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T. William & Patricia Ayers Global Tipping Points Series
Confronting Genocide
and Antisemitism:
Recovering in the Aftermath
May 2, 2023
6:00 - 7:00 pm
Alumni Center
Keene State College
“As much as the world has an instinct for evil and is a breeding ground for genocide, holocaust, slavery, racism, war, oppression, and injustice, the world has an even greater instinct for goodness, rebirth, mercy, beauty, truth, freedom and love.” - Desmond Tutu, Anglican bishop and human rights activist.
How can communities haunted by the circumstance of genocide, atrocities, and anti-Semitism rebuild the trust, respect, and institutions that can prevent a relapse after a conflict has come to an end? There are several examples of truth and reconciliation efforts in post-genocide societies, some of which have resulted in healing and others resulting in impunity.
Join NH Fulbright Association with the World Affairs Council, in partnership with the Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State College, as our speakers discuss their reconciliation work in post-genocide Bosnia & Herzegovina. Audience members will explore lessons learned from these personal experiences and how these approaches can guide future reconciliation work. Healing does not come quickly or easily, meaning communities require ongoing support and unbiased efforts to repair community wounds.
About the Speaker
John Sturtz earned his doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Secondary Social Studies Education from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. He is currently a Professor of Education and Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire. He teaches a variety of education courses and works with beginning teachers. His research interests include education in divided societies and education in emergencies. In 2022 he was a US Fulbright Scholar at the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Christa Kirby is VP of Talent Development and Practice Director for Management and Leadership at Corporate Education Group (CEG). A licensed psychotherapist, Christa integrates her global experience as a mental health professional with her passion for holistically developing leaders and teams. For the last 25 years she has been designing and delivering impactful learning experiences to companies, nonprofits, and non-governmental organizations all over the world.
Christa has also played a pivotal role in various national and global initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, civil society building, and conflict resolution. Her work has taken her across North America, throughout Western and Northern Europe, as well as to countries including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Croatia, Romania, Estonia, Ethiopia, India, and Singapore.
When partnering with clients, Christa takes a very hands-on, collaborative approach to ensure that learning is engaging, holistic, and targeted to deliver specific outcomes. A strategist as well as a “doer,” she is equally comfortable aligning learning strategy with organizational culture as she is with designing a program, facilitating a session, or coaching leaders and teams.
A frequent speaker at client and industry events, Christa presents on topics including: DE&I, resilience and well-being, communication, emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, team building, and creativity and innovation. Click here to see her TED Talk, “What Lies Within Us: The Transformational Power of Creativity.”
Prior to joining CEG, Christa spent 10 years at International Institute for Learning, where she was VP of Global Learning Innovation and Leadership Practice Director. Before that, she worked for 9 years at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide in Communications and Knowledge Management. Christa earned a master’s degree in drama therapy from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Duke University.
About the Moderator
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett serves as President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, established in 2008 to continue the legacy of her father, the late Congressman Tom Lantos, who served as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and was the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the US Congress.
Congressman Lantos was the founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and was widely acknowledged as one of our nation’s most eloquent and forceful leaders on behalf of human rights and justice.
Under her leadership, the Lantos Foundation has become a distinguished and respected voice on key human rights concerns ranging form advancing rule of law globally and fighting for Internet freedom in closed societies, to combating the persistent and growing threat of antisemitism and Holocaust denial.
Dr. Lantos Swett is the former Chair and Vice Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and teaches Human Rights and American Foreign Policy at Tufts University. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) and the Budapest based Tom Lantos Institute. Dr. Lantos Swett also serves on the Advisory Board of UN Watch, the annual Anne Frank Award and Lecture, and the Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership and Public Policy. She serves as Co-Chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit, which held its inaugural gathering in 2021.
In Partnership with:
