Join us for a talk by Rev. Arthur Ssembajja, a native of Uganda and recent graduate of Notre Dame with dual degrees in Master of Business Administration and Master of Global Affairs (MBA and MGA). Father Arthur will speak to how his work in the Bethany Land Institute in Uganda has led to the preservation of critical forest habitat, revived a stalled regional economy, and most importantly, bestowed hope and dignity upon the poorest of the poor.  Food and drinks available. RSVP here so we ensure we get enough food!  Originally published at realestate.nd.edu.

Register here to attend via Zoom>> Documenting human rights violations during armed conflict is difficult and can be dangerous, and the data that results is generally incomplete. Some records of violence are missing key information about the victim, the presumed perpetrator, or the context of the violence; some victims’ stories are undocumented altogether, leaving gaps in the data. In this talk, Maria Gargiulo, a statistician with the Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG), will discuss the joint project between the Colombian Truth Commission (CEV), the Special Jurisdiction of Peace (JEP), and the HRDAG. This collaboration--the largest human rights data project to date--uses statistical methods to examine patterns of homicide, enforced disappearance, kidnapping, forced displacement, and the recruitment of child soldiers during the armed conflict in Colombia. Gargiulo will introduce a statistical methodology that can be used to overcome data gaps while documenting human rights violations, and will discuss how this methodology can be replicated using Verdata, an R package created to aid researchers when designing their own analyses about the impacts of the conflict. Following the presentation, Joséphine Lechartre, Kroc Institute PhD student, will offer her comments as a discussant. The event will be moderated by Josefina Echavarría, professor of the practice. Register here to attend via Zoom>> This event takes place within the framework of the Legacy Project at the University of Notre Dame, which seeks to preserve the digital archive of the Colombian Truth Commission, and provide unique sources of testimonies from over 30,000 victims, witnesses and offenders of the 52-year long armed conflict. It is cosponsored by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, the Clingen Family Center for the Study of Northern Ireland, and the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, with the support of Humanity United.   In addition to this lecture, The Legacy Project invites you to attend a workshop Unregistered Victims: Statistical Methods, Data, and the Findings of the Colombian Truth Commission hosted by the Lucy Institute in Jenkins Nanovic Halls room 1030 on December 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Interested attendees can register here. Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.

REGISTER HERE Roosevelt Montás, professor, author and director of the Freedom and Citizenship Program at Columbia University, will discuss Freedom, Citizenship and Liberal Learning. Roosevelt specializes in Antebellum American literature and culture, with a particular interest in American national identity. His dissertation, Rethinking America, won Columbia University’s 2004 Bancroft Award. In 2000, he received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student and in 2008, he received the Dominican Republic’s National Youth Prize. He regularly teaches moral and political philosophy in the Columbia Core Curriculum as well seminars in American studies. Roosevelt speaks widely on the history, place, and future of the humanities in the higher education and is the author of Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation There will be time for audience questions. Virtues & Vocations is a national forum housed at the Center for Social Concerns at Notre Dame for scholars and practitioners across disciplines to consider how best to cultivate character in pre-professional and professional education.

The Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, C.S.C., Professor of the HumanitiesConcurrent Professor of Film, Television & Theatre; Professor of European Studies, Keough School of Global Affairs; Director of the Initiative for Global Europe, Keough School of Global Affairs Research and Teaching InterestsContemporary European Studies (migration, refugees, European Union, populism)German literature and filmHolocaust StudiesGerman Jewish StudiesArt as a form of protest, social engagement, and community building TopicThis talk will be based on how the U.S. was a mentor to Germany post-war, and how we now need to look to Germany to recon with our own history w/r/t race in order to bolster our democracy. This is event is free and open to the public. Originally published at rooneycenter.nd.edu.