Delegation from Thailand, Philippines to visit NIU

The Center for Southeast Asian Studies is hosting a delegation of emerging religious and lay leaders from Thailand and the Philippines.

The delegation will arrive on Thursday, Nov. 10, and stay on campus until Sunday, Nov. 13, for a series of tours, lectures and cultural events. Delegation members include a journalist, student activist and university professor from Thailand as well as a Catholic priest, community health worker, Chamber of Commerce director and community organizer from the Philippines.

Tours will include visits to a mosque, the Hope Haven homeless shelter in DeKalb, the NIU Center for Southeast Asian Studies, the NIU Center for Burma Studies, the NIU Anthropology Museum and the Donn V. Hart Southeast Asia Collection at Founders Memorial Library.

The visit from the delegation is part of the “Observation Study Tour on Religion and Society in the United States” arranged by The Asia Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous and open Asia-Pacific region. The Asia Foundation has arranged a series of exchanges for selected Southeast Asians and Americans to examine the role of religion in society.

The program in the United States explores the exercise of religion in a mature democracy. It also examines the range of important services provided by American religious organizations to their members, as well as the contribution of these organizations to the broader society.

During the delegation visit, the following events, all occurring Friday, Nov. 11, will be open to the public:

The Center for Southeast Asian Studies will host a lecture from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 110 of the Campus Life Building. Asia Foundation representatives will speak on “Public Policy and Religion in Southeast Asia.” A brief question-and-answer period will follow.

A reception for the delegation will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the NIU Asian American Center.

The Southeast Asia Club will hold a cultural event, titled “Mainland Southeast Asia Night,” from 5 to 8 p.m. in the gymnasium of Anderson Hall.

For more information, contact Julia Lamb, outreach coordinator for the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, at (815) 753-1595.

11-7-05