To: The Villanovan

FOR RELEASE OCT. 24Contact: Marie Tillema, Marketing/Outreach Assistant, (610) 566-4507, ext. 124; Fax: (610) 566-3679; [email protected].

Announcement:

Oscar Arias Sánchez Former President of Costa Rica and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award will discuss demilitarization and global economic justice on Thursday, Oct. 30, as part of Pendle Hill’s 2003-2004 Thursday Night Forum series. Free. 7:30 p.m. Swarthmore College, Lang Performing Arts Center. For more information, call (610) 566-4507, ext. 121 or visit www.phpeace.net.

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Article:

Oscar Arias Sánchez Speaks at Swarthmore

On Thursday, October 30, Oscar Arias Sánchez, former President of Costa Rica and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award, will speak at 7:30 pm at Swarthmore College, Lang Performing Arts Center. Dr. Arias’ talk, “Doing Justice: The Path of Peace,” will examine how globalization and militarization are threats to democracy and explain the need for global economic justice for a peaceful and secure world.

Dr. Arias notes [September, 2002], “Peace can only take hold when it is firmly rooted in justice. …In order to allow democracy and stability to take root…peace must be not just a temporary cease-fire, or a simple bandage over wounds and resentments that are bound to flare up again. Rather the deepest causes of conflict must be brought to light, examined, and addressed.”

Oscar Arias Sánchez was President of Costa Rica from 1986-1990, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for successfully uniting Central American leaders to sign a Peace agreement, known as the Arias Peace Plan. Dr. Arias later established the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress to promote human development and gender equality in Central America, and to work for demilitarization and conflict resolution in the developing world. In addition to his doctoral degree in Political Science from the University of Essex, England, Dr. Arias has been awarded fifty honorary doctorates from colleges and universities, including Harvard, Dartmouth and Washington University in St. Louis. He has also been given other numerous awards, such as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Award, the Liberty Medal of Philadelphia and the Americas Award.

The presentation by Oscar Arias Sánchez is the second event in Pendle Hill’s 2003-2004 Thursday Night Forum series, “Walking the Way of Peace: Peacebuilding in a Violent World.” All events will take place on the Swarthmore College campus and are free and open to the public. Sponsors are Pendle Hill, the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility and the Program in Peace and Conflict Studies of Swarthmore College.

Pendle Hill’s 2003-2004 Forum series is based on the recognition that we live in a violent world – cultural violence, institutional racism, sexual assault, genocide and war. What is required of us to walk the path of peace? In this series, prominent activists and scholars will explore building peace in our homes, communities and world.

For more information and a complete 2003-2004 Pendle Hill Thursday Night Forum series schedule, visit www.phpeace.net or call (610) 566-4507, ext. 121.

Founded in 1930 in Wallingford, PA, Pendle Hill is widely known as a Quaker center for study and contemplation, offering programs that express Quaker faith and practice, and are open to people of all faiths. At the heart of Pendle Hill is a residential study program which encourages a step back from daily life for reflection and discernment. Pendle Hill also offers shorter term retreats and workshops, publications, leadership training for youth and a walk-in bookstore. The Pendle Hill Forum and Peace Network were created in the aftermath of September 11 to engage the wider community in discussion with national and international figures on intractable social issues such as war, violence, and racial and economic justice. Visit the Pendle Hill website at www.pendlehill.org or call (610) 566-4507 for more information.