RELIGION AND POLITICS: 2005-2006
 
 
During the 2005-2006 academic year the Dartmouth Centers Forum planned a series of events so that faculty, staff and students could become increasingly sensitive to the variety of religious perspectives on campus. The goal of the collaboration was to facilitate an environment of inclusion. The object was not to provoke animosity between people of opposing viewpoints, but rather to encourage open dialogue on sensitive issues such as democracy, civil and human rights, the boundaries between public and private realms, the roles of governments and individuals, and the separation of church and state.
Events offered by the DCF: May 1, 2006: “Religion, Politics, and the Media” The dawn of the 21st century is witnessing an explosion in religious observance and spiritual curiosity around the world. Groups who previously co-existed are becoming increasingly separate from their neighbors of different faiths. What does this phenomenon mean for civil society? How are we to balance tolerance with ethical absolutes? And does this trend show signs of slowing, or increasing? Why are so many young adults turning to conservative religious traditions? Panelists included: David VanBiema, senior religion writer for Time Magazine Phillipe Gelie, Senior Correspondent for LeFigaro The moderator for the discussion was Aine Donovan, Executive Director of the Ethics Institute February 10, 2006: “Dying by Design” “This public event, sponsored by the Dickey Center War and Peace Studies Program, featured two perspectives on the motivations of suicide terrorists. In this discussion between noted academic, Robert Pape and Ram Sadi, a former counter-terrorist operative who infiltrated terrorist cells, Pape argued that terrorist groups in the world all have a strategic logic unassociated with religion, which is to rid their territory of a perceived foreign occupier. Sidi, who has in the past infiltrated such groups, argued that in his experience, religion was the central motivation.” – The Dartmouth Panelists included: Robert A. Pape Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago specializing in international security affairs, and author of Dying to Win:The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism. His commentary on international security policy has appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, ABC News, CBS News and CNN. Ram Sidi Veteran member of Israel’s counter-terrorism establishment. Sidi served as a team commander with a still-classified, under-cover unit of the Israel Defense Forces and as a reservist for 16 years with IDF counter-terror units. Granted unique access to convicted Palestinian terrorists from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah under the control of the Israel Corrections Service, Mr. Sidi lectures on the motivations of these Palestinian terrorists groups. September 23, 2005: “Academic Freedom and Scholarship” “The free speech principle is left with the concern of nothing less than helping to shape ‘the intellectual character of the society,’” according to Lee C. Bollinger, president of Columbia University and the Ethics Institute at Dartmouth College’s Fall 2005 Dorsett Fellow. Bollinger spoke at Dartmouth on September 23 at 4:00 p.m. in Filene Auditorium. Bollinger, a former Dartmouth provost, has led Columbia during a recent controversy over the limits of free speech on campus. He is recognized as one of the nation’s leading thinkers on the issue of free expression and academia. His lecture, “Academic Freedom and Scholarship,” was open to the public. Events offered by a member of the DCF in support of the theme: May 11, 2006: “The Politics of God: How Religious Fundamentalisms are Shaping the Issues of the Day from Washington to the West Bank” May 8, 2006: “The Liberal Conscience: Politics and Principle in a World of Religious Pluralism” http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006021401060shapeimage_3_link_0
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