SDSU POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY FACULTY TO DISCUSS U.S. TORTURE POLICY

Teach-In Monday, Oct. 2 Is Free and Open to Public

Gina Speciale
SDSU Marketing & Communications
Tel: (619) 594-4563 office, (619) 813-3581 cell
speciale@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO (Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006) - San Diego State University’s political science department will host a teach-in at 3 p.m. Monday to discuss the on-going national debate over torture policy.  The event, titled, “Historical, Political and Moral Dimensions of U.S. Torture Policy,” is free and open to the public.

Two faculty members from the political science department and one from the philosophy department will address the history behind U.S. policy and the current political debate over what constitutes an appropriate policy for interrogating terror suspects.  They will also address the Geneva Conventions and the moral implications of enshrining a new interpretation of the Geneva Conventions in U.S. law.  Questions will be taken during an open discussion immediately following the faculty presentations.

The goal of the teach-in is to raise the level of public discourse on the subject, said Carole Kennedy, an associate professor in the SDSU political science department and one of the event’s organizers.

"The legislative debate over what constitutes appropriate torture policy demands the informed involvement of the American people," Kennedy said.   "The Geneva Conventions have served as the law of the land since 1949 and changes to that law have enormous moral, political and historical consequences."

The event will take place in Nasatir Hall, Room 100 on the San Diego State University campus.  Visitor parking is available in Lot W.  The faculty participants are:

• Brian Loveman, Ph.D. – Loveman is the past Fred J. Hansen Chair for Peace Studies (2002 -2005) and his research and teaching focuses on Latin American politics, Inter-American politics, international relations, and human rights.  His most recent work is an edited volume, Addicted to Failure: U.S. Security Policy in Latin America and the Andean Region, available from Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Inc.
• Tom Weston, Ph.D. – Weston teaches logic, ethics and political philosophy in the department of philosophy at SDSU.
• Carole Kennedy, Ph.D. –  Kennedy’s research and teaching focuses on American presidential and electoral politics.  She teaches a course on the impact of the war on terror on civil liberties and is active on campus and in the wider community on issues related to political participation and democratic governance.

For further information contact Dawn Christiansen of the SDSU Political Science department at dchristi@mail.sdsu.edu or at (619)594-1095. 

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 72 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s nearly 34,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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