Atlas Week Announces Theme, Keynote Speaker

12/05/2017

The Atlas Week planning committee has announced the theme and keynote speaker for the 2018 event celebrating global citizenship at SLU.

This year’s theme is “From Broken Walls, We Build Bridges: Out of Conflict Rises Communities.” The coming Atlas Week will take place from Sunday, April 8, through Friday, April 13.

David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, will deliver the Eighteenth Annual Keynote Address at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 12, in the Wool Ballroom, Busch Student Center. Miliband oversees the agency's humanitarian relief operations in more than 40 war-affected countries and its refugee resettlement and assistance programs in 28 American cities.

His accomplishments have earned him a reputation, in former President Bill Clinton's words, as "one of the ablest, most creative public servants of our time," and as an effective and passionate advocate for the world's uprooted and poor people.

The week will begin on Sunday, April 8, with its official Kick-Off event. The annual Interfaith Prayer Service will be held on Monday, April 9 at St. Francis Xavier College Church. The program will close on Friday, April 13, with the Parade of Nations and Billiken World Festival.

Atlas Week events can be submitted by students, faculty and staff in the Saint Louis University community. Any event run by a CSO counts as a student event. Please note that when submitting an event idea, the person submitting it is taking on responsibility for planning and executing that event. Additionally, please do not submit an event until its complete information is available. An event can, but does not have to, fit in with the Atlas Week theme. The event submission deadline is Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018.

For student event submission, visit this site. Faculty and staff events can be submitted here.

For questions or more information, contact Michelle Lorenzini, Ph.D., director of the Atlas Program.