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In his first visit to Chautauqua Institution, Hardy Merriman had something to prove: Nonviolent civil resistance is a more effective sociopolitical strategy than violent insurgence.   

For the sustainability of democracy, for women’s rights, immigrants, labor, minority communities — for all human rights causes — Merriman believes nonviolent resistance is an essential collective tool for any activist.

“There’s clear evidence to show that civil resistance movements have a crucial role to play in advancing peace, democracy, accountability, justice and human rights in the world,” Merriman said.

Merriman, president of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, delivered his lecture, “Power from the Bottom Up: Civil Resistance as a Driver For Rights, Freedom and Justice,” on Tuesday in the Hall of Philosophy, as part of the Week Eight Interfaith Lecture Series, “The Power of Soft Power.”

Using social science methods and a data set commissioned by the ICNC in 2007, Merriman explored the differences between nonviolent and violent action, the relative effectiveness of those actions and a new conception of what it means to be an “activist.”

To begin, Merriman first described civil resistance movements as having a concerned-citizen structure, one that is based on two types of acts — acts of commission and acts of omission.

“In all these movements, people voluntarily mobilize; no one paid them to mobilize, they weren’t forced,” Merriman said.

That mobilization, Merriman said, can either be predicated on acts of commission — people doing things they are not supposed to do, not expected to do, or forbidden by law from doing — or acts of omission, when people “refuse to do what they were supposed to, expected to do or required by law to do.”

These acts can include strikes, protests, boycotts — more conventionally “seen” methods — as well as divestment and withdrawals of support for particular institutions, all of which, Merriman said, challenge the status quo and the fact that “power comes from obedience.”

“When we do the things we’re supposed to do, this creates the status quo, and certain people and groups have learned to really benefit from that, profit enormously and then sometimes take that power and use it in ways we don’t like,” Merriman said. “When we withdraw our cooperation and obedience, we can make that status quo costly, and shift the balance of power in society.”

Perhaps inherent in all people is the desire for change — even before it bubbles over into wide and collective action, Merriman said, citing John Adams, who described this concept in 1815 with respect to the American Revolution.

“A history of military operations is not a history of the American Revolution,” Merriman quoted. “The revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people. It was substantially affected before hostilities commenced.”

Providing examples from the last few years, months and days, including nonviolent movements in South Korea, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Sudan and Hong Kong, Merriman said nonviolent civil resistance is “not culturally specific” and is a “global phenomenon.” As part of the ICNC and directed by American political scientist and professor Erica Chenoweth, a research project was developed in 2007 to help characterize this phenomenon. A data set of events spanning from 1900 to 2006 was compiled and analyzed for the effectiveness of nonviolent and violent movements; the research was used to develop Chenoweth’s award-winning book Why Civil Resistance Works, co-authored by Maria J. Stephan.

The findings offer a better understanding of maximum objectives, which “fundamentally change a government or who is governing,” and what it takes to fulfill them. On average, Merriman said, “nonviolent civil resistance movements were able to achieve their stated goals 53% of the time over the last century,” whereas violent movements achieved their goals 26% of the time. According to Freedom House, authoritarianism has been rising and democracy has been declining in the last 13 years, Merriman said.

But Adams’ perspective that “the revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people,” is not something young people are being exposed to in formal education settings, Merriman said.

“Should children learn this?” Merriman asked. His answer: “Absolutely.”

And the need for educational reform is not limited to educating people about nonviolent civil resistance; it pervades every aspect of moving toward a more nonviolent-oriented world, including in what makes an activist, an activist, and how those activists can be better assisted.

Activists are not just “people with bull horns,” Merriman said. Rather, activists are all types of citizens with diverse skill sets.

“Numbers really matter,” Merriman said. “If you want to win, you need a lot of people, which means you may have to reach out to people who are different from you. You may have to build coalitions; you may have to build unity in a society that’s been divided and ruled.”

To become more effective activists, better organizers and dissidents, Merriman said, an “enabling environment” for nonviolent resisters must be created. In an effort to create that environment, Merriman co-authored Right to Assist with Peter Ackerman. Preventing Mass Atrocities From a Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) to a Right to Assist (RtoA) Campaigns of Civil Resistance, or RtoA for short, is part of the ICNC’s special report series and was released in May. The report provides an extensive outline of needs for nonviolent civil resisters, mostly focusing on a reimagining of how activists can be trained. 

We should not shrink away from these challenges, even though they’re complicated. We need to develop these ideas further. We are at our strongest in the world, and our safest in the world, when we work in solidarity with others and fight together for rights, freedom and justice.” —Hardy Merriman President, International Center on Nonviolent Conflict

“Consider this, in any other profession — a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, a soldier — they have institutions and established processes to support their learning, development of skills and the practice of individuals in those professions,” Merriman said. “Activists have virtually none of this.”

RtoA suggests a more vocational style of education for activists, one that could be implemented in schools, professional associations, unions, clubs and religious groups.

Merriman returned to the data, pointing to the relative success of nonviolent resistance over the last century and emphasized how remarkable it is for those activists to have achieved their goals “learning on their own time, with very little support.”

“What would it mean if they had much more rigorous support of their cultivation of knowledge, skills and mentorship with other activists?” Merriman asked.

But the assistance shouldn’t end at education, he said. Nonviolent civil resistance movements could benefit from receiving support during transitions of power and in the aftermath of those transitions. 

“Many people who have been living under an authoritarian state have been divided and ruled,” he said. “It takes time for people to build the bonds, to come back together and think about how to unify, not just about what they’re against, but also what they’re for; what do they want to win afterwards?”

The transition is the “first step,” Merriman said, and can require engaging international groups and nongovernmental sectors. That engagement, though, often presents situational challenges, including where and how transition assistance is given, and what parties — international or otherwise — offer that assistance.

“We should not shrink away from these challenges, even though they’re complicated,” Merriman said. “We need to develop these ideas further. We are at our strongest in the world, and our safest in the world, when we work in solidarity with others and fight together for rights, freedom and justice.”

Without that solidarity, a more authoritarian world is imminent, one that is “more prone to warfare, to violence, humanitarian crises and atrocities.”

“It’s a world in which human rights abuses and spreading corruption are more likely to happen, and it hampers the international community’s ability to respond to a whole other range of issues,” Merriman said.

The bad news: Democracies are backsliding and authoritarians are “on offense.”

“Some good news is that the data is very clear that grassroots activists and organizers waging nonviolent struggle are a cornerstone of defending and advancing accountable government,” Merriman said. “We need to take their work seriously and treat it with the same seriousness as any other vocation, build infrastructure that supports the development of skills and knowledge related to this work and provide much more coordinated support to these movements when they face repression and their human rights are being violated. These steps, among other approaches, can help us turn the tide.”

Bike safety, trash collection practices and a new communication platform were at the forefront of the Chautauqua Property Owners Association’s annual business meeting on Saturday morning in the Hall of Philosophy.

Chautauquans raised concerns about a lack of headlights on bikes, speeding and poor bike signaling. Attendees suggested mandating bike safety instructions at Boys’ and Girls’ Club, holding a parents’ meeting to teach proper biking etiquette or fundraising to supply bikes with headlights. Additionally, a Chautauquan suggested adding a “no biking” sign in front of Odland Plaza because, traditionally, there is no biking on brick walkways.

Motorized transportation was also an extensive talking point at the meeting; Chautauquans worried about the lack of regulation of electric scooters, hoverboards and skateboards. Concerns were also expressed about inconsistent speed limits; in front of the fire station, the speed limit is 15 mph, one attendee said, whereas everywhere else on the grounds it is 12 mph.

Paul Perry, president of the CPOA, announced that Area Four Representative Mary Henderson will be reviving and leading a committee on traffic and safety to address these issues. 

Chautauquans were also discontent with the increased amount of trash and cigarette filters in communal areas, and loose trash bags left outside on trash pickup days. Chautauquans requested there be a recycling dumpster on the grounds, trash and recycling bins at each property and more community action to pick up litter.

One attendee was concerned that Mambo’s  — a social engagement app employed by the Institution — user privacy settings collect user information and may sell that data to third-party companies. Institution President Michael E. Hill did not know if Mambo is in fact selling user data, but he asked attendees “not to jump to conclusions.”

Additionally, the CPOA announced it would soon be unveiling a new communication platform, which has been in the works since last season, according to Member-at-Large Paul Ritacco.

“What you’ll hopefully be seeing here, relatively soon in the next year, is a new platform which will allow us to communicate with each other, to communicate with and get information from CPOA, communicate and get information to CPOA and allow us to have off-season communication capabilities,” Ritacco said. 

The CPOA also nominated James M. Klingensmith for a second term as a Class B trustee; Klingensmith was officially elected at the Board of Trustees corporate meeting following the CPOA business meeting. Paul Perry, president of the CPOA, also announced that the current CPOA board will roll over to next season.

So far in 2019, there have been at least 17 mass shootings in the United States, according to ABC News; depending on how one qualifies the term, that number can go as high as 200 or more. At the center of each one was an individual, pushed and twisted for one reason or another, experiencing incredible isolation as they inflicted pain on others.

Patrick Walsh, director of Chautauqua Theater Company’s second New Play Workshop of the season, On the Exhale, said that pain and isolation are things people don’t always consider when looking at these tragedies. 

“People, through pain or trauma or tragedy, can find themselves incredibly isolated from others,” Walsh said. “These feelings of isolation are things that I think everyone has at some point, and I want to try to talk about why, and how we can remove those barriers of isolation.”

On the Exhale, by Martín Zimmerman, is a show that follows a single character, one with no name, as she navigates her life after it has been irrevocably changed by an act of gun violence. The NPW, which is sponsored in part by the Roe Green Foundation, opens at 8 p.m. tonight in Bratton Theater, and runs through Sunday. In the midst of the torrent of pain and anguish left behind by attacks like those in El Paso or Dayton earlier this month, Walsh said works like On the Exhale can provide some guidance toward healing and progress.

“It doesn’t help us to demonize an idea or a community,” Walsh said. “This show moves in the direction of, ‘How can we bring ourselves together?’ — instead of, ‘How can we shout over each other?’ ”

As the play’s sole character lives out her life onstage, she grapples with feelings of immense pain, regret, grief and confusion. According to Claire Karpen, guest actor and CTC alum who stars in the show, On the Exhale brings a humanity and relatability to an incredibly heavy and difficult subject.

“While you’re watching her wrestle with her own pain and grief and guilt, I think a lot of people are going to be able to relate to her,” Karpen said. “Because you can relate to her, I think people will relate to her journey and gain some new insights into what guns are and what place they have in our society.”

But no matter how down-to-earth or relatable the show is, Walsh acknowledged that the subject matter remains challenging to deal with, even at the best of times. Despite that, he said by following this woman on her journey throughout the play, the audience might gain some new perspective on the issue of gun violence, as well as a deeper understanding of the pain and suffering that is intrinsic to these tragedies.

As for Karpen, she said she wishes the show’s themes weren’t nearly as relevant as they continue to be.

“This is an intense week to be going into this,” Karpen said. “What’s even scarier is that I’m not surprised. I knew that going into this play, the chances of something happening that would make it relevant were high. I wish that I could have been thinking, ‘Oh, by the time we get this on its feet, it’ll be irrelevant,’ but I can’t.”

At a time when people in the United States remain fiercely divided over issues like gun control, productive conversation can often seem impossible. But by taking a step back and examining, conversing and breathing, Walsh said through shows like On the Exhale, the audience and the nation might start to move in the right direction.

“We’re all humans, just separated by experiences,” Walsh said. “That’s one of the beautiful things about theater; we can build those bridges to those other places and people we don’t understand, and hopefully get a little closer by the time the lights come up.”

Heather McGhee was a guest on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” when she received a call from a white male listener who was openly racist.

But instead of issuing a hateful diatribe, this caller frankly admitted his preconceptions, and asked McGhee for advice on how to overcome them.

“What can I do to change, to be a better American?” disabled Navy veteran Garry Civitello asked McGhee, an author and senior fellow at the left-leaning think tank Demos.

McGhee’s tender response represented a rare moment of kinship between disparate groups that reverberated across the internet and led to a genuine friendship.

At 2 p.m. Wednesday, August 14 in the Hall of Philosophy, McGhee will discuss the story of her friendship with Civitello and more in her lecture, “Beyond the Zero-Sum: Building a New American Demos.” McGhee’s lecture is part of the Week Eight interfaith lecture series, “The Power of Soft Power.”

“There’s a need for soft power as we try to overcome racism and division, and as we forge a united American people,” McGhee said. “This question of ‘what does it mean to be a better American in the 21st century, in an era of demographic change?’ is part of the conversation and talk I’m going to have.”

McGhee grew up in Chicago’s South Side at a time of economic upheaval.

“I started asking questions about why so many people were unable to get ahead no matter what they did,” she said. “That led me to the rules and the policies that shape opportunity.”

Eventually, McGhee said she was able to get an entry-level position at Demos, rising through the ranks to become the think tank’s president in 2014.

Though she stepped down as president in 2018, McGhee is now a distinguished senior fellow at Demos, and she’s currently working on a book, to be released in May 2020, on the many ways racism is harmful to society.

“It’s harmful not just for people of color, which is how we usually think about it, but it also distorts our entire society, our economy and our democracy,” she said. “So it has costs for white people as well.”

McGhee hopes her lecture today will inspire her audience to “bridge the racial divide.”

“We can overcome our biases and prejudices,” she said. “There’s a way for us to define who is an American that’s inclusive and still has meaning. There are people working against a tide of division and hate to make a fairer and more inclusive country for us all.”

A magician never reveals his secrets, but for Bill Blagg, the reason magic continues to interest and engage audiences isn’t a secret at all.

“It’s the fascination of the impossible,” Blagg said. “Magic is something that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. When people see it, they either say, ‘Oh, how did you do that?’ or they don’t even care; they’re just fascinated by the impossibility of it.”

Blagg, an entertainer and acclaimed illusionist, will be bringing his mystifying magic to Chautauqua at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 14 on the Amphitheater stage, as part of the Family Entertainment Series.

Performing at Chautauqua will be an experience unlike any of his previous performances, Blagg said.

The unique setup of the Amp means Blagg will be creating and presenting a show that is fundamentally different than the performances he gives in theaters and showrooms.

Blagg said the unique opportunity is one he’s looking forward to.

“Bringing magic into this type of venue is going to be a new experience for us,” Blagg said. “We’ll be creating a custom performance, so to speak, for Chautauqua.”

Within that custom performance, Blagg plans to astound and amaze audience members with a variety of illusions. From making members of the crowd levitate to reading their minds onstage, to shrinking himself down to 6 inches tall, Blagg said there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

“I tell people all the time that if you don’t like magic, come to this show,” Blagg said. “And if you do like magic, come to this show, because it’s more than just a magic show; it’s a journey that forms a connection between the audience and the performer. The audience is genuinely and truly a significant part of how the show unfolds.”

For those hesitant to attend and experience a traditional magic show, Blagg said there’s nothing to worry about. According to Blagg, the show is different from the standard razzle-dazzle of most magic performances. It is highly interactive and forges a unique connection between audience and performer, Blagg said.

“No two shows are the same,” Blagg said. “We’re not the typical, standard magic show. It’s more of an interactive experience that feeds off of the audience and magic actually happens to people in the audience. I walk away feeling like I’ve formed a bond and a friendship with audience members, and that’s what makes it really unique.”

Throughout his time as a performer, Blagg has pulled off hundreds of successful illusions and delighted thousands of engaged audiences. But despite his extensive history in the industry, Blagg said the thrill never gets old.   

“What I look forward to most is just thinking, ‘What new things will tonight bring?’ ” he said.

As the 2019 season comes to a close, for four trustees, this marks the end of an era. Don Boswell, Carolyn Byham, Bonnie Gwin and John Milos are rolling off their term-limited positions on the Chautauqua Institution Board of Trustees.

Boswell is the president and CEO of a public broadcasting organization, operating television and radio stations in Buffalo; Byham is the executive vice president of Development Dimensions International and a Pittsburgh arts supporter; Gwin works in CEO and Board succession planning across all industries; and Milos is the retired president and previous owner of a truck and SUV accessory mail-order internet company. Three were able to join the Daily for the second-to-last Chautauqua Conversations of the season.

Between the four is a combined 32 years of service to the Institution and over 100 years coming to the grounds. While their terms may end in the fall, they each said they will forever be lifelong Chautauquans.

How has your last season on the board been so far?

Milos: The last year is always kind of interesting because as you transition off the board, a lot of your committee assignments are winding down because they are trying to bring the newer board members up to speed and get them involved. But it’s actually been the least busy. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of being involved in a lot of events that the board had to deal with over the last eight years — we’ve been a pretty busy board — and this last year has been relatively quiet.

Gwin: Bittersweet because I’m going to miss being on the board. It’s been such a great experience, but the work we get to do at every board meeting is really important and interesting, so it’s been a great year.

Boswell: I love being on the board. … Overall, my experience, my passion, my love for Chautauqua hasn’t declined in any way.

When you reflect on your tenure, what sticks out to you?

Milos: I was, along with a number of other board members, active in the Amphitheater reconstruction and in fact, involved in it even before I got on the board. That was a really significant project, as you can imagine, and there was a lot of controversy surrounding it, so it was a continuous process of helping everybody in the community understand what we were trying to accomplish. Finding a new president — that happened under our watch — and a number of other projects.

Gwin: Obviously the Amp and making sure we brought the community together to do that, which was important to get it right. I think the strategic plan that we’re unveiling now has been really, incredibly critical, and then selecting President Michael E. Hill to succeed Tom Becker, who was amazing, and Michael has been amazing — each in very different ways.

Boswell: I really pushed to have the program that aired nationally on PBS get done. It was met with a lot of good reviews. At least in some of the circle of people that I know, they found it informative — they didn’t really know much about Chautauqua. A number of colleagues at different stations said they were reflecting on information, (that) they had to pass it on, things about locations and the season. So for me, it was being able to show a program that, in a lot of ways, raised visibility for Chautauqua, and I think we need a lot more of those opportunities.

How have you seen the Institution change since joining the board?

Milos: Certainly the biggest change has been the president of the Institution. … I think the Institution is at a point where it needs to move in a different direction, and President Michael E. Hill is exactly the right person — he has a vision, has ideas of what could be, and it’s very exciting to see that. On the other hand, I think that for eight years the board and Tom Becker, who was the president for most of that time, set up a sustainable Institution — financially and administratively. The Institution, in a lot of ways, was in outstanding shape and in a position to do the things that were forward-thinking and visionary. … That was pretty powerful.

Gwin: For an Institution that’s almost 150 years old, it’s always been evolving, and that’s been true over the last eight years — and probably pretty dramatically because lifestyles have changed. People used to come for the full season when wives didn’t work and they could come and bring their kids all season. How people come to Chautauqua has changed, who comes has changed some, and when you look at the strategic plan, I think about my kids — and their kids. What should this place be? Continuing to think about how we need to evolve to meet future generations — that to me has been the most important thing. … It’s important that this place welcome all those people and that we evolve, but we don’t forget that this is a community; it’s not just for one type of person.

Boswell: From at least my perspective, I think the PBS audience is the Chautauqua audience. I could go through a number of NPR and PBS stars who appeal to that demographic and our audience, and I think we could make some connections by further enhancing that exposure. I think some of our celebrity stars or writers, producers strengthen the themed weeks with their contacts and their ability to draw people to Chautauqua. I don’t want it all to be about PBS and NPR, but I do feel in targeting our audience and our celebrities and our themes (at PBS), are in some ways nicely aligned to the mission and themes (at Chautauqua), and can only further enhance greater opportunities for us.

What are your hopes for the board and the Institution going forward?

Milos: I think the biggest thing is that when you start looking at all the exciting things that we are talking about and planning to do, we need to make sure we remember how we got here and that there were a lot of disciplines that were put in place to create a very sustainable Institution. In the excitement of moving to the new, it’s easy to forget about what got you there in the first place. My hope is that the board continues to look backwards and rely on some of the lessons we’ve had over the years and … learn from them.

Gwin: I hope going forward that the Institution stays true to its mission and the things that make Chautauqua, Chautauqua. So I hope that stays the same — the core heart of what we are. But I also think that as we look forward, we have to be more diverse and more inclusive, and I think we’re getting there. I think we have to make sure housing is affordable and that there are lots of options for people, thinking about how we preserve the incredible buildings like the hotel, more food options and also just evolving recreationally and programmatically. But I hope what brought me here 25 years ago, stays the same.

Boswell: I think part of it is staying the course, but you’ve got to take risks. Don’t be afraid of challenging yourselves, management and the community to look at things differently, because clearly we’re a more global universe now — many faces, many voices — and hopefully our board, management and our community have to look to where those new voices and faces are to tell their stories. Not everything is going to be what you expect, but again, you can’t make progress if you don’t sacrifice and take those risks and hopefully they turn into opportunities.

What’s next for you?

Milos: Enjoying the summer season at Chautauqua. When you’re on a board, it’s pretty amazing how much time you end up putting into board-related activities. And while I said earlier, it’s an absolute pleasure to do that, particularly working with such talented people and people that become such good friends, the other side of it is that you end up missing a lot of what is going on. So I’m looking forward to having a little bit more control over my schedule, but I know I’m going to miss being on the inside of what’s going on and helping steer the direction of the Institution.

Gwin: I’m going to be a committed Chautauquan; I’ll still be involved any way that I can because it’s such a great place. I’m on my alma mater board, so I’ll be busy with that, and I work and travel like a crazy person, so I’ll continue to be doing that. The thing I’m going to miss the most — apart from what I hope has been, in some small way, helping Chautauqua be Chautauqua — are the friends that I’ve made on the board because the people on the board are just amazing. It’s such a great community of people.

Boswell: I’ll always act like I’m on the board. I will be involved in the ways that I can, even though I won’t be an official board member. … I don’t feel like I’m rolling off the board, I feel like I’ve rolled into greater experiences, understanding the culture and the mission, and I feel the board experience only gives me more to try to do more.

Joi Ito used to think the internet would save the world.

“In the early days I thought that we could just connect everybody together and we would have world peace; we just needed to give everyone a voice,” Ito said. “It turns out, that’s not true.”

Ito is an activist, entrepreneur and venture capitalist who has served as the director of the MIT Media Lab for the last eight years. He will be speaking at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, August 14 in the Amphitheater as part of Week Eight, “Shifting Global Power.” 

Ito calls himself a “reformed techno utopian.”

“This techno utopianism that we had 30 years ago was misguided,” he said. “I think I’m still long-term optimistic, but short-term, quite disconcerted with the ways that things have developed.”

Ito said many of the things he finds disconcerting about the state of current technological development are a result of the increased importance of quantitative sciences over the humanities.

“Economics, law and engineering (are) the primary stewards of society,” he said. “We’ve come to a very scalable, but a very reductionist, way that we manage resources and power.”

Even before he became the director of the “anti-disciplinary” research lab at one of the world’s top science and engineering schools, Ito had an extensive career overseeing, investing in and writing about new technology.

In today’s lecture, Ito will discuss the ideas outlined in his recent Ph.D. dissertation, The Practice of Change, and his two books, Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future (co-authored by Jeff Howe) and Resisting Reduction: Designing Our Complex Future with Machines, which came out this year. 

Much of his work centers on the need to reintroduce the humanities and social sciences into conversations about solving the world’s problems.

“Thinking about it from an MIT perspective, we’re a university where we have social sciences, but they really don’t have resources or power,” Ito said. “Ethics and those qualitative things are sort of bolted on when necessary.”

Ito said he and his fellow techno utopians’ belief in the benevolent power of the internet could have benefitted from the influence of the humanities.

“All the engineers thought it was just a great idea to connect everyone together (through the internet) — a pretty naive idea,” Ito said.

In talks with Susan Silbey, MIT’s Leon and Anne Goldberg Chair of Humanities, Anthropology and Sociology, Ito said Silbey quickly came to a realization when she heard that the internet would connect people across the world: “I knew it was going to be a mess,” Silbey would say.

“I think the role of social science and the humanities is not just the check- box ethicist on engineering programs,” Ito said, “but to actually ask whether we’re even asking the right questions or trying to solve the right problems.”

In his work, Ito focuses on issues like climate change, social inequality and redesigning the systems that support technology and science. He said the philanthropic and impact investment groups attempting to solve these problems often try to boil them down to figures.

“What we need to do to solve society’s problems is really to embrace complexity and understand that we can’t reduce the world to an optimization or a scalar function,” Ito said. “Whether we’re talking about climate change or societal inequity or public health, we’re not going to solve it through economic policies or laws or just fiddling with the rules. I think we’re going to have to have a dramatic paradigm shift of behavior change.”

Avoiding reducing the world to a scalar function, or a one-dimensional outcome, requires collective behavioral change. And as Ito sees it, this behavioral change means shifting away from a culture that celebrates financial wealth and material abundance. Ito cites adoptive godfather Timothy O’Leary and his contemporaries as influences.

“I spend a lot of time with ex-hippies,” he said. “I think the hippie movement was a shot on goal to pivot away from a materialistic approach, and I think the feminist movement and the Civil Rights Movement and others were (similarly) shots on goals.”

He is heartened by current movements like Friday Amp speaker Tarana Burke’s Me Too Movement and the March for Our Lives. He recognizes the important role social media plays in spreading social justice movements in the 21st century.

“That comes from the (same) tool that brought us this polarized society that we’re all afraid of,” he said. “We can and should improve the tools, but … I don’t think it’s as much about the tools as it is about the mindset and paradigm of the people who use the tools. I think that the intervention is going to be a cultural one, and I think the cultural one happens through arts, and it happens through empathy.”

Though he believes younger generations are already beginning this cultural shift, when it comes to issues like climate change, Ito doesn’t sugarcoat how much damage has already been done.

“I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better; it’s very unlikely that there’s a way forward where it doesn’t really suck for a lot of people,” he said. “We’ve borrowed against the future and I think the further you go into the future for the next few generations the worse it’s going to suck, and the worse it sucks, the more likely they are to have different values than us — because they’re going to think we screwed up.”

To prevent even more damage in what is a critical time frame, Ito believes it is vital to combat engineers and scientists who still hold his former beliefs in techno utopianism and think that “if we just develop a superintelligence, we can compute our way out of all our problems.”

“I am a reformed techno utopian that is reaching out to the cultural and social side of society, seeking both collaboration and forgiveness and hoping that it’s not too late to bring humanity back into the goal of our system,” he said. “The only way that we’re going to get there is by working together and reintegrating culture and values as the primary driver for what we do. … And it’s going to be a really hard battle, and it’s going to come through conversation and shared values — not through fighting.”

The normal traffic of Bestor Plaza slowed as Chautauquans passed by easels and chalk drawings. As people started to wonder what the supplies were for, the answer turned the corner. Children’s School hosted a special Art in the Park last Thursday. Students between the ages of 4 and 6 had the opportunity to create art on Bestor Plaza, soak up the sunshine and embrace their inner Picasso in different activities, including bubble blowing, brick walk chalk and easel painting. Students created a variety of work, from turtles to sunrises, to a special snowman.

“He’s a snowman,” said Children’s School student Calvin Claus, as he stood in front of his easel, painting his latest creation. “He loves the snow, but gets upset when it starts to rain on him because he disappears. He’s happy right now though.”

Though Calvin couldn’t predict the future, he came close to it, as soon after, rainfall sent students onto the porch of the Colonnade. Luckily though, chalk and crayons in hand, kids were able to continue to draw while watching the rain, enjoying themselves as if they never had to move.

“The baptism of Jesus is an epiphany, a revelation of who Jesus is, but it is also an epiphany of who Jesus’ God is,” said the Rev. Mary Luti at the 9:15 a.m. Tuesday Ecumenical Service in the Amphitheater.

Her sermon title was “The Power of Humility: The One-Down God,” and the Scripture readings were Matthew 3:13-17, the baptism of Jesus, and John 13:1-9, the foot washing at the Last Supper.

John was amazed when Jesus asked to be baptized. Luti asked, why was he reluctant to do it?

“John was baptizing sinners, getting them ready for the arriving Messiah,” she said. “They would come down into the river and drown their sins, ready to greet the Messiah’s new day. Then John saw the new day in person, lined up with the sinners.”

John told Jesus he did not need washing. John said, “You are way too high to be baptized by someone so low. I am not worthy to untie your sandals.”

“If you watch ‘Downton Abbey,’ the situations are reversed,” Luti said. “You will see who God is, what God is like by the willingness of God’s son to be baptized. What kind of son goes one-down in the river of human sin and frailty?”

After Jesus was baptized, God called him “My son, the beloved one.”

“God was pleased because Jesus identifies with the nobodies, he refuses to pull rank,” Luti said. “This is a new way.”

God forbid we should stoop so low, Luti said to the congregation, “as all of us are climbing up to win the race, to be somebody. Everyone expects God to act like one and lord it over everyone, and we would like to do a little lording of our own. God is not above us or against us, but with us and for us.”

The story of the Last Supper echoes the drama in Jesus’ baptism. As John was reluctant to baptize Jesus, Peter was not going to allow Jesus to wash his feet.

“Not you Jesus, you can’t wash my feet, but if you do, wash my head and hands as well,” Peter said to Jesus. “It is not good, it is just improper.”

Jesus said to Peter, “If I don’t serve you, you will never know me. You will never discover the paradox of faith.”

Luti said in the movie, “The King and I,” no one’s head could be above the king’s. In one scene, Yul Brynner as the king enters the room, and Deborah Kerr as Anna bows her head. The king bows his, and she bows hers lower. The king stoops, and she bows lower. The king kneels, and she goes flat out on the floor.

“Imagine the reverse, that no one’s head is lower than the king’s,” Luti said. “The king goes one-down and ends up on the floor. That is Jesus and his God. John and Peter were mortified with Jesus and God on the floor. We have always preferred a one-up God. We have glorified nonsense and created mayhem. But God with us is unpretentious.”

The hymn in Philippians 2:6-11 extolls Jesus as one who emptied himself, who did not count equality with God as something to be exploited.

“We still pray to almighty God, even though there is no might in Jesus,” Luti said. “The divine trajectory is down into Earth, skin, the lowly people by society’s reckoning.”

A bottom-seeking God does not sit well, she said.

“That is why so many preachers are in love with the scorched-Earth, swashbuckling Christ of the second coming with an army of angels,” Luti said. “They were disappointed in the first coming, so they concentrated on the second.”

Luti shared the story of St. Francis who “fell hard for the one-down God.” He sold his own stuff and his father’s stuff, and when his father brought him to trial to disown him, Francis walked out of court naked.

“By disrobing, he relinquished power and a vast movement began,” Luti said. “Not everyone who goes down is naked and alone but there are millions of people whose lives have been rerouted by God’s humility.”

She continued, “Those gospel people who have found their own way down will assure you that they bless the day they found their path. Their comfortable lives itched like old clothes and they finally ran out of arguments with God.”

Luti described a “testy” conversation she had with a new parishioner. The parishioner insisted that the Maundy Thursday foot washing was old-fashioned, that “people’s feet don’t get dirty in this day and age, and foot washing is unhygienic and servile.” Luti said to her, “And your point is?”

“She surprised me and herself when she joined in the foot washing on Maundy Thursday, washing feet and having her feet washed,” Luti said. “She had gotten a pedicure that day. But she wept when she saw the oldest member of the congregation kneel and wash his wife’s feet.”

It was no small thing for her to dip her lacquered toe into the river with Jesus, Luti said.

“It was something to embrace,” she said. “Kneeling down is the beginner’s approach to paradox. To go downward is glory, to relinquish is joy. I wish something like that for all of us.”

The Rev. Virginia Carr presided. Clara Miller, a third-generation Chautauquan who studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and is an intern with the Chautauqua Institution Archives, read the Scripture. The Motet Choir sang “Come Thou Fount,” by Eric Nelson, for the introit and the anthem. Jared Jacobsen, organist and coordinator of worship and sacred music, directed the choir. Thanks to the magic of Chautauqua and a few generous donors, there are braille worship books and hymnals for the sight-impaired to participate fully in morning worship. They are available at Gate 4, the Ralph C. Sheldon Gate. Ask any usher for assistance. The Mary E. and Samuel M. Hazlett Memorial Fund provides support for this week’s services.

Bestor Society members gathered on Sunday, Aug. 4 on the Arts Quad for the annual President’s Address. The occasion was for Bestor Society members to be recognized for their philanthropic generosity, providing them with an opportunity to hear from Chautauqua Institution President Michael E. Hill.

Members were welcomed with hors d’oeuvres and live music from a string trio. The event began with an introduction from Jim Pardo, chair of the board of trustees and emcee for the evening.

“This is one of those events that I enjoy more than nearly any other, and I appreciate each of you taking the time to be here to celebrate with us at Chautauqua and to allow us to greet you,” Pardo said.

Pardo thanked Bestor Society members for their generosity toward Chautauqua and emphasized that without philanthropy, the Institution would not be what it is now. Comprised of those who donate $5,000 or more to the annual Chautauqua Fund, the Bestor Society plays an important role in keeping Chautauqua at its best and supporting the community.

“It’s interesting to come to this group every year and to represent the Institution and to say thank you in a genuine manner for the philanthropic support that each of you provide to the Institution,” Pardo said. “But if not for philanthropy, this place doesn’t open. I can’t thank you enough on behalf of the Institution for your generosity. It is not the margin of difference, it is the difference, … and for that I am genuinely appreciative.”

Padro then introduced Tim Renjilian, co-chair of the 2019 Chautauqua Fund with his wife, Leslie Renjilian, to acknowledge the new Bestor Society members and welcome them to the leadership community of supporters.

“I hope that when you look out at this group, you get the same feeling as I do: a feeling of reassurance and inspiration that plays out on multiple levels,” Renjilian said. “I feel inspired by all of you.”

Renjilian said that reassurance is needed; America has suffered from a total of 248 mass shootings in 2019. He said that Chautauqua is a community needed during times like these.

“For the only antidote to loneliness, close-mindedness, hopelessness and to hate, is the only one that we’ve ever had — is in communities like this,” Renjilian said, “communities comprised of people willing to show up, to expose themselves to new ideas and experiences, and to contribute their energies and resources to enrich the community for the benefit of others. That’s who you all are.”

He said that Bestor Society members inspire greatness in the Chautauqua community by supporting the Institution and providing financial donations to help further Chautauqua’s mission.

“You’re people who used your resources to make a major financial contribution, in effect putting down a marker to say Chautauqua is important, it’s part of who we are and it warrants our commitment and our sacrifice,” Renjilian said. “So thank you, fellow Chautauquans, members of the Bestor Society, not only for your gifts to further the life of this Institution, but for being a much-needed source for reassurance and inspiration.”

Deborah Sunya Moore, vice president of performing and visual arts, then approached the stage to introduce a musical selection for the evening. Moore also offered her personal thanks to the audience for their support of Chautauqua’s performing and visual arts programming.

“I just wanted to start by adding my thanks to many people involved and many programs for what you do,” Moore said. “We are grateful for it, and we also hope that the inspiration we offer on a regular basis here at Chautauqua makes you proud of what you do, and re-inspires you in everything that Chautauqua stands for.”

Moore introduced the young artists who performed at the address: School of Music Voice Program students Lucy Evans and Amani Cole-Felder. This is the first year for each to attend Chautauqua’s Voice Program, and both have sung in master classes this summer. Evans attends Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, and Cole-Felder graduated with her master’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. They were accompanied on keyboard by Travis Bloom, a music coach at Chautauqua.

After the performance, Pardo welcomed Hill to the stage for his annual address to the Bestor Society. Hill started by explaining how he enjoys participating in the weekly theme construction and development at the Institution, in order to curate a season that stimulates conversations and the minds of Chautauquans.

“Every year we consider dozens of themes, and we’re always challenging ourselves to find the right combination of topics to reflect what we’re seeing in the world,” Hill said.

Hill names one topic each year as a “presidential prerogative” because he believes, in addition to historical data and the science of market-testing themes, it’s important for intuition to play a role in decision making. He said the presidential prerogative week this season was Week Seven.

“We’ll explore grace, a celebration of extraordinary gifts,” Hill said. “I mention this because it is particularly fitting for this celebration of our Bestor Society members to occur today as we launch our exploration of grace.”

Hill then emphasized that there were three expressions of grace, three extraordinary gifts, that he wished to celebrate with Bestor Society members.

“First, I want to thank Jim Pardo for the extraordinary gift of his leadership as the chair of our board of trustees for the past six years, and for his 15 years of service as a trustee and community representative for Chautauqua,” Hill said.

Hill said that Pardo has given his best to Chautauqua and that he is deeply grateful for his efforts and the impact he has made at the Institution.

“Second, we spent the entire summer reflecting on our recently passed strategic plan, so I’ve been thinking a lot about the gift that is Chautauqua — its history, its present life and its future,” Hill said. “During the planning process, one of the things that we tried to do was to better define Chautauqua and to discuss its competitive advantage or distinction in the marketplace of ideas.”

Hill said there are, in fact, many ways the Institution differs from organizations or platforms for exchanging ideas, such as the Aspen Ideas Festival or TED Talks. While TED Talks are limited to 5 to 18 minutes, Chautauqua provides lectures and programs that thoroughly dissect a topic or issue. Chautauqua programs and events provide ample time to truly dive into conversation and reflect at the end of that conversation. At the end of lectures, Chautauquans are given the opportunity to ask questions and sometimes meet lecturers afterwards.

Hill said that TED Talks often “open with a joke, ensure a spontaneous moment, create a statement of utter certainty, create a snappy refrain and repeat it relentlessly, cite a personal failure or struggle and sigh when you’re doing it and create a contrarian thesis and stick to it until you hit the 15-minute mark.”

“Aspen’s approach to its summer ideas festival is similar, and we really respect them,” Hill said. “There are some years when their speakers mirror our speakers, but Aspen is unapologetic about who they are trying to reach: the elite, the wealthy and only the huge names on the lecture circuit, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

That model works for Aspen because they are endeavoring to fund a lot of leadership development programs, in which Hill himself has participated, and they do that by making sure their brand makes headlines — which requires a lot of money.

“As I thought about what makes Chautauqua different from these and other fine thought leadership organizations, I found myself full of gratitude for the answer,” Hill said. “At Chautauqua, we host some of the world’s most critical conversations and as such, we know that they can’t fit into a soundbite or even 15 minutes.”

Every time someone tells Hill that Chautauqua should be more like TED Talks, he said that he bristles because he has faith in the young and the young at heart who want to come to Chautauqua and try to find all of the answers.

“We will not seek to reduce complexity to a soundbite,” Hill said. “Every year we endeavor to find the most pressing topics.”

Hill emphasized how these topics cannot fit into one medium and that is why Chautauqua has four pillars. He closed by explaining how Chautauqua is a place where topics are discussed in their entirety and through many lenses, including art and religion.

“It’s not enough to be enriched yourself, you have to pay it forward when you go home,” Hill said. “In a world where being brief is the coin of the realm, Chautauqua stands up to say that often truth lies in complexity, that to heal the world we have to understand it first, and no person or party can own that. And if that sounds exhausting, Chautauqua probably isn’t for you, and that’s OK. You have to want it, and I’m profoundly grateful that everyone in this room does.”

For information about the Bestor Society or leadership giving to the Chautauqua Fund, contact Tina Downey, director of the Chautauqua Fund, at 716.357.6406 or
tdowney@chq.org.

Filmmaker Bestor Cram didn’t begin his career in a film school classroom.

“When I graduated from college in 1967, nobody had a film department,” Cram said. “There wasn’t a communications department and broadcast news was 15 minutes — it was a different era.”

Instead, he found a passion for documentary filmmaking from the events unfolding on the world stage. After graduating from college, Cram headed for the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Vietnam War.

“When I came back, not only had I changed, but I saw the country had changed,” Cram said. “So as my career as a filmmaker evolved, I realized what interested me more than anything — to learn what I don’t know about.”

Cram’s perspective as a veteran, coupled with his passion for documenting issues to affect change, helped him further his film career.   

“It became apparent to me that this was a powerful medium,” Cram said. “I became attuned to the fact that documentary is an extremely effective form of creating conversation.”

At 5:30 p.m. today at the Chautauqua Cinema, Cram will premiere his latest film, “The Last American Colony.” A Q-and-A will follow the screening. He produced and co-directed the film with filmmaker Mike Majoros. 

The film pulls audiences into Puerto Rico’s story, centering on the territory’s fight for independence through the lens of Puerto Rican native and Harvard University graduate Juan Segarra.

It begins in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, and reveals the difficulties that Puerto Ricans have dealt with for years, from Segarra’s point of view.

A case involving Puerto Rican activists that was not heavily covered in the United States sparked Cram’s interest in the story.

There was a man who worked in Cram’s production company who was related to Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, the leader of the underground movement for Puerto Rican independence from the United States. In 2005, Ríos’ home in Puerto Rico was surrounded by FBI agents, and the independence leader was killed.

That year, Cram brought a team to Puerto Rico and was originally going to do the documentary on Ríos.

“We went to document the Puerto Rican reaction to that,” he said, “knowing that from our view in the mainland United States, we weren’t getting a good view of what the territory of Puerto Rico was about.”

Cram said Segarra was a smart Harvard man, but he went to jail for 19 years because of his fight for Puerto Rican independence. 

“As I began to learn (Rios’) story, I met (Segarra),” Cram said. “And over the years we have nurtured a relationship with one another, and as a filmmaker, it became apparent to me that (Segarra) was a more compelling story.”

In the film, Segarra’s story serves as an introduction to the political upheaval and conflict in Puerto Rico — between those who want independence, those who want to become an American state and those who want Puerto Rico to remain a territory, Cram said.

Cram began working on the story in 2005, and developed the documentary’s angle. In 2008, he put the project on pause, but picked it back up in 2018.

In documentary filmmaking, there’s more than just a camera and a story idea, Cram said. For him, it involves building trust between himself and the interviewee, which helps him explore the topic in greater detail.

“I evolve the working and trusting relationship with the characters that we are shooting,” Cram said, “so that they feel comfortable with me and the camera. … Eventually the camera becomes invisible.”

Cram said that originally, Segarra didn’t want to tell his story because he felt that “it wasn’t just his story” to tell.

Cram said he doesn’t look for people to say certain things to fit his story’s mold; instead, he endeavors to listen as their story unfolds.

“The most important part of the process is building the trust,” Cram said. “The interviews that I do are not with the expectation that they’re answering the questions that I’ve already scripted for the movie — I’m not looking for somebody to say something, I’m looking for what they say.”

Cram is no stranger to the activism scene. After he came back to the United States from Vietnam, Cram became involved with  Vietnam Veterans Against the War, for which he brought filmmakers together to document the protests he organized.

He began to get involved in filmmaking as a cinematographer and eventually took on the role of producer and director. In 1982, Cram started a production company called Northern Light, and has produced over 30 documentaries in his career. “The Last American Colony” will have its theater premiere at the Chautauqua Cinema.

Cram spent many summers in Chautauqua, as he is the grandson of former Institution President Arthur E. Bestor. He said Chautauqua influenced his creativity and passion for learning.

“It influenced the introspective aspect of one’s life,” Cram said. “Every day, Chautauqua asks you questions of morality and conscience. You can’t help but be influenced by this place.”

He said he hopes the film will bring viewers insight into life in Puerto Rico, particularly as the territory continues to struggle with debt, poverty and the ramifications of Hurricane Maria.

“I think Chautauquans are extremely attuned to headlines,” Cram said. “This film is arriving on time to give context to those headlines in that it helps people understand over 100 years of a relationship between the United States and its territory.”

In the city of Detroit there’s a young man with a camera. And after a few clicks of that camera and a few hours of uploading, the Detroit public art scene is within reach for both art lovers and curious citizens across the globe.

A few times a week, Viranel Clerard starts his day by photographing works of public art in Detroit, such as murals and sculptures. He said it takes him a couple of days to photograph the art work and about two weeks to complete the research on each piece.

“I go out and I photograph every piece myself,” Clerard said. “I’ve photographed probably about 20 pieces a week.”

Five years ago, Clerard began his online project, The Detroit Museum of Public Art, and he’s documented over one thousand murals and sculptures since.

At 3:30 p.m. today in the Hall of Philosophy, Clerard will discuss the importance of art and the internet, which have been essential to his career, as part of the Oliver Archives Heritage Lecture Series. In his lecture, “Documenting a City: Place Keeping vs. Place Making in Detroit, Michigan,” he will speak about the difference that his project made in his community.

For Clerard, his father is the inspiration for his work.

“My dad came to the country at 25 years old,” Clerard said. “He was extremely poor when he came to the States and a pastor in Detroit sponsored him, teaching him English and how to drive.”

Clerard said his dad ended up living the American dream just five years later, complete with a home and a family. The art scene is a tumultuous career path, yet Clerard looks to his dad’s story of accomplishing the seemingly impossible.

“My father came to the States, which was difficult,” he said. “For me, it’s the same way that I broke out into a world that — also as a person of color — isn’t easily accessible.”

Growing up, Clerard said high school wasn’t for him. Once he graduated high school, he landed a job at The Detroit News. His dad, who worked as a janitor for The Detroit News’ printer, helped Clerard get a janitorial position.

“I knew I wanted to document things,” Clerard said. “So, I had a job as a janitor and I said to myself, ‘If I get this job as a janitor, it will allow me to network and get my foot in the door.’ ”

Within six months, Clerard landed his first front page story that he pitched to the newsroom.

“I worked there for another year,” he said. “But nothing was as sensational as that one, so I said OK, I am going to get a college degree.’ ”

He started off at Washington Community College, and was later accepted to the University of Michigan but “never graduated university,” Clerard said.

He was persuaded by photojournalist David Turnley, who told him to “just go out and do it.”

“I took his advice and thought, ‘Well, I’m going to take the one year that I have to make my decision to commit or not to see if I can make something happen.’ And then I ended up pursuing the Detroit Mural Project,” he said.

He began the Detroit Mural Project — now the Detroit Museum of Public Art — to research and photograph works of public art.

“Detroit is making a comeback now,” Clerard said. “There’s a lot of ideas on how to placemake, which is making community spaces to build the community back up ­— public art always plays big roles in cities.”

He said people are drawn to larger cities that have public works of art, like Paris and New York City. Currently, he’s in talks with the Detroit Institute of Arts to see if they will sponsor his project.

Clerard said the internet helped him succeed because his website became popular enough for him to continue his work. He hopes Chautauquans will learn about communities, be inspired and support his project.

“My plan is to, one day, be able to say that I am a young African American man that came from humble beginnings and created infrastructure for the next generation of museums,” Clerard said.

Following Monday’s  Middle East Update, Geoffrey Kemp, senior director of Regional Security Programs at the Center for the National Interest will return for a second discussion in the annual series, this time with Ellen Laipson, director of the Center for Security Policy Studies.

The second Middle East Update will be held at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 13 in the Hall of Philosophy. Laipson said she is looking forward to being in conversation with Kemp, and that they will discuss numerous topics.

“Geoff and I will be talking about the status of the Israeli situation, so I think we will be talking about the (Jared) Kushner plan, what his prospects are, the mood in the Palestinian community, the trend in Israeli politics and how we see the near to medium future,” Laipson said.

Laipson said that geopolitics and the politics of regions have shifted. These shifts affect countries differently.

“Arab-Israeli peace has always been a perennial part of the America’s foreign policy,” Laipson said. “It’s had its ups and downs, but I think that people are still concerned. I think people still see the inability to achieve a more lasting and just settlement to Israeli-Palestinian issues to be a real weakness and vulnerability for American foreign policy.”

She said it’s a longterm vulnerability, but it’s also a demonstration of the failure of generations of American diplomats who’ve tried so hard to reach accommodations.

“I think that people truly worry that this failure to come up with a more successful solution is creating a new source of instability in the region,” Laipson said.

Kemp will be hosting the conversation with Laipson. The pair have known each other for many years and have collaborated on other projects regarding the Middle East.

“I’ve known Geoff for probably 30 years,” Laipson said. “He’s a part of the Middle East community in Washington D.C.”

Kemp said Laipson will touch on issues that he had mentioned during the first Middle East Update, and elaborate on Iran and American policy dilemmas in the Middle East.

“I’m expecting Ellen to be more regional in her discussions and to touch base on some of the issues I mentioned, particularly Iran and American policy, and the dilemmas that the Trump Administration faces in the Middle East, particularly in light of challenges from Turkey, Russia, Iran, and to some extent, China,” Kemp said.

Both Kemp and Laipson look forward to returning to Chautauqua. They hope Chautauquans engage in the interactive conversation the Middle East Updates provide.

“I’ve been to Chautauqua twice before and each time I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and the quality of the questioning,” Laipson said. “It’s always got a very positive and productive atmosphere, so I really look forward to being part of that again.”

In a week centered on evolving global power and its new stakeholders, Kenneth Weinstein will explore the intersection of international authority, national security and technology.

The president and CEO of Hudson Institute, the Washington D.C.-based conservative think tank, Weinstein will lecture on “National Security and Next Generation Technology” at 10:45 a.m. today in the Amphitheater, continuing Week Eight, “Shifting Global Power.”

“Our work is focused at the intersection of technology, strategy and policy: strengthening the U.S. nuclear posture; protecting intellectual property and critical technologies; and ensuring American leadership in the development of 5G capabilities, cyber defenses and quantum computing,” Weinstein wrote in the nonprofit’s 2018 Annual Report.

Weinstein is a political theorist by training and has established a reputation as a thought and opinion leader on international affairs, writing for major publications in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Weinstein and Hudson Institute have been particularly outspoken about foreign cyberattacks on U.S. agencies and elections, especially within the last year after revelations that Russians interfered in the 2016 presidential election, attempting to bolster then-candidate Donald Trump’s campaign. Hudson Institute has also been critical of Russia and the threat it poses to international security.

“President Vladimir Putin seems to be relishing the role of international troublemaker,” Weinstein wrote in a 2018 column published in The Wall Street Journal about an alleged attempted Russian cyberattack on Hudson Institute’s website. “My colleagues have been promoting tough-minded policies in all these areas and others.”

In the same stroke, Weinstein praised efforts by the Trump’s Administration, writing that “… the Trump administration has rightly adopted aggressive policies to address the renewed threat Russia poses to U.S. national interests, to European and other allies, and to regional stability.”

Weinstein has also commended Trump’s positions on security policy in Asia, writing in The Wall Street Journal that “… the overarching goal is managing Asia policy in a way that enhances the security and prosperity of the U.S. and its allies. … But at least when it comes to security policy, the president has his priorities straight.”

Founded in 1961 by 20th-century futurist and RAND Corporation military strategist, Herman Kahn, Hudson Institute “challenges conventional thinking and helps manage strategic transitions to the future through interdisciplinary studies in defense, international relations, economics, health care, technology, culture and law,” according to its mission statement.

As the president and CEO of Hudson Institute, Weinstein oversees the nonprofit’s research, management of external affairs, marketing and government relations efforts.

Weinstein,  whose academic work focused on the early Enlightenment,  was decorated with knighthood in arts and letters by the French government, and co-edited The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking. Weinstein was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors — now known as the U.S. Agency for Global Media — and serves on additional international humanities and trade committees.

Throughout the course of the season, the Family Entertainment Series has provided engaging acts and energetic evenings that cater to younger Chautauquans.

But more often than not, the performers are adults, stepping over the age barrier to provide content that resonates with an audience far younger than themselves.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 13 in Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, that barrier won’t exist at all.

As the dancers from the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet spin and leap onto the stage, the age difference between the performers and some of their young audience members is, at times, only a handful of years.

But despite their ages, the members of CRYB deliver professional-quality performances that take audiences on journeys through a variety of dance styles and music genres.

Maya Swanson, one of the dancers who will be performing in tonight’s show, said that the program the ballet puts on for the FES is a unique one. 

“The audience will see a more intimate ballet performance,” Swanson said. “We are closer to the audience than we are in a typical performance without the lights and extra effects. It’s a more raw performance.”

As the ballerinas and ballerinos dance their way through Lenna Hall, they’ll be performing numbers from a variety of sources. According to CRYB Executive Director Elizabeth Bush, the night will include excerpts from The Nutcracker ballet and Swan Lake, as well as dances set to music from several notable composers. 

“The program contains primarily classical repertoire,” Bush said. “However, the opening number, Tzigane, is a contemporary ballet work choreographed for us by alumna Brittany Bush. … The closing number is always a crowd pleaser — it is a modern dance work by Dara Swisher to music by Philip Glass.”

Cate Walter, another of the evening’s performers, said she’s looking forward to the up-close and personal nature of the show.

“The Institution is so beautiful, and performing in Lenna Hall is always an intimate experience,” Walter said. “It’s fun to be able to see the audience members for a change.”

Bush, Walter and Swanson all agreed that performing for an FES audience is a fun, rewarding experience.

“(The audience is) very enthusiastic and appreciative, which of course is wonderful for the dancers,” Bush said. “After the performance, many of the children like to come up and take photos with the dancers. We hopefully might inspire a future dancer or two that night.”

“I miss Judas from our Easter story,” said the Rev. Mary Luti. “You and I are lucky to know what Judas never got to know — love poured out of the empty tomb.”

Luti preached at the 9:15 a.m. Monday Ecumenical Service in the Amphitheater. Her sermon title was “The Power of Pardon: Easter for Judas,” and the Scripture text was John 21:1-17, the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.

Only the gospel of Matthew has a story about the death of Judas. When he realized that Jesus had been condemned to death, he tried to return the money he had taken to betray Jesus. The authorities refused to take it back, and Judas hanged himself.

“The name Judas became a symbol for treachery and we don’t think about him,” Luti said. “We don’t dwell on the villain who rains on the Easter parade. He is the sketchy relative we don’t like to mention in front of the children. I miss Judas from our story. I think about my own betrayals, the things I can’t undo and I want to disappear. Judas never heard Christ say, ‘Peace, don’t be afraid.’ I don’t know where I would be without that peace echoing in my soul.”

If Judas had been with the other disciples, shame might not have stolen his life. Judas could have experienced Jesus coming through the walls of the upper room, walked on the road to Emmaus or been in the boat to see Jesus on the beach making breakfast.

Some of the disciples, like Peter, had gone back to their old lives, fishing.

“If Judas had been there he could have heard Jesus’ voice say, ‘Take heart, friends, try again over there,’” Luti said. “I wish Judas could cast his net into the deep water where fresh hope is waiting to be caught. He would know that only Jesus could fill the boat and his heart like that. Who else but Jesus would know that the thing to do to people who have hurt you is to feed them and say something unbearably kind?”

In John’s gospel, Jesus speaks to Peter three times. Peter might have been expecting payback for denying Jesus, but Jesus asks him, “Do you love me? Then feed my lambs.”

Jesus never said one word of recrimination to the disciples.

“Jesus spoke only love, and Judas should have been there for the most profound miracle — pardon, mercy and peace,” Luti said.

It is the human impulse to feed on grievance until the last sword has severed the last head of the last scapegoat.

“The Christian faith claimed that the resurrection ended the world of reprisal,” Luti said. “It is now structured for mercy in the image of an innocent man who gives the kiss of peace. This is a potent ethical charge; it has the power to change everything, even the church. Yet churches are struggling to survive and renew themselves. How can we be the church Jesus wanted?”

That church, she said, “is a few mortified disciples gathered around a fire they did not light, eating food they did not cook. They are inept, frightened and weak and have done the unforgivable. Any Judas should feel at home.”

The church that Jesus went through death and hell to return to is stupefied by the pardon of their blame-worthy guilt.

“That church meets blame with peace and a tender, reverent regard for the weakness of others,” Luti said.

If the church is filled with people who can make their own breakfast, who are steadfast strong and good, there will be no church.

“They won’t have a mission because they have never waited for the other shoe to drop,” she said. “They will never carry undeserved mercy.”

And this mission, Luti said, is for all people.

“This mission is to tend the sheep, and Jesus wants the worst people for the job,” she said. “If only Judas held on three more days, he would have known love poured out of the tomb and there would be a different ending for him.”

In the Middle Ages, people were bothered that in the gospels there were no stories about Jesus’ reunion with his mother after the resurrection.

“They invented ‘true’ stories and preached them like gospel,” Luti said.

Luti then described what a gospel of Judas might be: On the day of resurrection, Jesus rose early, before the women got to the tomb, and went first to Judas. Judas had been in a small room sobbing, wanting to die. When he saw Jesus, he shrank against the wall and knew he was about to pay for his sin.

Jesus took him in his arms, and as Judas tried to explain what had happened, Jesus said, “No explanation is needed. Let me tell you who I am. I am the Christ of eternal mercy. I formed you here and exalt you beyond the stars. My love overflows for you.”

The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, vice president of religion and senior pastor, presided. The Rev. Virginia Carr, a priest in the diocese of Western New York and rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Westfield, read the Scripture. The introit, sung by the Motet Choir, was “What Shall I Render,” by John Ness Beck. The anthem was “The Morning Trumpet,” by Daniel Kallman. Jared Jacobsen, organist and coordinator of worship and sacred music, directed the choir. Braille worship books are available for those who are sight-impaired at Gate 4, the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation gate. Ask any usher for help. The Samuel M. and Mary E. Hazlett Memorial Fund provides support for this week’s services.