Coming to campus

- September 26, 2005

Coming to Campus is a section announcing visiting speakers of note.

Those who wish to submit items for this section should send a brief description (maximum 300 words) of the event, including the date, time, and place, and giving the name, title, outstanding accomplishments and, if available, a color photo of the speaker to: Visiting Speaker, Advance, 1266 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT 06269-4144 or by e-mail: advance@uconn.edu, with Visiting Speaker in the subject line.

The information must be received by 4 p.m. on Monday, a minimum of two weeks prior to the event.

Publication will depend on space available, and preference will be given to events of interest to a cross-section of the University community.

“Peaceful Conflict Resolution Among Diverse Communities in Sri Lanka” will be the topic of a talk by Jeyanthy Siva, Saturday, Oct. 1, in Konover Auditorium, at 10:45 a.m.

Siva has been working in Sri Lanka, teaching and practicing nonviolent communication to bring about trust and cooperation between the Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim communities there. She and her husband, John Abbe, founded a nonprofit organization, Sandhi Institute, to support her work.

She also was witness to the devastating tsunami in December 2004 and its aftermath, and brings a message about dealing on a grassroots level with destruction and grief to arrive at a place of healing.

Siva’s talk is the keynote address for the third annual Mahavir Ahimsa/Nonviolence Seminar celebrating the anniversary of M.K. Gandhi’s birth and his legacy. The seminar is sponsored by the Asian American Studies Institute.

Sharon Matola, founding director of the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, will give a multimedia presentation on “High Voltage Conservation Action in Tropical America” on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 4 p.m., in Konover Auditorium. The talk is the first lecture in this year’s Edwin Way Teale Lecture Series on Nature and the Environment

The Belize Zoo is one of the most highly regarded zoos in the world, with more than 60 species of endangered and unusual native animals such as Paca, Tapir, Margay, Jaguar, Jabiru stork, and Kinkajou. Matola will speak about the natural resources of Belize and the restoration, rehabilitation, and educational programs of the zoo.

Matola is a recipient of the Whitley Foundation’s Iris Darnton Award for International Conservation, the Conservation Action prize from the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Conde Nast Traveler Environmental Award.