[Peace] Amnesty Int'l Director to talk in Urbana 9/19

[Jim Buell]

* Please forward widely *

William Schulz, executive director of Amesty International (U.S.A.) will 
speak this coming Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m., at the Channing-Murray 
Foundation, 1209 W. Oregon, Urbana. The event is free and open to the public.

Shulz's topic is "In our own best interest: How defending human rights 
benefits us all." This is also the title of his recent book (2001, Beacon 
Press). A book signing will follow the presentation.

In advance of his visit, Dr. Schulz will be appearing on WILL-AM 580's 
"Focus 580" radio show this Monday, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m. The radio 
appearance was originally set for last Friday but was rescheduled.

Dr. Schulz was appointed executive director of Amnesty International (USA) 
in March 1994. An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, he came to 
Amnesty after serving for fifteen years with the Unitarian Universalist 
Association of Congregations (UUA), the last eight (1985-93) as President 
of the Association.

Throughout his career he has been outspoken in his opposition to the death 
penalty and his support for women's rights, gay and lesbian rights and 
racial justice.

An article by Dr. Schulz, opposing others' calls for the Justice Department 
to sanction torture in terrorism cases, appeared in a May 2002 issue of 
_The Nation_ and can be read online at: 
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020513&s=schulz

This talk is being co-sponsored by Channing-Murray, the University YMCA, 
the UIUC Amnesty International Chapter, the Illinois Program for Research 
in the Humanities, St. John's Episcopal Church, and the McKinley Foundation.

The event kicks off a monthly Talks on Social Justice series sponsored by 
the Channing-Murray Foundation. On Oct. 17, Green Party Congressional 
candidate Carl Estabrook will speak on "globalization and the war on 
terrorism." On Nov. 21, Kathy Kelly of Voices in the Wilderness is 
scheduled to talk on the topic of Iraq sanctions and threats of war.

Jim B.