2023-24 Alworth Peace and Justice Series theme is “Water: Sustaining Life in the 21st Century”

Along with the new academic program, the College is pleased to announce that the 2023-24 Alworth Peace and Justice Series theme is “Water: Sustaining Life in the 21st Century.” This lecture series will explore critical questions from local and global perspectives related to water and climate change, community, resilience and equity, indigenous treaty rights, economic development, recreation, conservation and more.

Dr. Bret Amundson, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, sees the series as a perfect fit within the new school: “The Peace and Justice Lecture Series is a shining example of the uniqueness of a liberal education built upon the foundation of our Benedictine values. We invite highly qualified experts to discuss a wide range of topics that significantly affect our world, examining them through an interdisciplinary lens. The program invites participants to listen with the ear of their heart, encouraging creative problem-solving and investigating topics from multiple perspectives.”

The lecture series kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mitchell Auditorium, featuring Tara Houska, environmental and indigenous rights advocate and founder of the Giniw Collective. Houska will discuss her career as a tribal attorney and land and water defender.

Upcoming 2023-24 lectures

Future events in the series will focus on climate change in Lake Superior, water politics in Duluth and the Flint water crisis. For the final event, the College will welcome pediatrician and author Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped bring the Flint water crisis to broader public attention with her research and her book, What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City.

The complete 2023-24 lecture series includes:

• Thursday, Sept. 28: Tara Houska (with a performance by the CSS Justice Choir)
• Thursday, Oct. 26: “Climate Ghosts: Historical Legacies and the Future of Lake Superior Wildlife in the Anthropocene” with Nancy Langston
• Thursday, Feb. 8: “The Future of Water in Duluth” with a local panel
• Thursday, April 11: “Flint Water Crisis and Community Resilience” with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

More information about the lecture series and the link to livestream the lectures will be available at css.edu/peace.

The Alworth Center for the Study of Peace and Justice lectures are sponsored by the Alworth Center for the Study of Peace and Justice at The College of St. Scholastica and funded in part by the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, the DeWitt and Caroline Van Evera Foundation and the Mary C. Van Evera Foundation Endowed Fund in memory of William Van Evera. With additional support from the Royal D. Alworth Jr. Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the UMD Department of World Languages and Cultures and other private donors.