To try to help people better understand the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and the world in which we live today, the Honors Program and Merit Fellowship of the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University will sponsor the conference: "War and Peace: The Reality" on Friday, November 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. C.W. Post faculty will present more than 20 lectures, including workshops and a student forum. Dr. Joan Digby, director of the C.W. Post Honors Program and Merit Fellowship, is coordinating the event, which is open to the public free of charge.

Some topics include: Biological and Chemical Terrorism; Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy; Living with Terror/Working with Trauma; The War I Knew, Personal Writing and Experiences from W.W. II; Tragedy and Representation from the Holocaust to 9/11: Cinematic Challenges and Opportunities; Education for Democratic Citizenship and Global Peace; and Fear Not the Road Less Traveled. "This will be a very diverse program," Dr. Digby said. "Not every session is about the immediate situation, though all have a bearing on it."

C.W. Post faculty members from all different disciplines will be participating. "Several faculty members are experts on terrorism," Dr. Digby said. "Others have a strong interest in peace." Speakers include terrorism expert Dr. Harvey Kushner, chairman of the C.W. Post Criminal Justice Department, who will speak on "what every peace-loving college student should know about terrorism." Speaker Dr. Roslyn Muraskin, an expert in gender and the law and a professor of criminal justice, had just returned from a conference on terrorism as was eager to participate. Dr. Linda Wenze, a professor in the Health Care and Public Administration Department, had recently attended a conference on biological and chemical warfare and will be speaking on that subject matter. Noted film critic and Department of Film Professor Dr. David Sterritt will discuss the changes in documentary making since September 11.

"Many faculty members are involved in research in the subject matter," Digby said. Presenting faculty members come from departments as diverse as finance, film and mathematics. "People will use what they know to speak," she said, "including some students who will present their thesis research on related topics. "

"This conference is perfect for the Honors Program because we are trying to make students ready for the world," Dr. Digby said. "And for them to be leaders at the highest possible levels."

The idea for the conference came to Dr. Digby when she met with C.W. Post Merit Fellowship coordinators over the summer. She said she had a feeling that the issue of the war on terrorism and the war on Iraq would be pressing as students returned to school. She felt that the students needed to be more focused on what is going on politically in the world right now. Her letter to the faculty met with immediate enthusiasm and the sessions emerged spontaneously as professors volunteered to talk.

The Honors Program and Merit Fellowship are programs for undergraduates who demonstrate outstanding intellectual potential and academic achievement.

For information email joan.digby@liu.edu or call (516) 299-2840.

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