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Ford Hall Forum

The Ford Hall Forum is the nation's oldest continuously operating free public lecture series. Its mission is to foster an informed and effective citizenry and to promote freedom of speech through the public presentation of lectures, debates, and discussions. Forum events illuminate the key issues facing our society by bringing to its podium knowledgeable and thought-provoking speakers. These speakers are presented in person, for free, and in settings, which facilitate frank and open debate.

http://www.fordhallforum.org/

Lessons from the Financial Crisis: More Government or Less?

Thu, May 20, 2010

Yaron Brook, President and Executive Director of the Ayn Rand Institute, and Peter Kadzis, Editor of the *Boston Phoenix* and former contributor to *Money*, *Forbes*, and the *Boston Business Journal* debate the lessons learned during the financial crisis--from bailouts to reforms to our efforts to prevent another economic disaster.

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Modern Islam

Thu, Apr 22, 2010

Zuhdi Jasser, Founding Member and President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD), an American Muslim organization advocating for the separation of mosque and state, and Bilal Kaleem, Executive Director of the Muslim American Society of Boston, join moderator James Carroll, Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Suffolk University, recipient of the James Parks Morton Interfaith Award, and Boston Globe columnist, to address the questions facing Islam, the West, and democracy in the 21st century.

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Food, Inc.

Thu, Apr 29, 2010

Jody Adams, award-winning chef/owner of Rialto restaurant, and Donald Wiest, President of Boston Public Market, join moderator Annie B. Copps, senior food editor for Yankee Magazine, to screen the documentary film "Food, Inc." and explore how the food industry shapes our economy, our health, and our lives.

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At the Heart of Marriage: Same-Sex Couples

Tue, Oct 8, 2002

Attorney and civil rights activist Mary Bonauto, moderates this first public discussion with three of the plaintiff couples in the pending same-sex marriage case in Massachusetts. In 1999, she and two Vermont co-counsel won a ruling that same-sex couples are entitled to all of the benefits and protections of civil marriage in the case of Baker v. State of Vermont. This ruling prompted the Vermont legislature to enact the nation's first "civil union" law for same-sex couples.

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Putting Massachusetts Students and Schools to the Test

Wed, Apr 10, 2002

James Peyser, chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Education, and Ted Sizer, founder of the Coalition of Essential Schools, discuss the controversial Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test. Heated debate has surrounded the MCAS test since 1993, when it was first introduced to identify and help students and schools that were failing. Advocates call the MCAS test the foundation for a bold plan to reform education in the state while critics insist this standardized text is too narrow in its assessment of students' abilities.

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Debating Civil Liberties Post 9/11

Tue, Feb 12, 2002

The two basic poles of thought within the civil liberties community regarding US government’s response to the large-scale arrival of terrorism on our shores are represented by Alan Dershowitz, who says that some compromises can and should be made, and Harvey Silverglate, who believes that the Bill of Rights is a timeless document, suitable for all seasons. Listen to a complementary [interview with Alan Dershowitz](http://thoughtcast.org/casts/alan-dershowitz-on-preemption-and-the-hezbollah) on Thoughcast.org, a podcast and public radio interview program on authors, academics and intellectuals.

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Embedded in Iraq: The Objectivity Question

Thu, Oct 9, 2003

Brian MacQuarrie of *The Boston Globe* takes a look back at his time in Iraq, and forward to the future of war journalism. MacQuarrie traveled to Iraq in March of 2003 to cover the war as an embedded reporter with the Army's 3rd Infantry Field Artillery Battalion. Part of a Pentagon experiment to give journalists greater access to soldiers and commanders in the heat of battle, embedments like this one provided unparalleled inside views of combat that generated fascinating news stories here at home. Even so, questions linger about the success of this new-styled journalism and how it will affect the coverage of future conflicts. Is it possible for reporters to so literally enter a story and still maintain their objectivity?

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Is There an Elephant in the State House?

Wed, Dec 3, 2003

Join this discussion with Republican leaders to find out why they believe the citizens of Massachusetts share their party's values. Is our Commonwealth's reputation as a bastion for liberalism undeserved? Republicans have had a stronghold on the governor's office in Massachusetts for 13 consecutive years. As a result, it is hard to deny the wide appeal of "common-sense republican priorities" that include lower taxes, economic growth, individual liberty, and improved standards of education. In a state where more than half the voters are unenrolled or independents (and not Democrats), the Republican Party is confident about its potential for growth.

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Remembering Trauma

Tue, Feb 10, 2004

Clinician and laboratory researcher Richard McNally challenges the ready acceptance of a notion he says goes beyond common sense, and contends that traumatic experiences are indeed unforgettable and the evidence for repressed memories is surprisingly weak. Are horrific experiences indelibly fixed in a victim's memory? Or does the mind protect itself by banishing traumatic memories from consciousness? How victims remember trauma is the most controversial issue in psychology today, spilling out of consulting rooms and laboratories to capture headlines, rupture families, provoke legislative change, and influence criminal trials and civil suits. This lecture is presented in collaboration with Boston Theatre Works to coincide with the world premiere of *Conspiracy of Memory*, a timely new drama by local playwright Steven Bogart that explores issues of aging, forgiveness, acceptance, and redemption.

Mental Health Month , Food and Wellness

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Building Bridges: Both Sides of the Abortion Debate

Thu, Oct 24, 2002

Laura Chasin, director of the Public Conversations Project, moderates a panel discussion motivated by the 1994 shootings at two Brookline clinics. After these tragic events, six leaders on both sides of the abortion debate began meeting, not for the purpose of reaching compromise, but to build relationships of mutual respect and understanding that might de-escalate the rhetoric of the abortion controversy and reduce the risk of future attacks on clinics. "In this world of polarizing conflicts", they explain, "we have glimpsed a new possibility: a way in which people can disagree frankly and passionately, become clearer in heart and mind about their activities, and, at the same time, contribute to a more civil and compassionate society."

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