NSU Horizons Spring 2010

Around Campus Messengers of Peace Speak at NSU By Alan Hancock They are two global icons with a common message of peace and goodwill. And they visited NSU just days apart this February. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, both of whom have been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, each spoke on NSU’s main campus, preaching compas- sion and humanity. The Dalai Lama, as both the head of state and spiritual leader of Tibet, has led a nonvio- lent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. He has traveled to more than 62 countries and met with heads of states and heads of different religions to advocate policies of nonviolence even in the face of extreme aggression. The Dalai Lama visited on February 23 at events hosted jointly by NSU and Broward College. In the morning, he spoke on the topic of universal responsibility to NSU and Broward College stu- dents and faculty and staff members in the Arena at the Don Taft University Center. That afternoon, also in the arena, he addressed the public on the effect of compassion on the global community. It was the Dalai Lama’s second visit to NSU. In September 2004, he gave a public speech to 10,000 people in front of NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library and held private gatherings with students and faculty members. His visit to South Florida this year was coordinated jointly by NSU, Broward College, and Florida Atlantic University. “It is fitting that academic institutions hosted His Holiness, as he has become a great teacher and proponent of world peace and goodwill,” said NSU Chancellor Ray Ferrero, Jr. On February 26, just three days after the Dalai Lama’s appearance, Tutu spoke in the arena. Tutu’s appearance was part of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences’ Distinguished Speaker Series. He presented on “Good vs. Evil: Human Rights or Humans Wronged,” corresponding to the college’s 2009–2010 academic theme of “Good and Evil.” “Tutu’s message of engaging in peaceful resolu- tion to address conflict and oppose injustice is espe- cially relevant to our students and to our South Florida community,” said Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., dean of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. “I believe students gained personal insights and inspiration by listening to Tutu and by his chal- lenging them to consider ways they can make a difference in their own lives and communities.” Tutu rose to prominence in the 1970s and ’80s as a leader in a nonviolent movement against apartheid in his homeland of South Africa. He remains active in advancing peace today as a mem- ber of The Elders, a group of global leaders brought together by former South African president Nelson Mandela to address causes of human suffering and promote humanity. n horizons 13