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Benjamin
Barber Since September 11, Benjamin Barber's Jihad vs. McWorld, published in 1995, has become a bestseller and he has been called upon as a commentator on terrorism by media outlets worldwide. Now Barber comes to UMBC to discuss "Can Democracy Survive the War Between Jihad and McWorld?" at 3 p.m. April 10 in the Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery. Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is scheduled to introduce Barber. The event is sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Social Sciences Forum and the Department of Political Science. Call (410) 455-2160. Provost Arthur Johnson says, "UMBC is fortunate to have political scientist and internationally best-selling author Benjamin Barber coming to campus to deliver the Civil Society Lecture. Barber argues persuasively that in order to defeat terrorism, we need more than a military response. His thesis is that only through the spread of democracy can the excesses of both Jihad and 'McWorld' be tamed to make the world a place of safety and prosperity for all people. We are pleased that Professor Barber will be sharing his ideas with students, faculty, and staff at UMBC, enabling us to explore in greater depth the long term implications and responsibilities we face in this post 9/11 world." Barber, one of the most distinguished political theorists of our time, is the Gershon and Carol Kekst Professor of Civil Society and University of Maryland System-wide Wilson H. Elkins Professor. His other books include the theory classic Strong Democracy and, most recently, The Truth of Power: Intellectual Affairs in the Clinton White House. He is a principal in The Democracy Collaborative, a component of the university's Civil Society Initiative that brings together an international consortium of the world's leading academic centers and citizen engagement organizations. Barber served as director of the Walt Whitman Center for the Culture and Politics of Democracy at Rutgers University for 12 years, where he also held the Walt Whitman Chair of Political Science. He has consulted widely with political and civic leaders, including former President Bill Clinton. He writes frequently for Harper's Magazine, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Nation, Le Nouvel Observateur, Die Zeit and many other scholarly and popular publications in America and Europe. He was a founding editor and for 10 years editor-in-chief of the distinguished international quarterly Political Theory. His honors include Guggenheim, Fulbright and Social Science Research Fellowships, the Palmes Academiques (Chevalier) of the French Government, and the Berlin Prize of the American Academy of Berlin. He holds Ph.D. and M.A. from Harvard University, and a B.A. and honorary doctorate from Grinnell College. For television, Barber co-wrote with Patrick Waton the
prize-winning CBC/PBS ten-part series "The
Struggle for Democracy" and the companion
book (1988); he also contributed to the Channel Four (U.K.)
series "Greek Fire," as well as to the American
series "The American Promise" and many other
educational documentaries. His work for the theater
includes the libretto for George Qunicy's opera "Home
and the River" (produced in New York), the dance
theater performance piece Kaspar (produced at Café La
Mama in New York) created with his wife, the
choreographer and performer Leah Kreutzer, and other
dramatic musical works off-Broadway and in regional
theaters. |
