley premier of a choral-orchestral work completed by Christopher Tin in 2009. The piece draws on texts from around the workd, such as Bhagavad Gita, the Torah, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Maori proverbs, and Japanese haiku.
Moravian College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided for the event, please contact the music@moravian.edu (Rose Panik 610-861-1650 prior to the event.
SAKURA: requiem for Hiroshima and Nagasaki
When: April 12 & 13 at 8pm or April 14 at 2pm
Where: Touchstone Theatre (321 E. 4th St. Bethlehem, PA 18015)
Performance by acclaimed Japanese performance artist Keiin Yoshimura
Japan is the only country in the world to experience the destruction wrought by the atomic bomb. Seventy years after that attack, with her dance "Sakura" (Cherry Blossom), Keiin Yoshimura appeals to the world in her own way to hand down the event and convey the meaninglessness of war. She believes that art can heal the wounds of the past. This dance is a requiem and a call for peace. The performance includes poems from the "Collection on Genbaku (atomic bombs)" by Sankichi Toge, and integrates techniques from the Japanese stage arts Noh and Kyogen. The dance reflects the suffering and grief of the ephemeral nature of the seasons; the symbol of the people's suffering and grief is the cherry blossom sakura. Here’s a brief trailer of the piece.
Green Zone Training
When: November 16 and April 12, 2019, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Where: Moravian College, Prosser Auditorium, Haupert Union Building
How Much: $15.00 per person
Register for Green Zone Training
Academics for Veterans (A's for Vets) and The Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council (LVMAC) invite you to participate in Green Zone Training.
This professional development program is designed for higher education administrators, faculty and staff. Named for the secure international zone in Baghdad, Iraq, this program will assist attendees in developing a supportive network and campus community for veterans, active service members and their families.
Green Zone training has been adopted nationwide by universities and colleges to assist military students as they navigate the complexities of today’s educational environment. By attending Green Zone Training, you are saying yes to supporting your veteran and active military students. At the end of the training, you will receive a Green Zone seal and certificate to put in your area for veterans and their families to know that you are a safe space.
Guest Speaker/Trainer: Stephen Ross, Virginia Commonwealth University
Mr. Ross is the Director of Military Student Services at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a veteran of the USAF and has a master’s in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas. He was an Economics instructor for 27 years at VMI and began at VCU in Dec of 2014. There, Mr. Ross revamped the GREEN ZONE and has since trained over 100 colleges and universities. This training has now been adopted nationwide by colleges and universities and will be tailored to the Lehigh Valley area.
InFocus Peace and Justice Scholars
When: January 28-30, 2019
Where: Moravian College
Steve Leeper has been an activist for the abolition of nuclear weapons since 1998. From 2002 to 2013 he worked for the city of Hiroshima and its campaigning NGO, Mayors for Peace. He has recently been appointed international campaign manager for the Hibakusha Appeal Campaign, which has collected 10 million signatures in Japan but is almost unknown in the U.S. and around the world.
Emiko Okada is a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and has been active for decades raising consciousness about the horror of nuclear weapons. She speaks about her experience of the bombing, the long-term effects of the bombing on Hiroshima and the survivors, and why we need to eliminate nuclear weapons and is involved in grassroots campaigning to bring the issue of nuclear weapons into global public consciousness.
Life under the Mushroom Cloud: Peacebuilding and Activism
When: January 30, 2019, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Prosser Auditorium, HUB
Emiko Okada, Hiroshima hibakusha (survivor of the atomic bomb), speaks about her life experience before, during and following the first ever use of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, Japan. Stever Leeper joins her to present their work in peacebuilding activism in Japan and throughout the world. This lecture is brought to you by JUSFC (Japan-United States Friendship Commission).
Moravian College Dance Company Presents: Dancers in Concert
When: March 29 and 30, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Foy Concert Hall, Historic Downtown Bethlehem at Main & Church Streets
How Much: All Seats $10, Free with Moravian ID
More Information: 610-861-1650 or dance@moravian.edu
Community Clergy Training Provided by the V.A.
When: March 7, 14, 21, 28, 3-hour sessions
How Much: Free
The community clergy training provided by the V.A. is intended to develop the capacity of congregations to welcome and care for veterans and their families.
Hope in Hard Times: Prison Art and Social Justice
When: March 19, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Prosser Auditorium
Mr. Tyrone Werts, Soros Fellow 2013, will be discussing the role of education and the arts in prison and the concepts of hope, justice, legacy and change.
Brain Awareness Week
You Might be Sparked!
When: March 14, 2019
Where: Moravian College Campuses
In keeping with the Brain Awareness Week theme of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, our BRAIN Club is raising funds for an organization known as Alpha Bravo Canine. ABC's mission is to provide trained service dogs to U.S. military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other combat-related disabilities. Learn more about Alpha Bravo Canine.
A fundraising form will also be provided. There is no obligation to make a donation, but if you are inclined to do so, visit Alpha Bravo Canine to make your donation online.
Moravian College Writer's Conference 2019
When: February 15, 2019
Where: Priscilla Payne Hurd Academic Complex
How Much: Free and open to the public
More Information: Moravian College Writer's Conference
What is it?
This conference is presented in collaboration with the College's year-long InFocus Programming on War, Peacebuilding, and the Just Society, the Moravian College English Department and Arts and Lectures Committee, and the Bethlehem Area Public Library. It includes:
- An afternoon generative writing workshop with acclaimed young adult author A.S. King;
- A panel discussion with King, Josh Berk, Justina Ireland, and Saundra Mitchell that asks What Books Can Do: Writing for Young People In an Age of Extremism and Chronic War;
- A public reading, given by King, at the Bethlehem Area Public Library.
What Educators Need to Learn About Refugees
When: February 13, 6:00 p.m.
Where: Moravian College, Prosser Auditorium, Haupert Union Building
Faculty Members Kin Cheung and Yosung Song Host Grace Han, a North Korean refugee, and Professor Melissa Borja, a scholar of migration, religion, politics, race, and ethnicity. This is a continuation of the conversation started last spring by the screening of the PBS documentary "The Chinese Exclusion Act."
Great Decisions: Foreign Policy Lecture Series
When: February 6–March 27, Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Where: Kirkland Village Auditorium, Bethlehem, PA
More Information: YMCA Bethlehem
Eric Semien: Human Rights and International Lawyer
When: November 27, 2019, 4:00 p.m.
Where: PPHAC, Room 102
Eric-Aimé Semien is a human rights lawyer, specialist in international humanitarian law, and president of the Ivorian Observatory for Human Rights (OIDH), in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. As president of OIDH, Mr. Semien spearheads a wide range of transitional justice related projects in Côte d’Ivoire, including being a victims’ advocate, and monitoring international criminal justice procedures as they relate to Ivorian cases at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. In 2016, he was elected Chair of the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for the African Peer Review Mechanism – a governance self-monitoring system within the African Union. In 2017, he was named by NewAfrican Le Magazine de l’Afrique as one of the 100 Africans of the year. His work has been supported by and he has partnered with a number of internationally recognized human rights organizations, including REDRESS UK, FIACAT, the Open Society Foundation, and the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum. Mr. Semien has 10 years of experience teaching international law and human rights. He teaches international law at the National Judicial Academy of the Ivorian Ministry of Justice, the professional school for training magistrates and court clerks in Côte d’Ivoire. He is also a lecturer at the Institute of Dignity and Human Rights of the Center for Research and Actions for Peace (CERAP) in Abidjan. Mr Semien is completing his Ph.D. in international criminal law at University Paris II Pantheon Assas in France. His current research examines the rights to defense in international law with special reference to ICC cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and Côte d’Ivoire.
Sponsored by Arts and Lectures, In-Focus, Political Science and Africana Studies. Moravian College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided for the event, please call Faith Okpotor at okpotorf@moravian.edu prior to the event.
Exploring InFocus through Neuroscience
When: November 9, 1:00 p.m.
Where: PPHAC, Room 338
Moravian College and public community members are invited to hear talks by neuroscience students focusing the topic on stress, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The students are tasked with explaining a neuroimaging technique (MRI, functional MRI, PET, and EEG) to a layperson who might be asked to get such a test but who has no background in medicine or neuroscience. They are also asked to use stress-related examples of research and clinical uses of these techniques in their ~20-min talk.
Students in the Introduction to Neuroscience Methodology course will give ~20-min presentations introducing an assigned neuroimaging technique--magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, electroencephalography (EEG), or positron emission tomography (PET)--to an audience of people from the community (i.e., those who might have to undergo such a procedure but who lack background knowledge about it). Presenters must tailor their content and tone to an audience that has little to no background in neuroscience, medicine, or radiology, but still manage to present technical information accurately. Key points to the presentation include: the basics of the methodology, basics of neuroanatomy relevant to understanding the technique, how the technology is used, one clinical example and one research example related to stress and/or trauma, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of the assigned technique compared to other comparable techniques.
Salaam-Shalom Interfaith Activism: Jews, Muslims, and Allies against Antisemitism and Islamophobia in Europe
When: November 8, 7:00 p.m.
Where: UBC Room (HUB)
Come hear anti-hate activist Armin Langer share his story of his work for peaceful co-existence in Germany and Europe,
Racism and nationalism are rising in Europe, and antisemitism and Islamophobia are thriving. In 2016, a far-right party entered the German parliament for the first time since the 1930s. Austria, Hungary, and Italy elected far-right parties to lead their countries. There is, however, an alternative to fear and hate: Solidarity. The Salaam-Shalom Initiative, which started in Berlin in 2013 and now has chapters in seven other European cities, stands for a joint struggle of Jews, Muslims, and allies for an open society.
Armin Langer, Ph.D. candidate in sociology at Humboldt University in Berlin, has studied philosophy and Jewish theology in Budapest, Jerusalem, and Potsdam. Author of Ein Jude in Neukölln (“A Jew in Neukölln”), editor of the anthology Fremdgemacht & Reorientiert (Alienated & Reoriented), Mr. Langer writes on a freelance basis for German and international outlets like "Die Zeit", "Spiegel Online", "Deutsche Welle,” and "JEU - European Jewish
Magazine." He is the coordinator of the Jewish-Muslim activist group Salaam-Shalom Initiative. A selection of his op-eds in German and English can be found at arminlanger.net.
Sponsored by the Department of Global Religions and the Department of Modern Languages. Moravian College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its events and programs. If you have any questions about the access provided, please contact Dr. Jason Radine at radine@moravian.edu.
Office for DEI: Friday Forum
When: November 2, 2018, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where: UBC room
The Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion joins lnFocus and the Office of Religious Life and Spiritual Life in a Conversation about the PA Crisis of Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church.
The recent report from the PA Attorney General's Office about long-standing sexual abuse within the Catholic Church indicates that we are witnessing a crisis that is far from being resolved, and that deeply impacts people and communities' lives. This Friday Forum opens a space on our campus for students, staff and faculty to engage in dialogue regarding this issue.
Town Hall on the Second Amendment
When: October 29, 2018, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Snyder Room, Haupert Union Building
The guest speaker, Meg Mott, is a Professor of Politics at Marlboro College and the Town Moderator for Putney, Vermont. Participation is welcomed from all members of the community who are concerned about gun ownership and gun safety.
InFocus Outdoors: The Haywagon Stage
Moravian College's Theater Company is adding an outdoor performance venue, The Haywagon Stage, to our campus during the 2018-2019 school year. A wide variety of events will take place at this temporary space: concerts, performance art installations, social gatherings, micro plays, and more. All of the events will provide free expression and learning with regard to this year's InFous theme: War, Peacebuilding, and the Just Society.
Departments, student clubs, and individuals from across campus may contribute—contact Professor Christopher Shorr (or co-directors, professors Dr. Daniel Jasper/Dr. Kelly Denton-Borhaug) for more information about how to get involved if you have an idea.
The Bomb: An Incredible Film
After the screening of The Bomb, Dr. Kelly Denton-Borhaug and Dr. Daniel Jasper hosted a talkback session with filmmaker Smriti Keshari. The Bomb is a critically acclaimed film that explores the strange and compelling story of nuclear weapons, from 1945 to present day, using moving imagery and music to immerse the viewer in a sensory experience which allows us to delve into the history of the nuclear bomb.
Moravian College students were encouraged to participate in the talkback session and were able to ask questions and discuss the different views related to nuclear arsenals. It provided enlightenment on a very disturbing subject.