This event will center on the themes of Kroc Institute visiting research fellow, Liridona Veliu Ashiku’s book, ‘Balkanization’ and the Euro-Atlantic Processes of the (Western) Balkans: Back to the Future, exploring how the discourse of 'balkanization' has shaped EU and NATO policies toward the region. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, this event will challenge outdated narratives and advocate for sustained engagement with the Balkans, moving beyond episodic attention during crises. By partnering with the Kroc, Nanovic, and Keough-Naughton Institutes, the discussion aims to redefine the Balkans' central role in trans-Atlantic identity, peacebuilding, and global political responsibilities. Panelists:Moderated by Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies and professor of social ethicsPresented by Liridona Veliu Ashiku, Kroc Institute visiting fellowRespondent: Gëzim Visoka, associate dean for research and associate professor of peace and conflict studies, Dublin City UniversityRespondent: Carli Steelman, Kroc Institute Ph.D. student (peace studies and sociology)Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.

About the Talk This lecture will tackle the theological understanding of history through the prism of Byzantine historiography and theology. Particular attention will be paid to a selection of historians and to the work of St. Maximus the Confessor and St. Gregory Palamas. The lecture will also consider some modern Orthodox contributions to the theology of history (Fr. Georges Florovsky, Fr. Sergius Bukgakov) and ask what specific contribution the Byzantine tradition can make to the broader field of the theology of history which has been shaped up to this point largely by Western figures and themes. The lecture will be followed by a reception. About the Speaker Marcus Plested (D.Phil., University of Oxford, 1999) is professor of Greek Patristic and Byzantine Theology at Marquette University. Schooled in London, he studied modern history followed by theology at Merton College, Oxford, completing his doctorate under the supervision of Metropolitan Kallistos Ware. He taught for many years at the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies and the Faculty of Divinity in Cambridge. He has been a member of the Center of Theological Inquiry and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and has taught, lectured, and published widely in patristic, Byzantine, and modern Orthodox theology. He is the author or editor of five books to date, the most recent being The Master Builder: Demetrios Koutroubis and the Renewal of Theology in Modern Greece (Limni: Harvey, 2024). About the Series The Mathews Byzantine Lectures, begun in the 2021–22 academic year, bring a distinguished scholar of Byzantine studies to campus each year to deliver a talk, supported by the Rev. Constantine Mathews Endowment for Excellence in Byzantine Christianity in the Medieval Institute. Originally published at medieval.nd.edu.

Panelists Jeffery Angles, Brooke McCorkle, Jessica McManus Warnell, and Yuki Miyamoto will discuss environmental messages in the Godzilla films and books. Professor Amanda Kennell will moderate.Godzilla is a perfect metaphor for what is happening now in the Anthropocene: humankind has wounded nature so seriously that nature has no choice but to fight back. Jeffrey Angles, Interview with Toho KingdomYuki Miyamoto, Professor of Religious Studies and Global Asian Studies, DePaul University Jeffrey Angles, Professor of Japanese, Western Michigan University Brooke McCorkle Okazaki, Assistant Professor of Music, Carleton College Jessica McManus Warnell, the Rex and Alice A. Martin Faculty Director of the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, University of Notre Dame Moderated by Amanda Kennell, Assistant Professor of Japanese, East Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Notre Dame Godzilla Fest is a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the 1954 release of the film "Godzilla" by Toho Studios in Tokyo. The giant monster, who attacked Japan after being awakened by hydrogen bomb testing, went on to become a global icon. Godzilla has starred in 38 films and has appeared in comic books, games, novelizations, advertisements, toys, and more. The king of the monsters has also been interpreted widely as a symbol for the destructive nature of humankind—from nuclear war to climate change. Godzilla Fest is organized by the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies at the University of Notre Dame, the St. Joseph County Public Library, and the Browning Cinema at Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. More information is available at asia.nd.edu/godzilla. In support of the Liu Institute’s growing commitment to sustainability, we will no longer be offering drinks at our public lectures and panels. We encourage audience members to bring their own water bottles or to drink from nearby water fountains. Thank you for your understanding. Originally published at asia.nd.edu.

Join the School of Architecture in celebrating Dia de los Muertos! Honor the memory of your loved ones by submitting an image to be included in our ofrenda. Enjoy delicious food from Junbuggies Tacos and La Rosita Paletas, delight in a performance by the ND Mariachi Band, and grab a candy bag to take home. Everyone is welcome to join this vibrant celebration! Originally published at architecture.nd.edu.

The School of Architecture is hosting a celebration in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and Dia de los Muertos. In honor of all of their Hispanic students on campus there will be a brief panel discussion with architects from Mexico and Central America, moderated by professor, Julio Perez Hernandez. The lecture begins at 5:15 p.m. in the Auditorium at Walsh Family Hall of Architecture.   Reception to follow after the lecture including Hispanic foods from local vendors and the ND Mariachi Band. All are welcome. Originally published at internationalerg.nd.edu.

The Nanovic Institute is thrilled to join Actors From The London Stage, the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, and Shakespeare at Notre Dame in hosting this special presentation in The Art and Scholarship of Academic Storytelling series. Before the performance of Twelfth Night on November 1,  Jenny Thorup Birkett, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of English, will lead a pre-show discussion with Scott Jackson, the Mary Irene Ryan Family Executive Artistic Director of Shakespeare at Notre Dame. All are welcome to join this vibrant discussion to "set the stage" for an amazing performance by Actors From The London Stage, but please ensure you have purchased your tickets. Buy Tickets Now Light refreshments will be offered in the lobby between the conclusion of the lecture and the start of the performance to allow conversations to continue. Then, after the curtain falls, the institute will host a special post-show Q&A with both the actors and the executive director. About the SeriesThe Art and Scholarship of Academic Storytelling series explores the connections between “The Arts” (music, theater, dance, poetry/creative writing, filmmaking, drawing, painting, photography, and sculpting) and “Scholarship” on the topic of storytelling. Story and narrative are critical in the transmission of human ideas and culture. Thus, the institute and its partners across campus seek to understand how these methods of transmitting ideas may be practiced within an academic context. To do so, it seeks out the expertise of practitioners of the arts who do this type of storytelling in their work. Students, faculty, staff, and the general public are all invited to join these events, which are sometimes scheduled in tandem with performances on campus or in the local community, to consider this fascinating topic that cuts across disciplinary lines and appeals to academic and general audiences alike. Originally published at nanovic.nd.edu.

Celebrate Godzilla's 70th anniversary with a talk by Professor Jeffrey Angles, Western Michigan University, who translated the Japanese novellas "Godzilla" and "Godzilla Raids Again" by Shigeru Kayama. Jeffrey Angles is a professor of Japanese at Western Michigan University. He is the author of "Writing the Love of Boys" (Minnesota, 2011) and award-winning translator of Orikuchi Shinobu’s "The Book of the Dead" (Minnesota, 2017) and Hiromi Ito’s "The Thorn Puller." His book of poetry, "My International Date Line" (Watashi no hizukehenkosen ), won the 2017 Yomiuri Prize for Literature, making Jeffrey the first American to win this prestigious prize. Godzilla Fest is a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the 1954 release of the film "Godzilla" by Toho Studios in Tokyo. The giant monster, who attacked Japan after being awakened by hydrogen bomb testing, went on to become a global icon. Godzilla has starred in 38 films and has appeared in comic books, games, novelizations, advertisements, toys, and more. The king of the monsters has also been interpreted widely as a symbol for the destructive nature of humankind—from nuclear war to climate change. Godzilla Fest is organized by the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies at the University of Notre Dame, the St. Joseph County Public Library, and the Browning Cinema at Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. More information is available at asia.nd.edu/godzilla. Originally published at asia.nd.edu.

Register here  The Center for Social Concerns hopes you will join it each month for the Virtues & Vocations lunchtime webinar series, Conversations on Character & the Common Good. There is always time for audience questions. Sneha Mantri, MD, MS, is a physician and director of Medical Humanities at Duke University School of Medicine. Abraham Nussbaum, MD, is a physician, chief education officer at Denver Health, and an author of several books, including the recently released Progress Notes. Mantri and Nussbaum wrote essays on generosity for the fall issue of the Virtues & Vocations magazine. We will discuss their essays and others from the issue, American healthcare, and medical education. Virtues & Vocations is a national forum for scholars and practitioners across disciplines to consider how best to cultivate character in pre-professional and professional education. Virtues & Vocations hosts faculty workshops, an annual conference, and monthly webinars, and engages issues of character, professional identity, and moral purpose through our publications.

The July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh has been deemed unprecedented because of its success in deposing a leader whose grip on power seemed unshakable. Angry students steered the opposition who turned their dissatisfaction with a court decision about government job allocation into a one-point demand for the resignation of the prime minister. In a matter of weeks, and in the face of excessive state violence, droves of ordinary citizens came out on the streets and joined the protests. While the speed and manner in which the events unfolded is unprecedented, the student as political agent has a longer history in the political culture of the region. Based on conversations with student activists and leaders, this talk will situate the 2024 uprising within this larger context while identifying the shifts in the performative, aesthetic, and linguistic aspects of the July protests that aimed to draw a sharp line with the past. Nusrat ChowdhuryAssociate Professor of Anthropology, Amherst CollegeKellogg Institute Visiting FellowSusan OstermannAssistant Professor of Global Affairs, Keough School of Global AffairsKellogg Institute Faculty Fellow More event info here. Presented by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and cosponsored with the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies

As part of the Keough-Naughton Institute's fall 2024 speaker series, Emma DeSouza, founder and co-facilitator of The Civic Initiative, will give a lecture titled, "From Partition to Partnership: The Future of Ireland's Peace Process.” Lecture Abstract The Good Friday Agreement is globally recognized as one of the most successful peace agreements of the last century. Its success was the culmination of decades of civic-led cross-community efforts, tilling the ground for a landslide 'Yes' vote. Emma DeSouza considers how civic society remains the backbone of the peace process today. As a new generation emerges, unburdened by the historically entrenched concepts of identity which came to define prior generations, civic society, and the young people within it, are creating a new path. This lecture explores the changing demographics and dynamics in Northern Ireland, the future of the peace process, and the prospects of a united Ireland. Speaker Biography Emma DeSouza is a journalist, campaigner, and peace builder who changed UK law in a landmark human rights case relating to the Good Friday Agreement. She is the founder and co-facilitator of deliberative democracy platform The Civic Initiative, Director of the Northern Ireland Emerging Leaders Program at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, and a transatlantic adviser on peace processes and civic innovation. Emma writes for several publications including the Guardian, Irish Times, Irish News, and Byline Times. In 2023, she hosted a limited podcast series on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement titled 'Lost in Implementation.' This event is co-sponsored by the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights. Originally published at irishstudies.nd.edu.

In this event, professor in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies, and director of the Global Insecurities Centre, at the University of Bristol, Roddy Brett will present his monograph, Victim-Centred Peacemaking: Colombia’s Santos-FARC-EP Peace Process (Bristol University Press, 2024), which he wrote during his time as Kroc Institute visiting fellow (2022–23). The book addresses the fundamental question of how, in the face of unrelenting barbary and adversity, survivors of political violence and atrocity have sought to assert agency and contest power as they painstakingly forge a path through which to bring an end to political violence, craft the effective means through which to reckon with the past, and reconstitute their political and moral communities. The book is, in part, about how war is fought, what its impact is, particularly on civilians, and the means that armed groups employ in order to achieve their ends. It is also about how those who survive atrocious violence narrate and make sense of war and attempt to construct peace, and, in so doing, transform political subjectivity, shape formal peacemaking processes and accountability mechanisms, and reconfigure relations of power. Based on unique empirical research into Colombia’s Santos-FARC-EP peace process (2012-2016), this book interrogates, specifically, how, if at all, survivors and victims may assert agency and contribute to formal peacemaking and transitional justice initiatives. The research argues that victim inclusion — through the so-called victims’ delegations — meaningfully transformed victim-perpetrator relations and dynamics in Havana, while partially shaping the content of both the Victims’ Agreement and Final Agreement. As such, the delegations created paths for empowerment at the individual and, in part, collective levels. However, victim inclusion also precipitated experiences of victim depoliticization, revictimization, retraumatization and instrumentalization. Drawing on insights from across academic disciplines, the book proposes an instrumentalization/empowerment spectrum to analyze the complex impact of victim-centered approaches to peacemaking/transitional justice, and is valuable for both researchers and practitioners. Brett will be joined by Kroc Institute PhD student, Patrick McQuestion (peace studies and political science) and visiting scholar, Alison Ribeiro de Menezes as respondents. Josefina Echavarría Alvarez, professor of the practice and director of the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM) will provide opening remarks. This event is cosponsored by the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies. Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.

The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, in partnership with its Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) Working Group, as part of the Keough School of Global Affairs, proudly offer a four-part lecture series over the 2024–25 academic year. The series focuses on U.S. imperialism and U.S. military and humanitarian involvement in the Middle East, and in particular Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. Graduate students serve as discussants after each lecture, prior to Q&A with the audience. The series conducts a critical evaluation of U.S. policy in the Middle East and calls for a reassessment of the nature and function of a U.S. presence, and the implications posed for peacebuilding practitioners and contemporary global affairs scholarship. The United States used "burn pits" to dispose of military waste on its bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. These massive incineration fields caused respiratory illness, cancer, and death for thousands of soldiers. Iraqi and Afghan communities continue to endure the consequences of exposure to burn pits as just one form of harm to their health and livelihoods. Recently returned from fieldwork in Fallujah, Iraq, Kali Rubaii, cultural anthropologist and assistant professor of anthropology at Purdue University, reports on the condition of Iraq's environment, 20 years since the 2003 US invasion. Her talk poses the question: What are the routes to justice and accountability for the most privatized war in human history? Richard "Drew" Marcantonio, assistant professor of environment, peace, and global affairs, will serve as a respondent. 

Ches Thurber is an associate professor of political science at the School of Public and Global Affairs, Northern Illinois University, who studies global conflict and security. Thurber studies international conflict, security, peace-building and global governance. His book, Between Mao and Gandhi: the Social Roots of Civil Resistance (Cambridge University Press, 2021), examines dissident choices between violent and nonviolent strategies of resistance.  Sponsored by the Liu Institute's South Asia Group. In support of the Liu Institute’s growing commitment to sustainability, we will no longer be offering drinks at our public lectures and panels. We encourage audience members to bring their own water bottles or to drink from nearby water fountains. Thank you for your understanding. Registration Required - Sign Up Here Originally published at asia.nd.edu.

The Center for Italian Studies is pleased to host a lecture by Professor John Welle (Notre Dame). “L’unica poetessa che abbia oggi l’Italia,” Gabriele D’Annunzio declared of Amalia Guglielminetti, who began her literary career at the age of eighteen in 1901 with the ode “Al giglio sabuado” celebrating the birth of Princess Jolanda of Savoy. In the following decade, emerging onto the rich cultural scene of her native Turin, the Italian center of both the worker’s movement and the drive for female emancipation, she would bring forth three of the most important books of poetry of the new century: Le vergini folli (1907), Le seduzioni (1909), and L’insonne (1913). Adopting classical forms such as the songbook, the sonnet, and the tercet, her modernizing self-fashioning showcases various masks of the modern “donna nuova,” from the femme fatale to the emancipated woman. While linked to such traditional figures as Gaspara Stampa and other female poets of the Renaissance, she was also praised for her “stupefacente originalità.” Moreover, her early career, in its rapid rise to literary success, parallels that of her intimate friend, confidant and fellow Turin poet, Guido Gozzano. Their epistolary exchanges, numbering some 126 letters, dated between 1906 and 1912, shed light on their mutual admiration, tense romantic engagement — more literary than amorous — and common “will to fame.” Within the context of women writers of the early 20th century, as well as within that of the modern Italian poetic canon, this research seminar proposes revisiting Amalia Guglielminetti’s literary accomplishments for serious critical reconsideration. While focusing on the dialogue in letters and in verse between these two poets from Turin during the high point of their literary celebrity, I will also trace the factors that have marginalized the female writer in relation to her male counterpart(s), denying her the fame that she so richly deserves. John P. Welle is professor of Italian and concurrent professor of film, television and theatre, emeritus at the University of Notre Dame.The Italian Research Seminar, a core event of the Center for Italian Studies, aims to provide a regular forum for faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and colleagues from other universities to present and discuss their current research. The Seminar is vigorously interdisciplinary, and embraces all areas of Italian literature, language, and culture, as well as perceptions of Italy, its achievements and its peoples in other national and international cultures. The Seminar constitutes an important element in the effort by Notre Dame's Center for Italian Studies to promote the study of Italy and to serve as a strategic point of contact for scholarly exchange.Originally published at italianstudies.nd.edu.

As part of the Keough-Naughton Institute's fall 2024 speaker series, Professor Martyn Powell will deliver the lecture, "Wolfe Tone and the Hibernian Catch Club: Sociability in Revolutionary Ireland." Lecture Abstract Theobald Wolfe Tone, Irish political radical, best-known of the leaders of the United Irish rebellion of 1798, was a cultural polymath. As Martyn Powell will explain, this is perhaps something that, amidst the memorialising and commemorating that goes on in Irish republicanism, could be a little better understood. Theobald Wolfe Tone was an aspiring novelist; exceptionally accomplished in the genre of diarist and master of the epistolary craft; and even had an early dalliance with amateur theatricals. Less well-known, however, was that he was an accomplished singer, and in 1790 he joined the Dublin musical society, the Hibernian Catch Club. His diary shows that, after a financial windfall, he paid for his membership to the club, but beyond this we are very much in the dark. This lecture will explore his arrival in the club, his network of friends and acquaintances who nominated and supported him, and the tensions that operated in this particular brand of club-life in 1790s Dublin. Political divisions were to be expected, but tense stand-offs also occurred between those who valued a commitment to music-making over sociability. Powell asserts that much more can be said about Tone’s cultural and artistic impulses through a study of Dublin club-life in one of the most fractured periods of Ireland's history. Speaker Biography Martyn J. Powell is professor of history and dean of the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences at the University of Bristol. He is a specialist in Irish political, cultural and social history, and his publications include Britain and Ireland in the Eighteenth-Century Crisis of Empire (2003), The Politics of Consumption in Eighteenth-Century Ireland (2005), Piss-Pots, Printers and Public Opinion in Eighteenth-Century Dublin (2009), Clubs and Societies in Eighteenth-Century Ireland (2010) (edited with James Kelly), and many articles and essays. He is currently working on a study of violence in Irish society, ‘Houghers and Chalkers: The Knife in Revolutionary Ireland, 1760-1815’, a book on the early club-life of Wolfe Tone, and an edition of the political works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, part of a Leverhulme-funded research project, for Oxford University Press. Originally published at irishstudies.nd.edu.

Unpacking the Election: Where Do We Go From Here?  is presented by Gerry Baker, editor-at-large of The Wall Street Journal, as part of the Thomas H. Quinn Lecture Series. Widely recognized for his sharp political commentary, Baker writes and speaks on U.S. and global politics, economics and business trends. His weekly column for the WSJ editorial page, “Free Expression,” features some of the world's leading writers, influencers and thinkers about various subjects.Matthew E.K. Hall, the David A. Potenziani Memorial College Professor of Constitutional Studies and director of the Notre Dame Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy, will serve as moderator. Hall specializes in interdisciplinary research that spans the fields of American politics, law and society, and organizational behavior. His current research examines popular support for democratic norms in the United States, political psychology and the role of politics in the workplace. The talk is free and open to the public. No registration is required. The Quinn Lecture is sponsored by Notre Dame alumnus and trustee John W. “Jay” Jordan II (BBA ’69) in memory of Quinn (ND ’69), who was Jordan’s college roommate, longtime friend and business partner.

Saturdays with the Saints has established itself as a popular Notre Dame football pregame ritual that combines the University's rich traditions of Catholic faith and spirited game days. In this lecture, Timothy O'Malley, Professor of the Practice in theology, will present on St. Carlo Acutis. The lectures take place in the Andrews Auditorium on the lower level of Geddes Hall adjacent to Hesburgh Library. The talks are free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early as the events tend to fill to capacity. Come and grab a free T-shirt! Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

This conversation will provide a forum for rich dialogue about evidence-based solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing today's vulnerable youth. Hosted by the Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child (GC-DWC), this panel conversation features professor and director of the GC-DWC, Neil Boothby, in conversation with Dr. Carrie Quinn, pediatrician and executive director of the Mount Sinai Parenting Center and co-chair of the University of Notre Dame’s (UND) For Good Initiative, and Wendy Angst, professor and director of the Powerful Means Initiative and Impact Consulting Minor at UND’s Mendoza College of Business. All three panelists serve children and their families in different vocational capacities, but their work is aligned by the science of early childhood development (ECD) and how it complements Catholic social teaching. The conversation will touch on various themes such as Notre Dame’s unique position to be a strong agent of global change in unifying scientific knowledge with the wisdom of the church, strategies to bolster ECD programs for children enduring crisis, and how Catholic Social Teaching underscores the imperative to cater to marginalized children, while scientific insights guide the methodologies to achieve this. The event’s conversation will provide a forum for rich dialogue about evidence-based solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing today’s vulnerable youth. Immediately following the panel, please join us for fellowship, refreshments, and conversation. Moderated by Nicole McNeil, director of the Center for Educational Research and Action (ERA); professor of psychology. Review the poster.  Questions? Contact the Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child (GC-DWC); bparker2@nd.edu.

As a part of the ongoing series on how art and scholarship combine in academic storytelling, the Nanovic Institute is pleased to host a lunch presentation with Sarah Edmands Martin, assistant professor of design and a Nanovic Institute faculty fellow. Martin produced recently released A Fable of Tomorrows (2024), an artwork consisting of video projection, interactive sculpture, and video game design at the center of which is a fable from the future. It is experienced through multiple media forms. Created while on a 2024 research Fulbright in Norway, the work materializes how human memory, digital computation, and temporality are revealed through fables, riddles, and archives. As a phantasmagoric video panorama immerses viewers in visions of different temporalities (from deep time to a lifetime), a mysterious artifact poses Old English-inspired riddles, which take more than one human generation to solve. Curated into a solo exhibition in Manchester’s MediaCity which reached over 30,000 people on opening weekend, the work travels to South Korea in 2025 for a solo exhibition at the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of State, Notre Dame's Department of Art, Art History & Design, Nanovic Institute for European Studies, and the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts. Join the Nanovic Institute as well as Notre Dame students, faculty, staff, and the general public to learn more about this work, experience the interactive elements of this art, ask questions, and enjoy experiencing an innovative example of the art of academic storytelling. Lunch for participants will be provided beginning at 12:00 p.m., while supplies last. About the SeriesThe Art and Scholarship of Academic Storytelling series explores the connections between “The Arts” (music, theater, dance, poetry/creative writing, filmmaking, drawing, painting, photography, and sculpting) and “Scholarship” on the topic of storytelling. Story and narrative are critical in the transmission of human ideas and culture. Thus, the institute and its partners across campus seek to understand how these methods of transmitting ideas may be practiced within an academic context. To do so, it seeks out the expertise of practitioners of the arts who do this type of storytelling in their work. Students, faculty, staff, and the general public are all invited to join these events, which are sometimes scheduled in tandem with performances on campus or in the local community, to consider this fascinating topic that cuts across disciplinary lines and appeals to academic and general audiences alike. Originally published at nanovic.nd.edu.

Join us as we welcome author Roman. R. Williams one of the authors of the book and founder of Interfaith Photovoice, which "combines amateur photography and structured dialogue" to promote interfaith understanding. About the BookSacred Snaps tells the story of a new approach to interfaith engagement. It is an invitation to see and engage religion, diversity, and inclusion through the lens of the mobile phone camera. These days, just about everyone owns a camera equipped smartphone. What if we recruited these cameras for the common good? When religion shows up in everyday life—at work, school, the mall, or the beach—often it is not welcome. At a time when so much of the public discourse is around equity, diversity, and inclusion, religion seems peripheral to important conversations about belief and belonging. Many embrace the wisdom that our workplaces, schools, and communities are enhanced when people can bring their whole selves into every aspect of their daily lives. But religion and spirituality are not gaining the same ground as other aspects of diversity such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and ability. To be more fully included in the cultural conversation about human flourishing, religion needs to be seen and heard in new ways. The old paradigm of interreligious dialogue is no longer adequate. A new paradigm focused on building relationships at the grass roots of daily life is emerging.About Roman R. Williams, PhDRoman Williams is the founder of Interfaith Photovoice, an organization that combines photography and sociology for intergroup and interfaith engagement. He holds a Ph.D. in the sociology of religion from Boston University and a Th.M. focused on global religions from Gordon-Conwell Seminary. Roman was a tenured associate professor of sociology at Calvin University (2012–2020) and served as the executive officer of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (2016–2021). His academic publications combine his interests in lived religion and participatory visual methodologies, which come together in his edited volume, Seeing Religion (Routledge, 2015). During his years in higher education, Roman experienced a shift in his personal and professional interests, one that led him into community-based participatory action research. The pandemic gave him the opportunity to step out of higher education and into his own consulting practice focused on belief, belonging, and human flourishing. Today, he fancies the idea that he is helping to make the world a better and more inclusive place one photo at a time.Roman Williams will be introduced by Chad Meister, an Ansari Institute faculty affiliate who is a scholar of global religion and is currently writing a volume on interfaith dialogue. Food and refreshments will be available following the formal portion of the event program. This is a free event and advanced registration is not required. Originally published at ansari.nd.edu.