Invitation: Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer's Special Lecture on Peace

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U.P. Centennial Thematic Lecture on Peace


TO ALL CONCERNED:

Please join Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer in the public forum featuring the UP Centennial Thematic Lecture on Peace on Wednesday, July 2, 2008, 2:30- 4:00 p.m. in NISMED, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

On this occasion, Prof. Coronel-Ferrer will explore the theme “Peace ngayon, war bukas, pwede ba yon? The Constitutional Imperative to Pursue Peace.”

Instead of a straight lecture or a panel of presenters, Prof. Coronel-Ferrer has prepared a video documentary that will examine how and to what extent the 1987 Philippine Constitution compels the political leadership and Congress to renounce war, and pursue a policy of peace through peaceful means. The multi-media presentation will include interviews with former Constitutional Commissioners, and dramatized excerpts from the actual proceedings of the 1986 Constitutional Commission. I am putting these together with the able help of production director Tootoots Leyesa of the Dakila artists’ group.

Among the controversial questions that will be addressed are:

· How should the “renunciation of war, adoption of the principles of international law and adherence to a policy of peace, justice, etc.” provision and other relevant provisions guide executive policy-making and law-making?

· Did support for the US-led global war against terror and an “all-out war” policy against the Moro and communist armed groups constitute culpable violations of the Constitution?

· Is there a “constitutional imperative” to pursue peace?

The thematic lecture is one of only seven thematic lectures included in the 2008 UP Centennial Thematic Lecture series. The others themes are women/gender, global warming, poverty alleviation, the state of the nation’s health, the state of Philippine education and indigenous peoples. UP President Roman added peace upon the suggestion of former UP president and now senator Edgardo Angara.

The Thematic Lecture on Peace will be held at the NISMED Auditorium, UP Diliman. It will be webcasted in real time in all seven UP campuses. Through vide-conferencing, guests present in all these venues may field questions and comments during the open forum.

As professionals, peace advocates, academics, NGO activists and citizens concerned with our country’s and the world’s many wars, may we invite you to come and join Prof. Coronel-Ferrer and other members of the UP community in any of the UP campuses on this date?

For details, you may contact the Office of the Chancellor of the UP campus nearest you (see http://centennial.up.edu.ph/?page_1d=22 for contact information) or send me a message through e-mail (mcf178@yahoo.com).

We look forward to your participation in this special event.

Thank you.

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Note: Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer is a faculty member of the Department of Political Science in the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She is my batchmate in Philippine Science High School (Diliman, Batch '77).

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