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Wendy Perlman is the keynote speaker at the 2015 Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies Conference. Wendy Pearlman is the keynote speaker at the 2015 Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies Conference.Carthage will host the annual conference of the Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies on Thursday and Friday, April 16-17.

The theme of the conference is “Democracy in the 21st Century?” More than 80 students and faculty from around the state will present topics in panel presentations and roundtable discussions. All members of the Carthage community, as well as the public, are invited to attend.

The Four Freedoms
In his speech to the U.S. Congress on Jan. 6, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt presented what became known as the Four Freedoms: the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom of worship, the freedom from want, and the freedom from fear. Seventy-four years on, these four freedoms still resonate throughout the world particularly in the discourse of human rights. This conference asks questions related to the interconnection of the Four Freedoms and democracy, and whether democracy is an end that should be pursued.

Panel presentation topics include Bias and the Law; Human Rights and Colonialism; Democracy and the State; Democracy and Culture; Democracy and Class; the Mideast and Islam; Freedom, Faith, and Literature; and Balancing State Security and Individual Freedoms. See a full list of topics and presenters

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Wendy Pearlman, Northwestern University
Dr. Wendy Pearlman of Northwestern University will give the keynote presentation on Thursday, April 16. Her talk is titled “Triumphs and Tragedies in the Struggle for Freedom in the Middle East.” The event begins at 5:15 p.m. A dinner will be served following Dr. Pearlman’s talk. There is no cost to attend the lecture; the cost to attend dinner is $10. 

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Martin Farrell, Ripon College
Dr. Martin Farrell of Ripon College will give a keynote presentation during lunch on Friday, April 17. His talk is titled “Democracy, Peace and Conflict: Personal and Professional Reflections on 30 Years with the Wisconsin Institute.” The event begins at 11:45 a.m., with lunch to follow. There is no cost to attend the presentation; the cost to attend lunch is $10. 

The conference will be held in the Todd Wehr Center on the Carthage campus. Panel presentations begin at 3:30 on Thursday, April 16, and at 8:30 a.m. Friday, April 17. 

To attend the keynote presentations, dinner, or lunch, please RSVP to Deborah Usinger by noon on Wednesday, April 15, dusinger@carthage.edu.