Margins of the Sea Preview Summit: Peace. Global Understanding. Climate Change

Liljestrand Foundation and International Writing Program at University of Iowa are presenting a preview summit titled: The Margins of the Sea Preview: Peace. Global Understanding. Climate Change. at the beautiful and historic Liljestrand home on Tantalus Drive on two evenings in May. This is an opportunity to come together with distinguished writers, thinkers, cultural organizers, and artists who will discuss how to creatively advance a broader world perspective on climate change.

Keynote Presentation by Simon Winchester
The Pacific: Where Geopolitics and Nature Intersect
Tuesday, May 14th, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., reception to follow
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It is conventionally accepted that the Pacific will be the stage for some kind of confrontation between the United States and China, or one of her proxies.  But what if other forces were at work, more dangerous still, and with consequences likely to affect everyone around the planet’s largest and most important ocean? Simon Winchester, OBE, a British writer, journalist and broadcaster, has spent his career as a correspondent in the UK, US, Middle East, South America and Asia. In 1997, he moved to New York and penned the New York Times best-seller, The Professor and the Madman. He now works entirely as an author having written many successful non-fiction titles including Pacific, Krakatoaand The Map that Changed the World. Mr. Winchester was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire ‘for services to journalism and literature’ in 2006.

Panel Presentation on Climate Change & Social Justice
Featuring Maxine Burkett, James Redford & Maya Soetoro-Ng
Wednesday, May 15th, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., reception to follow
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The panel will focus on climate change crises and solutions.  It will include excerpts from Redford’s award-winning film, Happenings: A Clean Energy Revolution, as well as visual examples of the impact of climate change on world migration.  Highlights of the Institute of Climate and Peace’s work to advance peace, greater diversity of ideas and achievable actions will also be shared.  One panelist noted:  Worse than climate denial is climate despondency!