One World Lecture Series: Prof. Okey Ndibe (NWL)

ONE WORLD LECTURE: “THE SEDUCTION OF SILENCE: FIVE REASONS NOT TO SURRENDER!”

SUMMARY: A major part of what it means to be an enlightened citizen is the habit of informing oneself about the big issues of one's society, and responding in an informed way to the issues. However, too many citizens--out of convenience, moral cowardice or some other factor--often surrender to the seduction of silence. The climate of democracy is darkening in many parts of the world, with dire consequences for our shared values. The talk is both a caution and a summons to be on our guard. Using anecdotes, ancient and contemporary literary texts as well as folktales, the talk will underscore the necessity to speak, to make one's voice felt, to help tell the stories that sustain our humanity.

REGISTER BELOW for “THE SEDUCTION OF SILENCE: FIVE REASONS NOT TO SURRENDER!”

OKEY NDIBE Okey Ndibe is the author of two novels, “Arrows of Rain” and “Foreign Gods, Inc.”, and a memoir, “Never Look an American in the Eye” (winner of the 2017 Connecticut Book Award for non-fiction). He has taught at St. Lawrence University, Brown University, Connecticut College, Simon’s Rock College, Trinity College, and the University of Lagos (as a Fulbright scholar). His award-winning journalism has appeared in The Hartford Courant, The New York Times, Financial Post, The Guardian, and La Repubblica. Originally from Nigeria, he relocated to the US in 1988 to be the founding editor of an international magazine. He lives in West Hartford, CT with his wife and three children. He’s currently working on a novel titled “Native Tongues”. http://okeyndibe.com/

SUPPORT: This series is made possible with a grant from the Stanley D. and Hinda N. Fisher Foundation, administered by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

LINKS to ONE WORLD LECTURE Dates:
• Oct. 25, 2018 [Thur., 7PM] - Prof. Cheryl Greenberg
     “Why Not Restrict Hate Speech? (An Historical Perspective)”
• Nov. 14, 2018 [Wed., 7PM] - Prof. Fiona Vernal
     "How Did West Indians Become the Largest Foreign-Born Population in Connecticut?”
• Dec. 6, 2018 [Thur., 7PM] - Prof. Okey Ndibe
     “The Seduction of Silence: Five Reasons Not to Surrender!”
• Jan. 9, 2019 [Wed., 7PM] - Prof. Mary-Jane Rubenstein 
     “God and the Multiverse: A Melodrama” 
• Feb. 10, 2019 [Sun., 2PM] - Prof. Thomas S. Harrington
     "Is Resurgent Nationalism a Threat or a Renewal?: Exploring the Case of Catalonia"
• March 12, 2019 [Tues., 7PM] - Prof. Edward Stringham
     "How Markets and the Invisible Hand Creates Order in Society: From PayPal to the Blockchain"  
• March 26, 2019 [Tues. 7PM] - Prof. Elizabeth R. Nugent
     "The Politics of Repression in the Middle East"
• May 9, 2019 [Thur. 7PM] - Prof. Ian Shapiro
     "Democratic Competition: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"

PARKING: There is ample library parking in the nearby Isham Garage. Please bypass the garage payment kiosks and come directly to the lecture in the Noah Webster Library Meeting Room, 20 South Main Street, where you may validate your parking with your license plate number.