FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY’S FOURTH ANNUAL BELLARMINE FORUM INVESTIGATES VIOLENCE AND THE HUMAN CONDITION

Forum to Look at the Endemic Violence Humans Suffer Worldwide: Violence and Islam, Interethnic Violence, Murder and Criminality in the U.S., Women and Violence, and Conflicts in the Media, Among Other Topics

October 20, 2004 – A diverse mix of prominent international guests will speak at Loyola Marymount University’s Fourth Annual Bellarmine Forum, which runs from November 7-13. The focus of this year’s forum is “Violence: An Interdisciplinary Investigation into the Human Condition.” Featured speakers will include filmmaker Charles Berkowitz, Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries, Kurt Raaflaub, professor of Classics at Brown University, and Islamic Studies expert Juan Campo, among others. All events are open to the public free of charge.
The annual forum is a national event that engages students and community members on timely issues impacting their communities and communities worldwide, and connects them directly with high-profile experts.

“The role and place of violence in contemporary American society can be characterized as endemic, something that assaults our individual sensibilities and communities at every turn. News programs emphasize homicides on the streets and ongoing conflicts throughout the nation and the world, television executives serve up the likes of Jerry Springer, and Hollywood turns out ‘blockbusters’ that titillate viewers with multiple visions of violence. It’s important that we understand this phenomenon as it directly impacts the way humans live,” says Lawrence Tritle, professor of History and Co-Chair for this year’s forum.

The speakers will investigate a wide variety of topics, including women and violence, helping survivors of violence, murder and criminality in the U.S., and conflicts in the media.
Filmmaker Charles Berkowitz will be discussing his documentary “Achilles in Vietnam,” which analyzes the psychological devastation of war. Father Gregory Boyle and participants of Homeboy Industries will be talking about moving beyond violence and getting involved in the community. Juan Campo, professor of Religious Studies at UC Santa Barbara, will discuss the issue of martyrdom in Islam, and how violence plays a role in this religion. Also speaking will be Marla Stone, professor of History at Occidental College, and Timothy Longman, professor of African Studies and Political Science at Vassar College, who will investigate interethnic violence, politics, and genocide.

“The Bellarmine Forum provides the LMU community with rich opportunities to examine and to reflect upon deeply significant issues. Few matters so perplex our world as the violence we suffer in our homes, on our streets, and around the world. This year’s wide-ranging program invites and challenges us to examine the many dimensions of the violence that we human beings perpetrate against one another,” says the Dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, Michael Engh.
Other events include an outdoor concert with Enrique Rios Quintet, Kevin So, and Cold Sweat, featuring Lana T. The performance will provide a synergy of sounds from Cuba and Latin America. In addition, the Learning Marketplace in the Atrium of University Hall will be featuring an Art Exhibit of LMU student.

For more information on this year’s Bellarmine Forum and a full schedule of events, visit http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/bellarmineforum.

About Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles
Founded in 1911, Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles is the eighth largest of the nation’s 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and the largest Catholic university in Southern California. With a strong base in the liberal arts, LMU consists of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, the College of Business Administration, the College of Communication and Fine Arts, the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering, the School of Education, the School of Film and Television, the Graduate Division, LMU Extension, and Loyola Law School. For more information, please visit the LMU website at http://www.lmu.edu. Loyola Marymount is an equal-opportunity/affirmative-action institution.

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