Presiding President: William Craft, President of Concordia College. An opening fanfare featuring the Concordia College Brass Choir. Remarks by Geir Lundestad, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute; Eric Kaler, President of the University of Minnesota; and Chris Policinski, President and CEO of Land O’Lakes, the lead sponsor of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.
Convened by Land O'Lakes CEO Chris Policinski and moderated by Frank Sesno of George Washington University, this panel explores the intricate, dynamic relationship between food security and world security. Food security is a very complex geopolitical issue. Why is food security not as simple as matching supply with demand? What factors complicate it? What factors advance it? What are the most powerful ideas on a question that has eluded humans since time began: How do we end hunger?
Citizens around the world look to the United Nations, to the developed countries of the United States, Europe and Asia, and to organizations like the World Bank and the regional development banks for innovative ideas and programs to combat poverty, promote food security and peace. Are these institutions doing their jobs? Are they sources of innovation? What have been their successes and failures? Brian Atwood and Eric Schwartz of the Humphrey School have some 75 years of experience working with governments, NGOs and international organizations. In this audience-directed session, they will respond to questions on these critical issues.
A few decades ago, women barely warranted a footnote in discussions about global stability and economic growth. But the 21st Century thrust women to the forefront of these discussions, both as subjects and as participants. Nina Easton, Senior Editor of Fortune magazine and co-chair of the Most Powerful Women Summit, has carefully studied this dramatic change. What is the unfolding role of women in the realm of economic growth and world stability? Which countries and which companies have been the most successful in bringing women into the economic forefront? What do they gain and what do they lose? Is our global future fundamentally different because of this?
Featuring Muhammad Yunus in the main level lobby of Ted Mann Concert Hall.
Art creates political and social change around the world. Invisible Art is a vibrant program at Ka Joog. This public event is the culmination of a week long spoken word workshop led by Abdifatah Farah Ali, "Art. Changes. Everything.” It consists of poets and writers that will read, sing, perform, respond to each other’s creative pieces, and help those who want to be heard move the world. This event is cosponsored by the Augsburg Theater Department and the Sabo Center at Augsburg College.
Dr. Malcolm Potts, a scientist and obstetrician, has been a frontline witness to conflict around the world. He has worked with governments, aid organizations, and women who have been raped and brutalized in the course of war. In combining personal experience with scientific findings in genetics and anthropology, he explains war’s pivotal position in the human experience and how men in particular evolved under conditions that favored gang behavior, rape and organized aggression. Dr. Potts now charts a course for making warfare less frequent and less brutal. This is the power of ideas.
When conflict breaks out, access to food and health care are among the first casualties. When do international relief agencies decide to step in, and how do they make a difference? How do they define "success" and "failure" under these circumstances? The American Refugee Committee, working from Pakistan to Somalia to Haiti, has wrestled with these questions.
With the world’s population set to reach 9.2 billion by 2050, global food production will have to increase 70 percent to meet the higher demand. Food shortages and a dearth of economic opportunities can exacerbate or prolong conflict, while conflict serves as a disincentive to investment and enterprise development. This session will highlight how Land O’Lakes’ USAID-funded programs in Kenya and Sri Lanka have helped communities move forward from conflict, by facilitating the development of market-driven dairy value chains that work through inclusive cooperative structures.
How is micro-lendng transforming lives in Minnesota? Find out how innovative local mircorlending efforts are enabling new entrepreneurs to participate in the financial market and create jobs.
Recent price spikes have precipitated renewed concerns over affordable access to food—especially in the context of changes in climate, ever-tighter supplies of irrigation water, degrading soil and other natural assets, along with evidence of slowing rates of agricultural productivity growth. The forces shaping global food supply prospects (including a changing climate) will be discussed.
Diabetes is the plague of the 21st century. Obesity is a driving force, but what about climate change? Is TV the problem or might it be part of the solution? How will we tackle this problem? Come learn from a real winner (i.e. ‘the biggest loser’).
If sustained politico-economic and social stability depends on meeting basic human needs, a look around the globe reminds us that hunger and health remain major concerns in building sustainable societies. Deep ethical questions underlie our current global, regional and local approaches to resolving hunger and disease. What are the most important ethical questions? How do they play out in the real world? And what hope is there for addressing them? Join these two experts in a robust discussion of ethical things that really matter.
Food scientists often stand on the frontlines of addressing food hunger. Know-how, innovation and commitment from creative scientists are each changing the face of hunger.
This interactive talk focuses on neglected diseases of poverty and the role that Minnesota students and researchers play in addressing them. While these diseases vary in their effects on human health, their common denomination is that they occur in countries with severe poverty and poor sanitation, where people have little political voice and little access to essential drugs. Their victims are often marginalized and “forgotten” by organizations and people with advanced technology, money, and influence. Our Soil Transmitted Helminths (STHs) research grew out of Muhammad Yunus' previous visit to Concordia College in 2008. We are investigating STH prevention in Bangladesh, assessing how knowledge, culture, awareness and tradition play a role in prevention and treatment. In addition, we are actively involved in laboratory research, in the designing, producing and testing anti-NTD vaccines.
Unconstrained by political limitations and welcomed around the world, scientists are undertaking behind-the-scenes efforts to foster humanitarian objectives that are not possible for politicians and government leaders. Hear what this 2003 Nobel Chemistry Prize winner has learned about how scientists view their work in advancing world stability, and what price they pay for the privilege of doing this.
The New Green Revolution builds on the successes in agricultural development led by Nobel laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug over the past half century. It must provide small scale farmers throughout the world with better seeds and agronomic practices to increase their productivity and profitability, reduce deleterious environmental side effects, and improve the nutritional content of the food produced. How will it do this?
It is fairly easy to be inspired by people such as Muhammad Yunus and Tawakkol Karman. Once inspired, many of us wonder how we can use our own time and talents to advance peace. This world café explores the all-important question of "What can I do?"
When conflict breaks out, access to food and health care are among the first casualties. When do international relief agencies decide to step in, and how do they make a difference? How do they define "success" and "failure" under these circumstances? The American Refugee Committee, working from Pakistan to Somalia to Haiti, has wrestled with these questions.
Recent price spikes have precipitated renewed concerns over affordable access to food—especially in the context of changes in climate, ever-tighter supplies of irrigation water, degrading soil and other natural assets, along with evidence of slowing rates of agricultural productivity growth. The forces shaping global food supply prospects (including a changing climate) will be discussed.
The dominant focus in the business community has been on achieving a "competitive advantage." But global sustainability challenges demand cooperation between companies, government, and NGOs. Scandinavian companies have long demonstrated an ability to cooperate across boundaries and are recognized as global leaders in corporate responsibility and sustainability. What inspiration might others draw by considering the "Scandinavian cooperative advantage?"
Diabetes is the plague of the 21st century. Obesity is a driving force, but what about climate change? Is TV the problem or might it be part of the solution? How will we tackle this problem? Come learn from a real winner (i.e. ‘the biggest loser’).
If sustained stability depends on meeting basic human needs, a look around the globe reminds us that hunger and health remain potent challenges to peace. Deep ethical questions underlie our current global, regional and local approaches to resolving hunger and disease. What are the most important ethical questions? How do they play out in the real world? And what hope is there for addressing them? Join these two experts in a robust discussion of ethical things that really matter.
Food scientists often stand on the frontlines of addressing food hunger. Know-how, innovation and commitment from creative scientists are each changing the face of hunger.
Health and Public Health are deeply intertwined with global security. When it comes to American foreign policy, are health and public health at the center of foreign policy discussions, or are they an afterthought? What guides the development of US policy? What are the health and public health policy success stories and what have we learned from things that didn't work? If US health and public health policy accomplished just one thing in the next ten years, if just one powerful idea were to come to fruition, what would that one idea be?
This interactive talk focuses on neglected diseases of poverty and the role that Minnesota students and researchers play in addressing them. While these diseases vary in their effects on human health, their common denomination is that they occur in countries with severe poverty and poor sanitation, where people have little political voice and little access to essential drugs. Their victims are often marginalized and “forgotten” by organizations and people with advanced technology, money, and influence. Our Soil Transmitted Helminths (STHs) research grew out of Muhammad Yunus' previous visit to Concordia College in 2008. We are investigating STH prevention in Bangladesh, assessing how knowledge, culture, awareness and tradition play a role in prevention and treatment. In addition, we are actively involved in laboratory research, in the designing, producing and testing anti-NTD vaccines.
This session will pose questions of biology and society, and suggest some answers. Are humans intrinsically violent? If so, is that the end of the story, or as a thinking species, can we overcome that tendency? Are we overcoming it? Is violence and warfare decreasing or increasing now and over the centuries? How can we accomplish its decrease and ultimate demise?
The New Green Revolution builds on the successes in agricultural development led by Dr. Norman Borlaug over the past half century. It must provide small scale farmers throughout the world with better seeds and agronomic practices to increase their productivity and profitability, reduce deleterious environmental side effects, and improve the nutritional content of the food produced. How will it do this?
It is not accidental when powerful ideas yield powerful results. Muhammad Yunus and Tawakkol Karmen are examples of people who have taken their transformative ideas to create major impact. On a smaller scale, how can any of us take a great idea and move it forward? What is the process in making this leap from idea to impact? This world cafe will explore these important questions.
As a co-founder of Partners In Health and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Farmer is one of the world’s leading thinkers on health and human rights and the consequences of social inequality. A recipient of the MacArthur Foundation “genius award,” his work is the subject of Tracy Kidder’s book, Mountains Beyond Mountains. Dr. Farmer and his colleagues in the U.S., Haiti, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Malawi have pioneered novel, community-based treatment strategies that deliver high-quality health care in resource-poor settings.
Featuring Paul Farmer and Malcolm Potts in the Oren Gateway Center lobby.
Featuring TED-style presentations and mini musical sets from internationally-known hip hop artists Brother Ali and Omar Offendum. Each artist will speak about their music, their roles as activists and humanitarians, the social and moral dimensions of their music as a force to unite communities, and whether artists have a special moral responsibility. Artist presentations followed by a moderated panel discussion and audience Q&A. This event is ticketed separately; $15 general admission.
NOTE: DOORS AT 7:15, BEGINS AT 8:00 PM
Whether we are Christan, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Native American, spiritual, non-religious...or not quite sure, our faith can lead us to peace through service. Join us to begin the last day of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum by sharing your perspective and hearing about the perspective of others.
Journalist, author and foreign policy analyst, Robin Wright serves as a joint fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson International Center. Her book, Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion across the Islamic World, won the 2012 Overseas Press Club award for best book on international affairs. Her other books include The Iran Primer: Power, Politics and U.S. Policy and The Islamists are Coming: Who They Really Are.
Book signing featuring Robin Wright in the Kennedy Center lobby.
What did Alfred Nobel hope to accomplish when he penned his will to fund the Nobel Peace Prize? Controversial since the year it was first awarded in 1901, has it had the impact that Alfred Nobel intended? In the ensuing century, what has the Prize accomplished? Two experts with different views on the merits of the Prize explore the consequences of the award and their differences of opinion.
How is micro-lendng transforming lives in Minnesota? Find out how innovative local mircorlending efforts are enabling new entrepreneurs to participate in the financial market and create jobs.
The flowering of democracy is revolutionizing life in the Arab world and elsewhere. The technological revolution is mobilizing people, especially youth, as never previously seen. How has the powerful combination of idea and technology actually been used in Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and Yemen? This Skype-enabled session will bring together young activists from various countries who will discuss the successes, limitation and future of Phones in the Field. This workshop will take place on Sunday, March 10th from 1:30-3:00pm prior to Tawakkol Karman’s address.
The roles assigned to society have been vigorously debated for decades. Advocates have pressed for increased freedoms while others have ardently defended the status quo. The Arab Spring heralds change on many fronts, including changes for women. But what do women really want for themselves?
Artisans of reconciliation are people who devote their lives to becoming more skilled at the art of relational bridge building and social justice action. This session explores some of the defining characteristics of reconcilers in the realms of spirituality, worldview, identity, and ethics ... and invites participants into the journey of reconciliation leadership formation.
Musicians and artists shape and are shaped by the world around them. Often they serve as canaries in the coal mine. What unique capabilities do artists and musicians bring to social movements? What are their challenges, frustrations, and rewards? Why is art such an important part of the Arab Spring?
Whether the conflict is across the ocean or across the living room, it will either be solved or managed by violent force or nonviolent force. To be a peacemaker means to learn, study and master the effective methods of nonviolent force: the force of truth, the force of organized resistance to corrupt power, and the force of love.
There is great debate about whether democracy is desired or possible in the Muslim world. Why has there been so little Muslim democracy to date? If democracy does indeed follow recent protest and revolution in the Arab world and Central Asia, will it look like Western democracy? What are the big challenges that lie ahead?
What are Millennium Development Goals? How do they relate to peace? What is your role in accomplishing them?
How has journalism in the Middle East changed over the last three decades? From the way stories are reported to the evolution of technology in the newsroom and on the field, we will examine the issues that drove the Middle East from obscurity to the front-pages of world press.
A hundred years ago, a powerful woman used her influence to bring about the Nobel Peace Prize. What should we know about her that would guide our action today?
The very label “U.S.-Arab Relations” suggests consistent policy toward a homogenous region. But differences and divisions among Arabs are as important as issues uniting them, and U.S. policy toward the region has struggled to balance realism with ideals of peace and democracy. What factors shape U.S.-Arab relations, and how can the ideals be more successfully promoted?
Drones have emerged as the absentee landlord of 21st Century warfare. How are they used and by whom? What do they accomplish and who do they affect? What ethical principles should guide their use? This session will examine the use of drones (both armed and unarmed) as a way to make war easier and less costly and risky for the side using them, and consider the ethical problems such use presents in terms of the Just War Tradition. In particular, does this way of war impose more risk on non-combatants and the weak?
Presiding President: Paul Pribbenow, Augsburg College. A celebration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum featuring former Vice President Walter Mondale, a commissioning of our Peace Scholars, and music by the Luther College Trombone Choir.
