INFOCUS: WAR & PEACE

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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. 

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. 

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."

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.