Francis will offer his unique perspective on the environment and how each person can make a difference in our world as part of Lesley’s Conversations series on Tuesday, March 5 at 5:30 p.m. in Marran Theater.
Francis is the author of Planetwalker. 22 Years of Walking. 17 Years of Silence, and in 2011, the National Geographic Society published his acclaimed second book, The Ragged Edge of Silence: Finding Peace in a Noisy World.
He believes the current environmental crisis is a reflection of worldwide social and economic inequity, and attempts to resolve the crisis must not only address the scientific issues, such as climate change and deforestation – but also the humanitarian issues. He contends that our connection to the earth, as well as each other, is at the heart of the environmental crisis.
Lesley Conversations are free and open to the public. Marran Theater is on Lesley’s Doble Campus, 34 Mellen Street, Cambridge, Mass.
Dr. Francis’ story
In 1971, John Francis witnessed an oil spill in San Francisco Bay, the effects of which compelled him to stop using motorized vehicles. Several months later, to demonstrate the power of one person’s actions, he took a vow of silence. His non-motorized lifestyle lasted twenty-two years, and his silence seventeen.
During that time, Francis walked across the United States and earned a B.A. at Southern Oregon State College, an M.S. in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. in land resources at the University of Wisconsin. He later sailed and walked through the Caribbean, and then walked the length of South America.
Lesley Conversations
Lesley’s Conversations series brings leading thinkers and activists to campus to inspire thought-provoking discussions in the Lesley community and beyond. The Conversations provide opportunities to think about issues influencing American and global policy, with a mission to foster critical inquiry, active learning, and scholarly underpinnings in our actions as citizens and leaders in an interdependent world.
Other noted speakers in this year’s Conversations series have included senior political analyst David Gergen, who discussed the 2012 presidential election last fall, and National Book Award winner and activist Andrew Solomon, who speaks on February 25, 2013.