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Spring 2008 Lectures
The Stephen G. Cary Lecture Presents George Lakey April 19
The Second Annual Stephen G. Cary Memorial Lecture will present activist George Lakey on “Nonviolent Responses to Terrorism: Pragmatic Resources for Today’s Peace Testimony,” Saturday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Barn at Pendle Hill. Refreshments will precede the lecture at 7:00 p.m. in the Barn lobby, and the Bookstore will be open for browsing. This event is free and open to the public.
The Stephen G. Cary Memorial Lecture is supported by the Stephen G. Cary Memorial Fund. The Fund was established in 2004 at Pendle Hill to make possible the publication of a book of Steve Cary’s writings: The Intrepid Quaker: One Man’s Quest for Peace, and to support other activities held in Steve Cary’s name. Each year the memorial lecture at Pendle Hill addresses a major peace issue facing Friends.
George Lakey is founding executive director of Training for Change and was the 2006-2007 Eugene M. Lang Guest Professor at Swarthmore College in Issues of Social Change. He has led over 1000 workshops on five continents for a broad range of people, from therapists to striking steel workers, from homeless people to monks. Trained as a sociologist, he has taught peace studies at Haverford College, Temple University, and the University of Pennsylvania and is the author of six books. A lifelong community activist and organizer, George has been a leader in many social change movements. He is a member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting.
Stephen G. Cary, born in 1915 to a Philadelphia Quaker family, led a life of spirit, courage, and action. A conscientious objector during World War II, Steve co-led the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) effort to help rebuild Europe after the war. He served the AFSC for six decades and participated in civil disobedience throughout his life. He returned to his alma mater, Haverford College, as vice president and interim president and played a major role in shaping the college’s identity as a coeducational institution faithful to Quaker values. A fuller account of Steve Cary’s life and work is found in The Intrepid Quaker: One Man’s Quest for Peace.
Listen to an mp3 recording of this lecture
Mary Lord speaks Tuesday, April 29 on "Everyday Radical Faithfulness"
On Tuesday, April 29, 7:30-9:00 p.m., Mary Lord will speak on "Everyday Radical Faithfulness: Learning the lessons and taking them home." The presentation is free and open to the public and will take place in the Barn at Pendle Hill.
Mary's message affirms the value of retreats for spiritual growth and recognizes that this is a key reason that people come to Pendle Hill. It is important to find regular time to nurture gifts of faithfulness, to connect deeply with Spirit, and to learn core lessons about self and the nature of God's intention for our lives.
Mary Lord recently retired as the Assistant General Secretary for Peace and Conflict Resolution of the American Friends Service Committee. She was a long time resident of Pendle Hill. She recently returned from Kenya where, while on vacation, she was drawn into efforts by Kenyan Quakers to respond to the needs of a nation suddenly threatened by civil war and social unrest. She will speak about her experience as an activist and a mystic and her daily successes and failures to live a life of radical faithfulness.
