Distinguished Authors Ponder Global Citizenship at 2009 Wooster Forum

Tracy Kidder, Nicholas Kristof, and Wangari Maathai to speak at annual lecture series

WOOSTER, Ohio - Three distinguished authors will offer their take on "Global Citizens: Turning Passion into Action" at the 2009 Wooster Forum, which will be hosted by The College of Wooster this fall. The annual series will be held in McGaw Chapel (340 E. University St.). Each of the lectures begins at 7:30 p.m., and all three are free and open to the public.

Tracy Kidder, author of Mountains Beyond Mountains, will open the series on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with an insightful look into two global health crises - tuberculosis and AIDS - through the eyes of a dedicated physician determined to improve the health of some of the world's poorest people. Kidder, who won a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award for The Soul of a New Machine in 1982, has written articles for The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, and Granata. His work has also appeared in The New York Times Book Review and The New York Times op-ed page.

Nicholas Kristof, author of Half the Sky, will speak about the oppression of women in third-world countries on Tuesday, Sept. 22. A columnist for The New York Times and a two-time Pulitzer-Prize winner, Kristof has also written several books with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, including China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power and Thunder from the East: Portrait of a Rising Asia. Other honors include the George Polk Award, the Overseas Press Club Award, the Online News Association Award, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors Award.

Wangari Maathai, author The Challenge  for Africa and founder of The Greenbelt Movement, will talk about the organization's efforts to "mobilize community consciousness for self-determination, equity, improved livelihoods and security, and environmental conservation on Tuesday, Sept. 29. She was the first woman in East or Central Africa to earn a doctoral degree, and became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace" in 1994. In her memoir, Unbowed, she recounts her efforts to help the oppressed bring about meaningful change in their lives.

"I am thrilled that we were able to get such high-caliber speakers and activists for our 2009 Forum," said Shila Garg, dean of the faculty at Wooster. "This is a very exciting line-up, and I hope that through these events, our students will be engaged in discussions with individuals who have turned their passion into social action."

The Wooster Forum provides a resource for the academic and intellectual life at The College of Wooster and in the community at large by offering an opportunity for meaningful dialogue among all participants. Additional information is available by phone (330-263-2132) or e-mail.