GPC’s Dunwoody Symposium Focuses On Genocide

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_Mary Swint_
Friday, 05 January 2007 Incidents of genocide

from the past 90 years will be explored during `Never Again,’ Georgia
Perimeter College’s annual Dunwoody Symposium to be held from Tuesday,
Jan. 23 to Thursday, Jan. 25 on the Dunwoody campus. All symposium
events are open tothe public and will be held in room 1100 of the C
building.

A collection of more than 20 speakers, moderators and panelists,
including Emory University’s Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, author of `Beyond
Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust,’ and the
Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Mark Bixler, author of `The Lost Boys
of Sudan,’ will examine the episodes, significance and the psychology
of genocide during the three-day symposium.

`We’ll talk about Armenia in World War I, look at genocide in World
War II and other events in the 20th century,’ said Dr. Thomas Graham,
GPChistory professor and an organizer of the symposium. `We’ll look at
everything from 1915 up to three or four years ago.’

Along with speakers, presentations and panels discussions, Graham said
`Never Again’ will also show a collection of films including one that
inspired this year’s symposium.

`The theme for this year’s symposium is something I came upwith last
summer in the middle of the night while I was watching `Judgment at
Nuremburg,’ Graham said. `The film came out 40 years ago. The
Nuremburg Trialstook place 60 years ago. Our focus is to reflect on
the 60th anniversary of the trials in Nuremberg and Tokyo and how the
promise of `never again’ was not fulfilled. I thought this would be a
good idea for this year’s symposium. We just have to get students out
of their apathy. We can’t let this happen again.’

Speakers, panelists, and films were selected to help participants
`question broad themes of historical and philosophical significance,’
said Dr. Randy Finley, who serves as a symposium organizer.

`For example,’ Finley adds, `why do genocides occurin the modern and
postmodern world? What are the economic, political, and social causes
of genocide? Are they inevitable? Are there signs that might indicate
an oncoming genocide? Are there international organizations that can
successfully combat genocide?’ Finley said selected panelists include
representatives of history, science, business, law, music,
cinematography, art, psychology and political science.

`All will bring their academic fields’ interests in the subject for
student thought and reflection,’ he said. The Dunwoody Symposium
which began in 1980 is an annual event that has featured such
prominent speakers as former President Jimmy Carter, Ted Turner,
historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., entrepreneur Truett Cathy, novelist
Peter Taylor, and poet James Dickey.

`We’re excited about beginning the spring 2007 semester with the
symposium,’ Finley said. `Questions discussed here in January should
reverberate through many disciplines throughout the academic year.’

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