Convocation presented by education advocate Karen Murphy, international director of Facing History and Ourselves

February 5, 2016

Karen Murphy, a 1988 graduate of Carleton and international director of Facing History and Ourselves, will present the College’s weekly convocation address on Friday, Feb. 12 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in the Skinner Memorial Chapel. Facing History and Ourselves (www.facinghistory.org) is a worldwide educational organization with a mission of engaging students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism and prejudice in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry—students to use their critical thinking skills to make good choices.


A well-respected educational advocate, Murphy’s presentation is entitled, "Citizenship in the 21st Century: Repair, Redress and the Responsibility to Protect."

This event is free and open to the public. Convocations are also recorded and archived for online viewing at go.carleton.edu/convo/.

Murphy is the international director of Facing History and Ourselves, an educational and professional development organization with global headquarters based in Massachusettes and offices worldwide. Believing that educators’ most important responsibility (and their gift to society) is to shape a humane, well-educated citizenry that practices civility and preserves human rights, Facing History and Ourselves takes a beyond-the-textbook approach, encouraging teaching methods that involve discussion, character exploration, primary source material, and group exercises. By studying historical examples of racism, prejudice and anti-Semitism, the goal is to help students come to understand that history is the collective result of every individual’s thoughts and actions. Students learn not only about history, but also about the critical thinking skills required to make good moral choices.

From its creation in 1976, Facing History and Ourselves has grown to become a worldwide organization that enables transformative dialogue, fosters empathy and reflection, and improves students’ academic performance. Through rigorous investigation of the events that led to the Holocaust and other recent examples of genocide and mass violence, students in a Facing History class learn to choose knowledge over misinformation, compassion over prejudice or bullying, and participation over indifference or resignation.

Murphy, who is based in New York City, works with educators and representatives from civil society organizations across the globe. She focuses on countries emerging from mass violence and/or in transition and divided societies with identity based conflicts. She has done work within and on several countries, including Colombia, Northern Ireland and Rwanda. She is particularly interested in the role that educational interventions play in the development of stability and peaceful coexistence.

Murphy is on the board of the Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies Network, and she is co-director of a multi-year research project studying youth and civic development in the US, Northern Ireland and South Africa funded by the Spencer Foundation. Recently she co-authored the Children’s Report for the Kenya Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, which was released in November 2015.

Murphy earned a BA in American studies in 1988 from Carleton College and a PhD in American studies from the University of Minnesota.

This event is sponsored by the Carleton Class of 1957 Revolving Lectureship Fund. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4308.The Skinner Chapel is located on the Carleton campus in Northfield at the intersection of First and College Streets.