Upcoming events - January
The following is a list of upcoming events sponsored by the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public.
Thursday, January 18, 12:45-2 p.m.: The State and Local Policy Program will host a policy brownbag discussion on the Southwest Corridor in Hennepin County from 12:45 to 2 p.m. in the Wilkins Room (215 Humphrey Center). All are invited to attend this free discussion.
Thursday, January 18, 5 p.m.: The evolution of democracy and the effect of this evolution on politics is the topic of an upcoming lecture by author Matt Leighninger at 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 18, in the Wilkins Room (215 Humphrey Center). Leighninger is the executive director of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium, a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy organization that works to promote and institutionalize deliberative democracy at all levels of governance in the United States and around the world. All are invited to attend this free program cosponsored by the Minnesota Extension Service.
Monday, January 22, 7 p.m.: “Faut-il supprimer l'ONU?” (Should we abolish the UN?) is the topic of a lecture by Pierre-Edouard Deldique at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 22, in the Wilkins Room (215 Humphrey Center). Deldique, a renowned journalist with Radio France Internationale, will consider the future of the UN. Will it be able to hold its own with the great powers or is it condemned to remain in their shadow? Will it be able to play a more political role in international relations? The lecture, which will be delivered in French, is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by Friday, January 19, by calling (612) 332-0436. For more information, contact Ed Coughlin at edcough@hotmail.com. Deldique's visit is sponsored by the Délégation Générale de l'Alliance Française aux Etats-Unis, the Humphrey Institute, and the Minneapolis-Tours Sister Cities Association.
Tuesday, January 30, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Norwegian diplomat Tom Vraalsen will give a lecture on the crisis in the Sudan from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. January 30 in Cowles Auditorium. Since the mid-1990s, Ambassador Vraalsen has served as the UN-Secretary General's Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs for Sudan. He will discuss his work in Sudan on behalf of the UN. All are encouraged to attend this free program. There will be a complimentary light lunch following his presentation.
Wednesday, January 31, 8-9:30 a.m.: Ambassador Henry
Crumpton, coordinator for counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State,
will talk about “A New Era of Conflict” from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. January
31 in Cowles Auditorium. The Office of
the Coordinator for Counterterrorism is charged with forging partnerships
with individuals, organizations, and foreign governments to advance the counterterrorism
objectives and national security of the United States. Crumpton will give his
perspective on national security and the War on Terror and will take questions
from the audience. This program is free and open to the public. Continental
breakfast will be available beginning at 8 a.m. No registration is required.
Wednesday, January 31, 7 p.m.: Art and policy intersect as the Minnesota Opera and the Humphrey Institute convene a public policy conversation inspired by the Minnesota Opera's upcoming production of The Grapes of Wrath. In "Whose America is It? A Policy Discussion on Economic Migration and the American Dream," panelists will explore The Grapes of Wrath's themes of searching for work, human dignity, and the American dream through contemporary issues of immigration and economic migration. Moderated by opera commentator Robert Marx, the panel includes Professor Ann Markusen; Peter Rachleff, labor historian and professor at Macalester College; community advocate Jesse Bethke Gomez, president of Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES); and opera librettist Michael Korie. Musical selections will be presented by composer Ricky Ian Gordon and cast members of The Grapes of Wrath. The free program will begin at 7 p.m. on January 31 in Cowles Auditorium. RSVPs are encouraged at (612) 333-6669.
Save the date!
February 1: The State and Local Policy Program will co-sponsor a road pricing summit with the Citizens League. More information will follow.
February 15: Richard Martinez, University assistant professor in Chicano studies, will discuss “Municipal crackdowns on undocumented migrants in the U.S. in 2006.”
February 22: Ben Page, the Gordon Scott Fulcher Professor of Decision Making in political science at Northwestern University, will give a lecture on “Bush's Disconnect: Foreign Policy, Public Opinion, and Multilateralism.” Walter Mondale will moderate the program.