J. Alexander M. Douglas, Jr., Senior Vice President and Global Chief Customer Officer of The Coca-Cola Company, reflects upon current issues involving business ethics and corporate social responsibility. Douglas also shares his ideas on the role of the beverage industry as food preferences are changing and beverage and fast food industries are criticized for their impact on health and obesity. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Business] [Show ID: 25299]
Aug 12, 2013•59 min
Timothy Noah, Senior Editor, The New Republic and author of “The Great Divergence: America’s Growing Inequality Crisis And What We Can Do About It,” in which he digs into the causes of America's rapidly increasing inequality. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 24898]
Mar 18, 2013•1 hr
As late as the mid-twentieth century science and technology were celebrated as instruments of progress, but by the early twenty-first century they were viewed increasingly as threats to life on Earth. Vivek Wadhwa, Washington Post and Bloomberg Businessweek columnist, and Ahmed Zewail, winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, discuss how science and technology may be managed to advance humanity. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Science] [Show ID: 247...
Feb 25, 2013•59 min
Former Republican Congressman from Oklahoma Mickey Edwards argues that American government has become dysfunctional because we've created a political system that rewards intransigence and incivility and punishes cooperation and compromise. We've allowed political parties to manipulate our elections and even our governing systems for their own partisan advantage. He says to fix the problem and get government working again, we have to change the political system itself. Series: "Ethics, Religion a...
Feb 11, 2013•59 min
Author and columnist Jonathan Alter argues that the question in the 2012 presidential election is whether the country will stay on a centrist course with Obama or make a sharp turn to the right with Romney. He says that because few votes may be won by discussing the poor, the American social contract is rarely discussed but he feels it is on the line. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 24402]
Oct 29, 2012•58 min
The political fight that has broken out in the US about contraception is both surprising and at the same time traditionally American. Linda Gordon, Professor at New York University, puts today's reproduction control controversies -- foreign aid for family planning, the abortion debates, teenage pregnancy and childbearing, stem-cell research --into historical perspective and argues that reproduction control has always been central to women's status. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walt...
Oct 05, 2012•1 hr
Fear of decline is one of the oldest American impulses. When we feel we are in decline, we sense that we have lost our balance. We argue about what history teaches us—and usually disagree about what history actually says. We conclude that behind every crisis related to economics and the global distribution of power lurks a crisis of the soul. In “Our Divided Political Heart: The Battle for the American Idea in an Age of Discontent,” the Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne argues that underlyin...
Oct 01, 2012•55 min
American Catholics blend personal autonomy, skepticism toward the church hierarchy’s teaching authority, and commitment to the Catholic sacramental and communal tradition. Arguing that the Catholic Church is at a critical juncture as it confronts the decline in the number of ordained priests, demographic change, and the need to restore credibility in the wake of the priest sex abuse scandals, Michele Dillon, professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, probes how Catholics envision...
Jul 16, 2012•56 min
The economy was supposed to be the number one issue in the 2012 election. But just seven months before American voters go to the polls, the culture wars are back. Liberals howl about the GOP’s “war on women,” while conservative claim Democrats are waging a “war on religion.” Writer and former senior editor at TIME Magazine Amy Sullivan asks why issues of religion and politics so polarize Americans? And why do we view political opposition as a “war” on everything we hold dear? Series: "Ethics, Re...
Jul 02, 2012•58 min
Jennifer Butler and Wade Clark Roof discuss the current social, economic, health, immigration, and environmental issues that bring religious and non-religious groups together. Are these issues those of economic inequality? Health care? Immigration? The environment? Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 23897]
Jun 11, 2012•57 min
Award-winning journalist Kathleen Sharp discusses her book, “Blood Feud: The Man Who Blew the Whistle on One of the Deadliest Prescription Drugs Ever.” This true story about a whistle-blower fighting Big Pharma over the anti-anemia drug know as Procrit, Epogen, and Aranesp or simply “epo.” From financial kickbacks to doctors, bribes and Medicare fraud, to patients doubling as unwitting guinea pigs for high doses of the dangerous drug Sharp tells a shocking story which is now unfolding federal co...
May 14, 2012•57 min
In 1995, twenty-five-year-old Samantha Nutt, a recent medical-school graduate and a field volunteer for UNICEF, touched down in Baidoa, Somalia, “the City of Death.” What she saw there would spur her on to a lifetime of passionate advocacy for children and families in war-torn areas around the world. Dr. Nutt shares her observations on providing hands-on care in some of the world’s most violent flashpoints and the building of her non-profit War Child. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: W...
Apr 02, 2012•1 hr 16 min
Daniel Hirsch of the Committee to Bridge the Gap discusses the dangers of nuclear power. He focuses on issues of nuclear safety, waste disposal, proliferation, and disarmament. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23504]
Mar 05, 2012•58 min
Shirin Ebadi received the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting human rights, in particular, the rights of women, children, and political prisoners in Iran. She was the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and only the fifth Muslim to receive a Nobel Prize in any field. Ebadi was also one of the first female judges in Iran. She served as president of the city court of Tehran from 1975 to 1979, but was dismissed from her position after the Islamic Revolution in February 1979. After ...
Feb 20, 2012•1 hr
MSNBC commentator, columnist for The Nation, and Professor of Political Science at Tulane University, where she serves as founding director of the Project on Gender, Race, and Politics in the South, Melissa Harris-Perry examines black women’s political and emotional responses to pervasive negative race and gender images in her new book, “Sister Citizen.” With wit and family anecdotes, Harris-Perry elaborates on how the shared struggle to preserve an authentic self and secure recognition as a cit...
Feb 06, 2012•59 min
Seeking to re-imagine the meaning and significance of the international border, UC Davis Law School Dean Kevin Johnson makes a case for eliminating the border as a legal construct that impedes the movement of people into this country. Johnson offers an alternative vision of how U.S. borders might be reconfigured, grounded in moral, economic, and policy arguments for open borders. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 22633]
Oct 17, 2011•55 min
David Gollaher, president and CEO of California Healthcare Institute, discusses the tensions between stem cell research, ethics, and politics in America that are impeding the progress of developing promising cures. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 21406]
Jun 06, 2011•59 min
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps, this panel discussion examines the impact of the Peace Corps on the lives of distinguished returned volunteers Sarah Chayes, Gordon L. Radley, and Thomas Tighe. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 20645]
Feb 28, 2011•1 hr 27 min
On the cusp of the agency’s 50th anniversary, Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams, and Kevin F. F. Quigley, President, National Peace Corps Association, address the future of international service opportunities and the significance of the Peace Corps mission to promote world peace and friendship. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 20644]
Feb 28, 2011•59 min
George Packer, staff writer for “The New Yorker,” argues that President Obama’s policy on Afghanistan, and the war itself, show how difficult it is for the U.S. to send troops into combat without trying to change another country’s politics as well. He contends it makes success unlikely. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 20261]
Jan 03, 2011•1 hr
One of the world’s leading commentators on religious affairs, Karen Armstrong discusses the intersection of religion and secularism in contemporary life. She explores the ideas that Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common and their effect on world events. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 18580]
Aug 09, 2010•56 min
The global community faces new challenges and needs to be able to imagine a truly diverse and multi-polar world in which shared leadership is the norm. Kavita N. Ramdas, President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, discusses how we can look to the women’s movement globally as a source of innovation and inspiration that offers tangible examples to address the most pressing issues of our time. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 1...
Jul 19, 2010•59 min
Vali Nasr discusses the premise of his new new book, “Forces of Fortune,” that the great battle for the soul of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the entire region will eventually be fought not over religion, but over business and capitalism as the Muslim middle class grows. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 18579]
May 31, 2010•59 min
Sister Joan D. Chittister, a Benedictine nun, discusses how culture changes and the implications those changes have for contemporary spirituality. She focuses on the stages of revitalization, global definitions of the seven capital sins, and American society as it moves into the 21st century. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 16612]
Jul 13, 2009•1 hr 29 min
Author and nondenominational pastor Brian McLaren discusses what he considers to be the most imperative global crises, how Christians are equipped to grapple with them, and how Christians can join with people of other backgrounds as advocates for change. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 16611]
Jul 06, 2009•59 min
How does America treat its veterans? An independent journalist specializing in the impacts of war, Aaron Glantz, provides a devastating indictment of the Bush administration for its blatant neglect of soldiers and its disingenuous reneging on their benefits. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 16609]
Jun 01, 2009•58 min
Henry A. Schimberg, former CEO of Coca-Cola, discusses the ethical and moral responsibilities of companies and corporate culture. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Business] [Show ID: 15109]
Jan 12, 2009•59 min
Walter Capps’ legendary course, “The Impact of the Vietnam War on American Religion and Culture,” was first taught in 1978, was regularly attended by 900 UCSB undergraduates, and was featured three times on CBS’s 60 Minutes. The still popular course has been taught since 1995 by Richard Hecht, Department of Religious Studies, UCSB who will moderate this Vietnam class reunion. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 15108]
Nov 03, 2008•1 hr 26 min
Jeffrey Sachs says high ethical standards within the business and corporate sector are critical not just in some narrow sense but for maintaining a good and just society. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Business] [Show ID: 15110]
Oct 20, 2008•52 min
While religious conservatives sometimes claim the banner of faith-based politics for themselves, Congressman David Price (D-NC) explores the religious and moral roots of politics across the left-right spectrum. He focuses on the passion and conviction that faith brings to politics, the constraints on power (political and otherwise) it inspires, and the theologically-based humility that tempers our engagement. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affai...
Oct 06, 2008•57 min
