The Mission to Restore the Sacred Land

We begin reflecting our Sacred Land by reading the Scripture on this day of our Saints.  The book of Genesis is not new to most of the Christians and yet the question is how are we living our call on what God sees as good, remains good.  We honor someone by protecting and taking care of what our loved one entrusted to us.  In this Holy day of the Saints, we reflect on how can we be eco-Saints just like Saint Hildegard, Saint Pope John Paul II, Saint Kateri, Saint Francis of Assisi, among the other saints who once struggled and discovered to live being one with our Creator and now enjoying the fruits of their labor to be one with the Source of Life.

Genesis 1:12, 24, 25, 27-30 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

The Sacred Land Program in Our Lady of Perpetual Help

With the approval of the pastor/priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Corpus Christi, the Congregation of Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio's Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation carrying the goal of Laudato Si' Movement's call to action to spread awareness of sustainable lifestyle.  We have sponsored the 8 sessions of learning about the our Sacred Land. How we as individuals and society have a role to play in this call.  

As a community of faith with the local parish, we have learned the way the Agriculture and Land are treated in United States and what can we do to protect the environment and restore its health.  We had our sessions ran from 7pm with food for everyone and spend our time praying, listening, learning and having conversation about the state of our environment in United States particularly how the pesticides and herbicides have been harming our planet and how the Government subsidizes the farming to pay for these chemicals as the universities also teaches the students with conventional farming using chemicals.  The big agrochemical companies provide grants and funds to the universities to use these harmful substances.  In the field, the farmers get impacted by these chemicals with their pregnancy, health, the extreme heat from farming at any point in time, "super bug" introduced by chemicals and the soil's microbes die, destroying the health of the soil.  This is one of the biggest issues with the Sacred Land apart from the ethics in raising animals for poultry and meat industries (e.g. cruelty in breeding environment and merciless killing of those animals suffering from deformation or sickness of the animals due to neglect and abusive practices in the industry).  

In the middle of our 8-week session, we had a Special Speaker from Sierra Club who talked about the local environmental issues in Corpus Christi and how each can contribute in everyday choices and  immersion by visiting the Local Garden in Corpus Christi which was a property of United Methodist.

How do we restore its balance?  The regenerative farming has been re-introduced among the farmers so that what was the practice before the industrial age, we are reclaiming it for the restoration of the environment. The wisdom of the Native Americans remain a practice for some of the ranchers and farmers.   We have discovered from the capacity of the microbes and the diversification of crops in keeping the health of the soil and the nutrients intact amidst a disastrous calamity.  

At the end of the session, all groups were invited to make a commitment in making concrete actions as a gift to the Sacred Land.  We are all consumers of this land, how are we participating in a healthy production for our environment to continue to thrive for today and the next generations?

This land gives us nourishment and shelter and produces microbes for good quality air, soil and climate.   How are we taking care of the land, so that the food or meat for the meat lovers being patronized come from good practices that keep the whole eco-system healthy and climate sustainable?

Below are Laudato Si' articles to ponder:

20. Some forms of pollution are part of people’s daily experience. Exposure to atmospheric pollutants produces a broad spectrum of health hazards, especially for the poor, and causes millions of premature deaths... There is also pollution that affects everyone, caused by transport, industrial fumes, substances which contribute to the acidification of soil and water, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and agrotoxins in general. Technology, which, linked to business interests, is presented as the only way of solving these problems, in fact proves incapable of seeing the mysterious network of relations between things and so sometimes solves one problem only to create others.

34... Human beings must intervene when a geosystem reaches a critical state. But nowadays, such intervention in nature has become more and more frequent. As a consequence, serious problems arise, leading to further interventions; human activity becomes ubiquitous, with all the risks which this entails. Often a vicious circle results, as human intervention to resolve a problem further aggravates the situation... But a sober look at our world shows that the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and beautiful, ever more limited and grey, even as technological advances and consumer goods continue to abound limitlessly. We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves.

134. Although no conclusive proof exists that GM cereals may be harmful to human beings, and in some regions their use has brought about economic growth which has helped to resolve problems, there remain a number of significant difficulties which should not be underestimated. In many places, following the introduction of these crops, productive land is concentrated in the hands of a few owners due to “the progressive disappearance of small producers, who, as a consequence of the loss of the exploited lands, are obliged to withdraw from direct production”.[113]The most vulnerable of these become temporary labourers, and many rural workers end up moving to poverty-stricken urban areas. The expansion of these crops has the effect of destroying the complex network of ecosystems, diminishing the diversity of production and affecting regional economies, now and in the future. In various countries, we see an expansion of oligopolies for the production of cereals and other products needed for their cultivation. This dependency would be aggravated were the production of infertile seeds to be considered; the effect would be to force farmers to purchase them from larger producers.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

All you Saints in Heaven, pray for us.  

Happy All Saints Day! 

Pax Christi Texas Fourth Social Justice Forum of 2026

(Rescheduled from October 19 to October 26)

You Are Invited to the

Pax Christi Texas Fourth Social Justice Forum of 2026

Monday, October 26, 2026 7 pm CST by zoom

"Three Questions About AI,

From the Perspective of Human Dignity and Social Justice"

Presenter: Fr. Pawell Szymanowski, CR, is a priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection and teaches moral theology at Oblate School of Theology. His international experience includes Poland, Italy, Austria and Canada, where he has worked in parish ministry and religious formation. His main area of research is social ethics, particularly questions of citizenship and the impact of technology on human life and society.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89529060666?pwd=WxibPw2oE408sgX2BPKGdntKA0mYZu.1

Our presentations are open to all learners and there is no charge. You are invited to bring your questions and to review the following attachment (see below), should you want to prepare for this event. Our format includes a presentation followed by an open discussion. Peace be with you.

Arthur Dawes, Pax Christi USA National Council Board Member, Convener Pax Christi Texas

arthurdawes@att.net

Three Questions About AI: From the Perspective of Human Dignity and Social Justice

Artificial intelligence is developing very quickly. Most often, we approach AI from a practical perspective: How can we use it in our ministries? What can it do for us? But I believe this is also a moment when we need to step back and ask more fundamental questions. 

During our conversation, I would like to share three questions that I think are particularly important when we think about AI today, especially from the perspective of human dignity and social justice.

But I would also like to hear your questions. As preparation for our meeting, I invite you to read paragraphs 106-108 of Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas and think about one question about AI that you believe is important for us to ask today. Your question does not need to be directly related to the text; the reading is simply meant as an inspiration for your reflection. 

During our meeting, we will have time to share and discuss some of these questions together. 

About the Presenter 

Fr. Pawel Szymanowski, CR, is a priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection and teaches moral theology at Oblate School of Theology. His international experience includes Poland, Italy, Austria, and Canada, where he has worked in parish ministry and religious formation. His main area of research is social ethics, particularly questions of citizenship and the impact of technology on human life and society. 

The Three Questions on AI

Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas, 106-108 

106. Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family. This need is all the more urgent given the frequent imbalance between the speed of technological growth and the slower development of awareness, norms, safeguards and institutions capable of governing its effects. It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required. Otherwise, change will be governed only by technocratic thinking and presented as necessary and inevitable, ultimately imposing rules shaped by those who control data, infrastructure and computing power. 

      

107. We cannot be satisfied with merely calling for the moralization of machines — the so-called “alignment” of AI with human values — without also having the courage to insist on a further condition: the possibility of openly discussing the ethical frameworks involved and subjecting them to shared standards of social justice. Otherwise, those who control AI will impose their own moral vision, which will become the invisible infrastructure of these systems. A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few. What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating, and of protecting the opportunities for communities still to be able to participate and ask questions.  

 

108. In fact, as with every major technological shift, AI tends to amplify the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise and access to data. In light of the common good and the universal destination of goods, this raises serious concerns, since small but highly influential groups can shape information and consumption patterns, influence democratic processes and steer economic dynamics to their own advantage, undermining social justice and solidarity among peoples. For this reason, it is essential that the use of AI, especially when it touches on public goods and fundamental rights, be guided by clear criteria and effective oversight, grounded in participation and subsidiarity. Communities and intermediary organizations must not be reduced to passive recipients of decisions made elsewhere; they must be able to contribute to discernment and oversight. Moreover, ownership of data cannot be left solely in private hands but must be appropriately regulated. Data is the product of many contributors and should not be treated as something to be sold off or entrusted to a select few. It is necessary to think creatively in order to manage data as a common or shared good, in a spirit of participation, as Saint John Paul II already suggested regarding collective goods.  

October 24 International Climate Action Day

 

October 16: World Food Day

Visit https://www.fao.org/home/en/ for information, events and ways to be sustainable in growing nutritious food, conserving food, and ending hunger.

 

40th Annual University of the Incarnate Word Peace Day in the October Season of Justice, Peace, and Creation

 This and other Peace Day Schedules can be seen at 2026 October Season of Justice, Peace and Creation Schedule with the 40th Anniversary Peace Day | Past Peace Day Schedules  

Young people are invited to join the “Charter for Compassion Delegation” to the World Summit of Nobel Laureates for Peace in Rome the first week of December.  The deadline for registration is Oct. 30, 2026, but preparation is required before that. Register here.   

2026 October Season of Justice, Peace and Creation Schedule with the 40^th Anniversary Peace Day

 

Dr. Yosuke Nagai and Accept International “breaking the chains of violence together.”  As Incarnate Word celebrates 40 years of Peace Days, it is a leader organizing youth for the “Charter for Compassion Delegation” going to the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome. Some of those young people will be in conversation with Dr. Nagai, Oct. 20, at UIW.

 Compassion and Peace in the Abrahamic Traditions: A Panel of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Voices

Oct. 1, 4 pm. Online

As part of the Campaign Nonviolence Call To Action Days, Sue Parsons, Tamar Krigel-Armstrong, Iman Beytullah Colak, and Sister Martha Ann Kirk united with over 2,200 groups around the world reflecting on  nonviolence as more effective than violence.  The human species has survived because people choose to compassionately care for others, to let the suffering of others make a claim on us.  Learn more of the panel  and of the Mother’s Call, a movement that no child may be raised to kill or be killed initiated by Israel and Palestinian women.

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi                                                                                              

Oct. 4, 2026, 5 pm – 7 pm. Our Lady’s Grotto    

On the 800^th Anniversary of  St. Francis, we remember that he risked his life to dialogue with the most powerful ruler in the world, Sultan al-Kamil. A few years after Francis’ death, the Sultan, a prayerful Muslim negotiated to end the Crusades.  5 pm Environmental and Pet Fair.  6 pm Prayer for Creation and Blessing of the Animals.  Led by the Special Events Communication Arts Class of Dr. Sophia Dove and Sister Martha Ann Kirk.  Co-sponsored by the Incarnate Word Sisters Justice, Peace and Creation Office.  Contact: Sr. Martha Ann Kirk by email at kirk@uiwtx.edu or phone (210) 829-3854.

 Living the Call of Laudato Si to Care for the Earth

Friday, Oct. 9, 11 to 12 am, Bonilla Science Hall 316

 Jaype Sanz of Hilo, Hawaii, is a horticulturist and transition coach with over two decades of experience helping people connect with nature, embrace plant-based healing, and transition toward more sustainable lifestyles msha.ke. He is the executive board member of Community Partners for Innovation, director of the Urban Farm Council, and a plant-focused consultant who has worked with high-profile clients, families, and communities msha.ke.   Join in conversation with him on fostering regenerative, community-based food systems. Learn more here.   Contact: Sr. Martha Ann Kirk by email at kirk@uiwtx.edu or phone (210) 829-3854.

The Hidden History of Enslaved People in San Antonio and Our State, an exhibit called “Texas: Land of the Free”

Oct. 12 to Nov. 6,  Student Engagement Center.

As part of the observance of the 250^th Anniversary of the Constitution of the US, UIW explores facets of history, calling us to create a better future. This exhibition was organized by the  San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM)  The exhibit was planned in light a future program, Nov. 4, 10:30 am to 2:45 pm. 

From Slave-owner to “Saints”: Learn of  Those Who Lived in the Brackenridge Villa

Visit the Brackenridge Villa and learn of those who lived there such as Eleanor Brackenridge, the Texas “Mother of Women’s Suffrage,” the Incarnate Word Sisters, and an exiled Mexican Bishop. Professor Tim Draves will share on James R. Sweet, who built the right side of the house in the mid 1850’s. The year before he had sold an enslaved 13-year-old, Sarah, and bought enslaved 23-year-old George. He was both the mayor and a slave-trader. In 1862 He went to fight with the Confederacy. When defeated, he as about 500 other,  fled to Mexico. Register for a 10:30 am or 12 pm or 1:30 pm visit because space is limited From Slave-owner to “Saints”: Learn of Those Who Lived in the Brackenridge Villa | Home | University of the Incarnate Word Contact: Sr. Martha Ann Kirk  kirk@uiwtx.edu

Compassionate Communities in 1776 Inviting Us to Be Compassionate: UIW Celebrates the 250^th Anniversary of the Constitution.

In connection with the programs mentioned above, see the growing LibGuide created with the assistance of Erin Cassity of the UIW Maybee Library with resources associated with events throughout this 2026 – 2027 academic year.

Remember that in 1776, our original people in the missionary-led towns of Mission Nuestra Señora Concepción de Acuña, Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, Mission San Juan Capistrano, and Mission San Francisco de la Espada lived the ideal of Acts 2:44-45, sharing their goods. They compassionately took care of each other.  Remember how the indigenous people donated cows and one silver piece for each person to help the 13 Colonies get freedom from the British Empire. Learn of the creative non-violence supporting US independence. UIW is working for the prestigious Compassionate University designation.  Participate in UIW’s compassionate projects for the 250^th Anniversary:  

250 service hours for the 250^th Anniversary!  Your group or class can compassionately co-create the future of the U.S.A. Build on the history of our compassionate San Antonio Mission communities in the 1700’s. They shared their goods so no one was left hungry.  When you win this Compassion Game, all of us win. Reflect on the country we wish to have. Get started serving in San Antonio, a Compassionate City. Register here the 250th Anniversary.

Oral History: Collecting Stories to Build Community. Each person’s story is part of the story of the U.S.A. The Constitution of the USA, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Catholic Social Teaching all affirm that each person matters.  Share your story and collect the stories of others. Register here for more information.   

 6th Annual Blessing at the Blue Hole, the Headwaters at Incarnate Word

 Oct. 13, 9:00 am  

Join members of the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions (AITSCM) for the 6th Annual celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day at Incarnate Word. A ceremonial blessing at the Blue Hole in remembrance of Indigenous People. For more information, contact the Ettling Center at (210) 283-6423 or Dr. Ricardo Gonzalez at rigonza4@uiwtx.edu

 Environmental Volunteer Expo

Oct. 17, 10 -2 pm,  Urban Ecology Center, Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 N.W. Military Dr., San Antonio, TX

This is a free, family-friendly event that showcases local environmental organizations looking to recruit motivated volunteers wanting to make a real impact in San Antonio.  UIW unites with many city organizations in care of God’s creation.  Register and get details  Environmental Volunteer Expo | Home | University of the Incarnate Word

Dr. Nagai in the middle working to reconcile.

Join in Solidarity with Young Fighters Changing into Young Peacebuilders

Oct. 20,  8 am,  1:30 pm, 5:30 pm, register to get locations and details  https://uiw.givepulse.com/event/941280-Join-in-Solidarity-with-Young-Fighters-Changing-into-Young-Peacebuilders

We are “breaking the chains of violence in the world together” says Dr. Yosuke Nagai.  He is the Executive Director of Accept International  and the Founder of the Global Taskforce for Youth Combatants (GTY). Since 2011, he has led the design and implementation of deradicalization, reintegration, and rehabilitation programs for disengaged members of non-state armed groups in Somalia, Yemen, Kenya, Indonesia, and Colombia. He has also actively promoted dialogue and reconciliation initiatives in highly sensitive contexts. Hear stories of the young leaders of violence, now leaders in building reconciliation. Nagai is currently a Visiting Fellow at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, an Associate Researcher at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), University of Tokyo, and an Adjunct Lecturer at Kyoto University. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Charter for Compassion. Sister Martha Ann Kirk is preparing young leaders from our city to be part of the Charter for Compassion Delegation participating in the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome at the beginning of December. 

8 to 9 am   UIW Maybee Library Special Collections Room, 4301 Broadway, SA 78209. An introduction to Accept International and their important work from Dr. Nagai. An introduction to The International Institute for Peacebuilding in Active Conflict (IIPAC)  from the founder Mehri Hilton, a Rotarian in Ukraine, and J.C. Clapsaddle, formerly a Rotarian in San Antonio.   A conversation on learning from each other.  Light Breakfast. Register here and indicate the 8 am session.  

1:30 to 2:45 pm  Welcome to San Antonio by Former Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who was the chair of the USCM’s Mayors and Business Leaders Center for Compassionate and Equitable Cities. He launched CompassionateUSA.  Followed by Dr. Nagai. Cheever Legacy Event Center,  University of the Incarnate Word Founders Hall, 4119 Broadway, SA 78209 (enter on Hildebrand for convenient guest parking) Register here  and indicate the 1:30 pm session.

5:30 pm. Conversations with youth in the Charter for Compassion Delegation who will participate in World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome in December and with some of the San Antonio Peace Laureates annually announced by the Peace Center.  Refreshments. 6 pm  Dr. Nagai. UIW Student Engagement Center 2031-2032, 4301 Broadway, SA 78209. Register here and indicate the 5:30 pm. session.

Writing Is the Fuel for Hope

Oct. 21, 12 noon, Dubuis Lawn

Writing Is the Fuel for Hope: Join the students from Dr. Josh Robbins' Writing As Resistance class for a poetry reading, harnessing the power of language in performance to effect change, inspire, and call our community into action and empathy. Students will read their work and attendees will have space to share their own words of resistance. 

 Nuclear War, the Forgotten Conversation  

Oct. 27,  4:30 to 5:45 pm, Admin 365

A panel with Paul Andrews, Bishop Trevor Alexander, UIW Chaplain and Religious Studies professor, and Dr. Paul Lewis, UIW Philosophy professor. Shared with the Philosophy of Science and Technology course.  Paul Andrews is currently doing research and writing on young people’s fear in light of nuclear proliferation. “The threat of nuclear Armageddon, a constant worry for many who grew up during the tense decades of the Cold War, is becoming a cause for concern for a growing number of young people,” according to the United Nations.

 

40^th Anniversary Peace Day, October 28, 2026, Wednesday

As Incarnate Word celebrates 40 years of Peace Days, it is a leader organizing youth for the “Charter for Compassion Delegation” going to the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome. Some of those young people will be in conversation with Dr. Nagai, Oct. 20, 5:30 pm.

“ ‘Peace as a Way of Life,’ the first Peace Fair, October 4, 1986.  People were invited to celebrate the United Nations International Year of Peace and the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, who cherished God’s creation and modeled reconciliation. Fifteen workshop sessions and dramatic and musical performances were shared and a center piece of the gathering was the ceremony ‘Choose Life’ marking the formal announcement of the Peace and Justice Studies Graduate Program and the dedication of the Peace Pole monument. The Peace and Justice Graduate program was an interdisciplinary approach to analyzing the complex issues of violence and inequity in the world. Dr. Louis Agnese, the Incarnate Word President, Dr. Amy Freeman Lee, the President of the Board of Trustees, and Sr. Dot Ettling, the Superior General of the IW Sisters spoke. Chikae Ishikawa donated the Peace Pole with an inscription in four languages, “May peace prevail on earth,” to Incarnate Word. The monument connects us with the Society of Prayer for World Peace, a non-denominational organization founded in 1955 by Masahisa Goi in Japan, which had seen the ravages of nuclear bombings bringing on-going disease and death. Encouraged by the society, over 200,000 peace pole monuments have been placed in 180 countries. Dr. Agnese’s letter of gratitude to Mr. Ishikawa said, ‘the Peace Pole [the current pole is in front of the Brackenridge Villa] . . . is a very meaningful new symbol on campus, a reminder of the College’s mission of service in a world of peace, and the need for prayer and constant efforts to make peace a reality in our own lives, and the lives of others.’ Many bishops, rabbis, and other religious leaders sent letters of congratulations to Incarnate Word for having such a monument that publicly invites people to prayer, reconciliation, and active peacemaking.”             From https://www.uiw.edu/PeaceDay/_docs/peaceday-barnes-kirk.pdf 

 

All Peace Day presentations are in the Student Engagement Center 2040 – 2041 at the University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209,  and are hybrid except the 12 noon to 1:15 pm which is on the SEC porch and in the Community Garden. Learning and sharing peace, justice, and care for creation serves the world.  Register for service credit and if you cannot attend physically and for the virtual link.

Nuclear War, the Forgotten Conversation 

Oct. 28, 9 – 10:15 am, SEC 2040 -2041

 A panel with Paul Andrews, Bishop Trevor Alexander, UIW Chaplain and Religious Studies professor, and Dr. Paul Lewis, UIW Philosophy professor. Shared with the Religious Studies “Word in the World” Class.  Paul Andrews is currently doing research and writing on young people’s fear in light of nuclear proliferation. “The threat of nuclear Armageddon, a constant worry for many who grew up during the tense decades of the Cold War, is becoming a cause for concern for a growing number of young people,” according to the United Nations.

Listening to the Voices of the Cuban People

10:30 to 11:45 am SEC 2040 -2041

Jovanni Reyes, MA in International Relations from Troy University and a leader in About Face, Veterans Against War,  visited Cuba April 26 to May 8 to deliver much-needed medicine, given that the American blockade has tightened with the intention of starving the Cuban population into submission. Additionally, not a single drop of oil has been allowed to enter the country since January 2026 causing great suffering. Note a UN statement on the human rights violations that the oil blockade has caused.  

Daily Food, Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution

12 Noon – 1:10 pm, SEC Porch and the Community Garden

Free lunch on the SEC Porch and free dessert in the Community Garden between the Dreeben Education Building and Clement Residence Hall. The UIW Nutrition Department and the Student Dietetic Association led by Heather Frazier, PhD, RDN, LD, will share delicious food and fig sweets (by the fig tree in the garden) as they educate us on food that is healthy for the planet and healthy for us.  Our daily food can be a celebration of creation and of the Creator or  further waste the resources of our Common Home, the Earth.

 The Holocaust  1933-1945 by Dr. Roger C. Barnes

1:30 – 2:45 pm  SEC 2040 -2041

This presentation about the Holocaust describes the Nazi persecution of Jews and others during the reign of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich.  There is a concluding emphasis on the six extermination camps that were in Poland. Dr. Barnes is professor emeritus of sociology at UIW.  His trips to Holocaust sites have taken him to Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Austria, and Ukraine. He frequently writes columns for the San Antonio Express-News.

“TLC--Talk, Listen, Connect” Compassion Transformation Institute

3 pm – 4:45 pm.  SEC 2040 -2041

What if the most powerful tool for healing division, loneliness, and polarization was something profoundly simple? Talk. Listen. Connect.  The Charter for Compassion in pilot training with nearly 100 participants from around the world, found that in small groups and brief conversations, strangers found common ground. People shared what they loved. Others listened—deeply. And in those moments, community began to form.  The science is clear:  1. Strong social relationships reduce mortality risk more effectively than smoking cessation, alcohol moderation, diet, exercise, or blood pressure treatment. 2. The 80+ year Harvard Study of Adult Development confirms that strong relationships are the single greatest predictor of long-term happiness and well-being. 3. Human evolution is not simply “survival of the fittest,” but survival of the most connected.  TLC reclaims this truth. Kindness, compassion, and connection are not soft ideals.  They are biologically wired strengths.  Learn more of the institute here.  The process will be led by Sister Martha Ann Kirk, Th.D., Coordinator of the Compassionate Colleges and Universities Initiative of the Charter for Compassion.

 

INSPIRES Index, a Measure and a Motivator

5 - 6 pm SEC 2040 -2041

Through the ages religions have been some of the greatest contributors to peace, but also some of the greatest contributors to conflicts.  The Interfaith, Spiritual, Religious, and Secular Campus Climate Index, or INSPIRES Index is an assessment tool that measures, evaluates, and represents a campus’ efforts towards and commitment to establishing a welcoming climate for students of multiple worldviews. The Index was created using data gathered through the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS).  UIW has been an INSPIRES Campus Partner reflecting, assessing, and committing ourselves to ongoing improvement.  Come join in conversation in regard to the seven areas: Academic Engagement, Religious Accommodations , Space for Support and Expression, Institutional Structures, Institutional Behavior, Efforts to Reduce Negative Engagement, and Extracurricular Engagement.  How are we and how can we improve?   

Earth's Greatest Enemy, a film by Abby Martin  

7 pm SEC 2040 -2041

Join About Face South Texas for a screening and discussion of Abby Martin’s documentary, Earth’s Greatest Enemy. The film examines the environmental impact of the U.S. military, connecting pollution and contamination near San Antonio’s former Kelly Air Force Base with the broader consequences of military operations around the world. Bring friends for a conversation about militarism, environmental harm, and the communities affected. See the trailer.  Co-sponsored by Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, the Southwest Workers Union, and Oppressed Revolutionaries for Worker Power.   Contact: Jovanni Reyes <jovanni@aboutfaceveterans.org>

 Gratitude to our exhibitors

 See these exhibits and more in the UIW Student Engagement Center Concourse:

 About Face, Veterans Against War  South Texas with Veteran Tony Allevato, Veteran Chaplain Renee Sinicki, and Veteran Jovanni Reyes
 Bexar County--Moms Demand Action 

Pax Christi and Laudato Si, Catholic voices for peace and for sustainability

Charter for Compassion and Artistic Bridges