Thought Leaders

(Registration for our UN Day Luncheon is now closed. If you have reserved a seat for the luncheon, we look forward to seeing you on Saturday, October 18th)
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One of the great things about living in a world-class city like Oklahoma City is that we have terrific local resources who can help us to understand and interpret world events.

For our UN Day program on "The Refugee Crisis," you have the chance to hear a top-notch panel of knowledgeable presenters.

Enjoy our 2014 UN Day Program:
Saturday, October 18th -- 12 Noon
The Center
4325 NW 50th Street
Oklahoma City, OK   73112

Tickets are on sale now. Regular tickets are reasonably priced
at $25; student tickets are offered at a special discounted
price of only $10. Use the Online Order Form ... HERE.

They are prepared to address your questions about this multi-faceted subject.

Our panelists will be:

• Dr. Imad Enchassi, president and founder of the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City (ISGOC).

• Joe Meinhart, Ph.D., director of the Oikos Scholars program at Oklahoma City University.

• Julie Lewis, director of Refugee Resettlement for Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City.

Our moderator will be Dr. Marie Hooper, professor of history at Oklahoma City University.

Here is a little more about each of our presenters:

Dr. Enchassi is well-known in Oklahoma City. He is the recipient of the 2014 Humanitarian Award of the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, the "Dialogue Award" of the Dialogue Institute of the Southwest, the Community Service Award of the Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma, and in 2011 he was recognized by The Oklahoman newspaper as a Visionary in Religious and Education Outreach. He is widely recognized as a voice for peace, interfaith understanding, and religious tolerance in Oklahoma and beyond.

Many of our friends enjoyed Dr. Enchassi's appearance at our 2014 program on the International Day of Peace. He has a warm place in his heart for refugees, having grown up in a refugee camp in Lebanon. He came to the United States after surviving the 1982 massacres in the Sabra and Shatila camps.

Joe Meinhart teaches in the Petree College of Arts & Sciences at Oklahoma City University. He is an assistant professor of Sociology and Justice Studies. Additionally, he directs the Oikos Scholars program and co-directs OCU's Social & Ecological Responsibility Initiative.

The Oikos Scholars program is a liberal arts program that helps prepare students to engage in lives of social and ecological responsibility. The program features an inter-disciplinary curriculum -- including courses in sociology, environmental science, religion and philosophy. All Oikos scholars participate in service learning projects, and they are required to complete at least one approved international education experience while at OCU.

Julie Lewis is the director of Refugee Resettlement for Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City. She has a background working in refugee foster care in the United States as well as an experience implementing an English as a Second Language (ESL) after-school program in the Dominican Republic. A graduate of Grand Valley State University (Michigan), Ms. Lewis holds a degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice.

Catholic Charities' Refugee Resettlement program assists hundreds of new refugees annually. The newly arrived refugees receive help in finding safety, stability, self-sufficiency, and integration into their new community. According to the Refugee Council USA, the largest refugee populations in Oklahoma are from Burma, Iraq, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Eritrea, Malaysia, and Cuba.

Dr. Marie Hooper

For any panel discussion, a good moderator should be smart, articulate, knowledgeable, and able to think on her feet. We're fortunate that Dr. Marie Hooper has agreed to ride herd on our high-powered panel. We think she will be just right for the job. Her academic interests include international relations, terrorism, identity formation and mobilization, and teaching and learning.

In her 15th year of teaching at OCU, Dr. Hooper routinely teaches World History, Methods, and various seminars under the heading of Ancient Cultures (Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia). She is an enthusiastic supporter and promoter of international education.

In addition to the informative panel discussion, our UN Day Program will feature a delicious meal prepared by our friends at The Center. And, we are looking forward to remarks by State Senator (elect) Kay Floyd as well as a special presentation by State Representative Richard Morrissette.

Not least of all, you'll get to enjoy the company of some of the best folks in all of Oklahoma -- that is, the members and friends of the Oklahoma City chapter of the United Nations Association. You won't find a nicer bunch of folks on any continent.

To reserve your place at our UN Day event, please buy your ticket(s) in advance. Find details at our "Tickets on Sale Now" page.

To purchase tickets online, use this link and follow the easy steps:

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e9shbqhehzncst3b/start

We hope to see you on October 18th!

Ban Ki-moon speaks to the United Nations General Assembly

The Seeds of Hope

“This year, the horizon of hope is darkened. Our hearts are made heavy by unspeakable acts and the deaths of innocents. Not since the end of the Second World War have there been so many refugees, displaced people and asylum seekers. Never before has the United Nations been asked to reach so many people with emergency food assistance and other life-saving supplies.... 

“It may seem as if the world is falling apart, as crises pile up and disease spreads. But leadership is precisely about finding the seeds of hope and nurturing them into something bigger. That is our duty. That is my call to you today.”

--Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General of the United Nations
From his address to the opening session of the 2014 United Nations General Assembly
September 24, 2014