Fault Lines of Faith

TRAVERSE CITY — International journalist Kira Kay, special correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and co-founder of the Bureau for International Reporting, will kick off the 2014-15 International Affairs Forum lecture series Sept. 18 with her presentation "Fault Lines of Faith: Reporting on Sectarian Conflict Around the Globe" set for 6 p.m. in Milliken Auditorium.

While sectarian conflict goes back to the dawn of time, today’s world seems marked as never before by divisions split along religious lines. These fault lines are found in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Western democracies. Kay's presentation will include video from her television series Fault Lines of Faith. She has reported from around the globe on sectarian conflict including anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence in Myanmar, recent Muslim-Christian tensions in Kenya, and inter-Christian warfare in Northern Ireland. (Watch video from an upcoming program on Muslim-Buddhist conflict in Burma »)

Kay founded the Bureau for International Reporting (BIR), a non-profit news organization dedicated to the coverage of overlooked foreign issues and regions, in 2007. As the primary on-air correspondent and producer, she regularly reports for PBS NewsHour and other national news organizations including CBS' 60 Minutes. During her Traverse City visit she will also meet with students at both NMC and the Interlochen Arts Academy to discuss her experiences developing and producing stories overseas.

Upcoming fall speakers include:

• October 16: "The Ukraine Crisis: Where Will It End?" Speaker Steven Pifer is a former Ambassador to Ukraine and member of the National Security Council. He is currently director of the Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative at the Brookings Institution.
• November 20: "Iraq: The New Home Base for Terror?" Speaker Dr. Charles Duelfer led the Iraq Survey Team investigating weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and penned the "Duelfer" report which became the definitive work on WMD in Iraq.

The winter/spring half of the season begins in February 2015 and offers monthly lectures through June.

IAF lectures are rebroadcast on UpNorth TV public access cable television three times a week, and available online for streaming on demand. Board members also produce “Beyond the Headlines,” a roundtable-style interview program that focuses on current foreign affairs issues and airs on UpNorth TV.

The IAF is part of the NMC Foundation and is an affiliate of the World Affairs Council of America. As a non-profit, any extra funds collected go toward NMC student scholarships.

All lectures are held in the Dennos Museum Center's Milliken Auditorium on the NMC campus at 6 p.m., with a reception prior to the lecture from 5:15 to 6 p.m. Admission is free to all students and educators, and $10 for others. Subscriber tickets for the entire season are available; visit www.tciaf.com or call (231) 995-1700 for more information.

Release Date: September 4, 2014

For More Information:

Karen Segal
International Affairs Forum co-chair
(231) 715-6064
jsegal_kpuschel@yahoo.com