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Iraq and the Witness of Non-Violence
James Lawson
March 27, 2003
Newcomb Hall Ballroom, 7:30pm
Civil rights pioneer and non-violence advocate
the Rev. James Lawson will be speaking at the University of Virginia
Thursday, March 27 at 7 PM. The theme of his talk in UVA's Newcomb Hall
Ballroom will be "Iraq and the Witness of Non-violence." The
Wesley Foundation at the University of Virginia is sponsoring the talk
as part of its annual McDonald Lecture Series. The lecture is also sponsored
by the Explorations in Black Leadership Series and Westminster Presbyterian
Church.
James Lawson is an ordained United Methodist pastor who was a colleague
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the civil rights movement of the 1950s
and 60s. After studying the non-violent methods of Indian leader Mathama
Ghandi, Lawson helped to organize students for the lunchcounter sit-ins
in Nashville in 1960. He was a central figure in the Fellowship of Reconciliation
and has continued to be an advocate for peace and justice. The Rev.
Lawson is retired pastor of Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles
and in recent years has continued his advocacy of non-violence by visiting
Iraq and teaching as a visiting lecturer at Harvard University.
Lawson's visit is the 2nd in the lecture series named for the former
director of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Virginia, Jim
McDonald. McDonald served as director of the United Methodist campus
ministry from 1968-1988 before becoming the general pastor of the Virginia
Council of Churches. He is currently retired and living in Charlottesville.
The lecture series was inaugurated to bring nationally recognized speakers
to the UVA to address two prominent themes in McDonald's ministry: ecumenical
relations and the intersection of the Church and the academy. Last year's
speaker was Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine.
For more information on the visit of Jim Lawson or to arrange for interviews
contact the Rev. Alex Joyner, current director of the Wesley Foundation
at UVA, at:
434/977-6500
wesley@cstone.net
For more information on the Wesley Foundation at UVA visit our website
at: www.wesleyUVA.org.
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