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HONOLULU—Jan. 12, 2007— Chaminade University of Honolulu will host the first annual Dr. David W. Chappell Peace Program in memory of the late Dr. David W. Chappell from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 3, at the Ching Conference Center, second floor of Eiben Hall at Chaminade University, 3140 Waialae Avenue. Sponsored by Chaminade’s religious studies program with the generous support of David W. Chappell Foundation, program events are free and open to the public. For information please contact Dr. Poranee Natadecha-Sponsel at 735-4822 or psponsel@chaminade.edu.
The program will feature winning student essays from Hawaii college students on the topic of “Creating Peace Across Boundaries” as part of the Dr. David W. Chappell Peace Program Essay Contest. Essays were collaborative works by teams of two students, one male and one female, each of a different ethnic and religious background, with the primary objective of trying to create a deeper understanding of peace across culture, gender and religion.
The program will also feature as guest lecturer Dr. Ruben L.F. Habito, who will speak on “Linking Inner Peace and Global Peace: Perspectives in Buddhist-Christian Dialogue.” Dr. Habito, professor of world religions and spirituality and current associate dean for academic affairs at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, is the author of Healing Breath: Zen for Christians and Buddhists in a Wounded World (Wisdom, 2006), and Living Zen, Loving God (Wisdom, 2004). He has dedicated his book Experiencing Buddhism: Ways of Wisdom and Compassion (Orbis Books, 2005) to David W. Chappell, with whom he worked closely for many years in the Society for Buddhist Christian Studies.
Members of the responding panel include Dr. Roger Ames, University of Hawaii-Manoa; Dr. Pierre Asselin, Chaminade University; and Ms. Tracey Wiltgen, J.D., The Mediation Center of the Pacific. Dr. Glenn Paige of Center for Global Nonviolence will moderate. The program will also include an inter-religious women clergy and women leaders panel discussion on action for peace and nonkilling with Alice Tucker of Temple Emanu-El moderating.
An author, scholar and educator on the history of Buddhism, peace advocate and principal founder of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, Dr. David Wellington Chappell died in December 2004. He spent most of his academic career at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. He was the founding editor of the academic journal Buddhist-Christian Studies (1980-1995), co-founded the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, published and edited various books, including Buddhist Peace Work: Creating Cultures of Peace (1999).
