Humanity 101 campaign set for spring rollout

This spring, the award-winning university initiative Project Humanities continues its mission to bring people together to talk, listen and connect.

From film screenings to stage plays to critical dialogues about hot topics, Project Humanities is advancing the Humanity 101 movement across disciplines, cultures, communities and generations.

Launched in spring 2014, Humanity 101 promotes social consciousness and personal responsibility. As such, deeply embedded in the spring kickoff series are programs centering around these seven values: compassion, empathy, forgiveness, integrity, kindness, respect and self-reflection.

Humanity 101 is not a course of study. Instead, it is a campaign, a credo, a reminder, a pledge, a challenge that, as the Dalai Lama describes it, “[has] the capacity to make our lives happier.”

“I am excited to see the momentum that the Humanity 101 movement is generating, particularly with new collaborators, partners, activities and diverse programs,” said Neal A. Lester, founding director of Project Humanities.

Since its inception, Project Humanities has continued to connect diverse audiences by asking the question “Are we losing our humanity?” and answering with a collective pledge and strategies to create a better world.

"Project Humanities is continuing our mission of talking, listening and connecting throughout the spring 2015 semester with awesome people from around the world,” said John T. Sutton, ASU graduate student in graphic design.

An example of the project’s global reach is “Beyond to Hijab: Pakistani Women’s Perspectives,” an event featuring Pakistani faculty members and Lester, who is participating in the faculty exchange between ASU and Kinnaird College for Women in Lahore, Pakistan.

“This is quite possibly the most robust and diverse programming roster Project Humanities has offered to date,” said Sharon Torres, Project Humanities coordinator. “We are riding the momentum of the Humanity 101 movement and expanding our repertoire by daring to tackle provocative issues and ask difficult questions. We hope that our audiences will take advantage of these opportunities for education and discovery and help us advance our cause.”

During the semester-long kickoff, Project Humanities will host events and activities across all four ASU campuses and at different community venues around the Phoenix-area, bringing together students, staff, faculty, alumni, emeriti and members of the surrounding communities.

View the Humanity 101 calendar for a full list of events. Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

For more information about ASU Project Humanities and Humanity 101, visit humanities.asu.edu.